Therapy Services
Making sure you and your therapist are a good fit for each other is important.
We are happy to have a brief 15 minute phone call with you to discuss what you are looking for and to determine if we might be able to help.
No Surprises Act
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, healthcare providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical services.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency services.
- Make sure your healthcare provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your service. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 368-1019.
What to Expect at Your First Session
Adults
During your first session your therapist will ask you to share what brings you to counseling (in more detail than what was discussed during the brief phone call). Your therapist and you will discuss your history, which will help your therapist better understand you as well as potential contributing factors to the issue you want to work on during your time together.
You and your therapist will then discuss what you would like to achieve in counseling and then set a treatment goal.
This goal will include the therapy that will be used as well as the frequency of your sessions. Most goals can be achieved by meeting once a week for a 50-minute session. The length of time you work with your therapist will be dependent on many different factors, so your therapist will have a discussion with you to set expectations.
Your therapist’s objective is to help you achieve your treatment goal in a reasonable amount of time. The length of time you and your therapist work together will be dependent on many different factors, and your therapist will discuss expectations with you.
Tween/teens under the age of 18
Depending on what you, as the parent, share with your therapist in the initial phone call the first session will look similar to the one outlined above. During the initial phone call your therapist will discuss the best approach to the first session.
Our goal is to create and nurture a therapeutic relationship with your tween/teen that makes them feel their therapist in on their team.
Couples
For couples, the first session will look very similar to the first session for adult counseling. Your therapist understands that each of you may be in a different place regarding how you feel about being in counseling and will address any concerns you may have at that time.
While history is vitally important, the focus of that first session for couples is on where you are right now and what you each feel are the biggest issues you are currently facing. If necessary, your therapist will help you set ground rules for discussing your therapy outside of the counseling office.
Your therapist will make sure that you both feel comfortable and heard and that you leave with a take-away, tool or plan that will provide you with some relief right away.
