ServicesClinical Assessment Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy Couples Counseling Child and Adolescent Counseling Family Counseling BookmarksConfidentiality Explanation of Dual Relationships Length of Sessions Fees/Method of Payment Billing/Reimbursement | | Counseling Services Offered/Theoretical ApproachesPeople can make better decisions if they have enough information and understand how something works. Here are some aspects of counseling and therapy as I see and practice it. Counseling includes your active involvement as well as efforts to change your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You will have to work both in and out of the counseling sessions. There is no instant, painless, or passive cure, no "magic pill.” Instead, there will be homework assignments, exercises, writings, journals, and perhaps, other projects. Most likely, you will have to work on relationships and make long-term efforts. Sometimes changes will be easy and swift, but more often it will be slow and deliberate. Some efforts may need repeating. I take an educational approach to people's problems and encourage you to learn more about the kind of therapy I do. I derive my approach from Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy developed by Dr. Albert Ellis, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy developed by Drs. Aaron Beck and Donald Michenbaum, and Reality Therapy developed by Dr. William Glasser. These are well-established, researched, and respected therapies. You are encouraged to become knowledgeable about goals, methods, and effectiveness. If we are to work together, we will need to specify goals, foci, and methods, risks and benefits of treatment, the approximate time commitment involved, cost, and other aspects of your particular situation. Before going further, I expect us to agree on a plan to which we will both adhere. Periodically, we will evaluate our progress and, if necessary, redesign our treatment plan, goals, and methods. As with any powerful intervention, there are both risks and benefits associated with counseling and therapy. Risks might include experimenting with uncomfortable levels of feelings like sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, or frustration, or having difficulties with other people. Some changes may lead to what seems to be worsening circumstances or even losses (for example, counseling will not necessarily keep a marriage intact). Clients I work with are psychologically and emotionally "healthy" and seek counseling for difficulties due to normal life events. I do not take on clients who, in my professional opinion, I cannot help using the techniques I have available. I will enter our relationship with optimism and an eagerness to work with you.
I have a special interest in helping adults with personal adjustment issues, adults, and children with substance abuse issues, children with academic and personal adjustment, and families with their relationships. I regard the information you share with me with the greatest respect, so I want us to be as clear as possible about how I will handle it. Generally, I will tell no one what you tell me. The privacy and confidentiality of our conversations and my records, is a privilege of yours and is protected by state and federal law and my profession's ethical principles in all but a few circumstances. There are two circumstances in which I cannot guarantee confidentiality legally and/or ethically: (1) When I believe you intend to harm yourself or another person, and (2) when I believe a child or elderly person has been or will be abused or neglected. In rare circumstances, Professional Counselors can be ordered by a Judge to release information. Otherwise, I will not tell anyone anything about your treatment, diagnosis, history, or even that you are a client, without your full knowledge and usually a signed Release of Information form. Federal law and regulations protect the confidentiality of your record maintained by me. Violations of the Federal law and regulations by this service are a crime. Suspected violations may be reported to the United States Attorney in the district where the violation occurs. Federal law and regulations do not protect any information about suspected child abuse or neglect from being reported under State law to appropriate State and local authorities. (See 42 U.S.C. 290dd-3 and 42 U.S.C. 290ee-3 for federal laws and 42 CFR Part 2 for Federal regulations.) Although our sessions may be very intimate psychologically, it is important for you to realize that we have a professional relationship rather than a social one. Our contact will be limited to sessions you will arrange with me. Please do not invite me to social gatherings, offer me gifts, or ask me to relate to you in any way other than in the professional content of our counseling sessions. You will be best served while I am seeing you for counseling and are experiencing me in my professional role. I assure you that my services will be rendered in a professional manner consistent with accepted ethical standards. Sessions are fifty (50) minutes in duration. We will schedule our sessions for our mutual agreement. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please call to cancel or reschedule at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance. If I do not receive such advance notice, you may be responsible for paying for part or all of the session that you missed. Please note that it is impossible to guarantee any specific results regarding your counseling goals. However, together we will work to achieve the best possible results for you. I will provide counseling services to you for a fee. This fee is usually $70.00 for your initial session and $70.00 for each additional session. There is some charge adjustment for established clients. I prefer that you pay for each session at the conclusion of each session. Cash or personal checks are acceptable for payment. I will give you a receipt at the conclusion of each session and for each payment. If I am providing services to you through your Employee Assistance Program,
I will follow the service agreement specific to your EAP. If you wish to seek reimbursement for my services from your health insurance company,
I will be happy to complete any forms related to your reimbursement provided by you or your insurance company. Your fee is your responsibility and I will collect payment at the conclusion of each session unless other fee arrangements are in effect, such as prepaid employer referrals or referrals from your EAP. Some health insurance companies will pay me for services rendered or reimburse you for my services and some will not. Those that do pay me for services rendered or reimburse you usually require that a standard amount be paid by you before reimburse in allowed, and then usually only a percentage of my fee is reimbursable. You should contact your insurance company representative to determine whether your insurance company will pay me for services rendered or reimburse you for my services. If reimbursement is allowed, determine what schedule of payment or reimbursement will be used. However, please remember that you are responsible and not your insurance company for paying your agreed upon fees. Health insurance companies require that I diagnose your mental health condition and indicate that you have an "illness" before they will agree to pay me for services rendered or reimburse you. In the event that a diagnosis is required, I will inform you of the diagnosis I plan to render before I submit it to your health insurance company. Any diagnosis made will become a part of your permanent records. | | Office Hours:Monday – Friday, 9 – 7, After-hours and weekend appointments available. |
