General Information
Therapy is provided on a voluntary basis. Your choice to utilize therapy is voluntary and you may terminate at any time.
There is no assurance or guarantee that you will feel better, but hard work and cooperation in treatment generally provides good results. You will often receive “homework” assignments to help you learn to deal with your problems more quickly.
During the course of therapy, material may be discussed which you find upsetting but this may be necessary to help you to resolve your problems.
The duration of therapy generally falls into one of two categories. First, many problems, such as adjustment to a stressor, can be dealt with well in five or six sessions. The second category of problems such as major depression or drug and alcohol issues, are more severe and can take several months to deal with. After two or three sessions you will have a better idea of how long treatment will take.
Appointments
Call to schedule appointments. Office visits are arranged solely on a prescheduled basis. Please arrive on time for appointments, as your therapist will also make an effort to be prompt. Due to scheduling requirements, appointments will end on time.
Individual, couples, and family sessions typically last 45 to 50 minutes unless otherwise scheduled. Under certain circumstances longer sessions or half sessions (20 to 25 minutes) can be scheduled. Group sessions are 50 minutes to one hour.
Cancellation or rescheduling appointments without sufficient notice means loss of therapy time, which could have been provided to someone else. Therefore, you are required to give a minimum of 24 hours notice of cancellation so that arrangements can be made to utilize the time appropriately.
In the event that 24 hours notice is not given, or if an appointment is missed, you will be required to pay a $50 cancellation fee – payable at the time of the next session – unless your absence is due to a MUTUALLY agreed upon emergency.
Confidentiality of Treatment
Confidentiality of information about you will be held or released in accordance with state and federal laws regarding confidentiality of such records and information. Confidentiality may be broken under the following circumstances:
- if you sign a wavier requesting release of information;
- if a court orders the release of your records;
- if you raise your mental status or competency in a legal proceeding;
- if there is reason to believe that there is a clear and immediate probability that you will seriously harm yourself or others, or;
- if there is evidence or strong suspicion of child or elder abuse.
In order to provide quality assurance and quality treatment, your case information may be shared with a supervising therapist, your managed care company, or your EAP. These individuals maintain confidentiality in accordance with state and federal laws.
If you are an HMO patient, a summary of your evaluation, diagnosis and treatment may be shared with your primary care physician to provide coordination of your medical treatment. You may refuse to have this information shared if you request so in writing at the time of this first visit.
Telephone Contact With Your Therapist
For matters, which require rapid input from your therapist, feel free to call. However, please be advised that your therapist may not be able to come to the phone as he or she may be in session. For important matters that do not require a rapid response from your therapist, please wait to bring them up in your next therapy session. The matter can most likely be dealt with in a more complete and effective manner during your next therapy session. The telephone is a far less effective means of communication than face-to-face contact.
Emergencies and After Hours Calls
If an emergency occurs during business hours (such as a situation which poses a threat of physical harm), your therapist can most likely be called out of session.
If an emergency occurs after business hours, keep in mind that 911 can be contacted.
If requested, Advanced Directives information is available.
Court Fees
There is a portal to portal fee of $200.00 an hour for attendance at hearings. There is a minimum payment of 2 hours ($400.00) prior to the court date.
Fees and Payment
Payments are due by the end of each session. Billing is costly and contributes to fee increases; discussing overdue payments in session uses up valuable therapy time. We will gladly assist you in obtaining reimbursement but the ultimate responsibility for payment is yours. At times, medical or incidental information may have to be released in processing applications for financial benefit. There is a $25.00 fee for returned checks.
If payment is not received in a reasonable time, your bill may be forwarded to a collections agency where a fee of 43% will be added to your bill for the agency’s services. In the event litigation becomes necessary to collect overdue payments, in addition to the collections agency’s fees, you will also be charged for any incurred attorney’s fees.