Does what we talk about in therapy stay confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components in therapy, as successful therapy requires a high degree of trust. With few exceptions, the highly sensitive material that is discussed between you and the therapist will not be shared with anyone else without your permission or knowledge. For example, your therapist may share information with someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law will only be allowed to release this information after obtaining your written consent. In addition, therapists are legally mandated to make certain disclosures in cases where there is suspicion of harm to oneself, harm to others, or child abuse. All such disclosures will be discussed with you in advance.

How do I prepare for my initial evaluation therapy session?

Before the session, you will electronically complete demographic paperwork within our electronic health records system with Athena Health. A personal intake questionnaire, insurance provider information, as well as reading through my practice policies and procedures with need to be completed prior to the initial evaluation session as well to fully maximize session time. At the beginning of the session, I will answer any questions you have about myself, or what you read in the informed consent. After that we will start discussing what brought you to therapy and goals you may have for yourself in beginning your healing journey.

What if I do not have insurance or cannot afford your rate fee?

For clients who cannot afford our full rate fee, we have a limited number of appointments available at a sliding scale. Our sliding scale is determined and decided on a case-by-case basis. Our sliding scale is based on financial needs, income, availability, and severity of therapeutic need. If you are uninsured or feel as though you cannot afford the rate due to a factor previously stated and are interested in learning more please email us.

What form of payment do you accept?

I accept cash, check, debit or credit card. Psychotherapy sessions can also be paid for and/or reimbursed through HSA/FSA accounts. Please check with your specific insurance provider for more details.

What is your cancellation/no show policy?

Our cancellation policy requires 24 hour notice of cancellation. Cancellation with less than 24 hours notice requires payment in full. If you are unable to attend your session in person, you can always do it via phone or video. Our ‘no show’ policy allows for a 10 minute “grace period” for session tardiness. If you are more than 10 mins late to session you will be considered a ‘no show’ and will not be able to complete the remainder of the scheduled session. You will need to reschedule your session, and you will be charged a ‘no show’ fee.

Do you prescribe medication?

LCSWs are not psychiatrists and therefore we do not prescribe medication. However, in some cases medication can be valuable in combination with psychotherapy. If your therapist determines that you could benefit from meeting with a psychiatrist, we can assist with referring you to someone in our trusted network of referrals.

How long will therapy take?

There is no specific time frame when working on personal development and growth. Depending on the type of changes that you are looking to make and the variety of issues that you are attempting to work on, therapy can last from a few sessions to much longer. Some find therapy to be extremely beneficial and choose to make it a long-term process.