MDiv, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
THE THERAPY PROCESS
Psychotherapy is not easily described in a few sentences. Although therapy has been shown to be
helpful for many issues, there are no guarantees about treatment outcomes or what you will
experience. Therapy is not similar to a visit to a medical doctor. Instead, it requires effort on your
part – you will need to work on things we talk about not just during our sessions but at home. When
exploring issues in treatment, you may feel discomfort, anger, sadness, and anxiety, as well as joy and
relief. Attempting to relieve issues between family members can also lead to discomfort and may
result in changes that were not originally intended. I encourage you to discuss any uncomfortable
thoughts and feelings with me as they arise during the course of treatment.
APPOINTMENTS
It is extremely important during treatment to keep your regular appointments in order to increase the
likelihood of therapeutic gains. While you are in treatment, your time is reserved solely for you. As is
customary with most professionals, if you cancel your appointment, a 24-hour notice is required. If an
appointment is missed or canceled with less than a 24-hour notice, you may be billed as per your
insurance plan. If you repeatedly forget to show for your sessions, you may be referred back to your
insurance company and be assigned to a different therapist. Sessions are normally 50 minutes, once
per week, starting on the hour. It is sometimes in the patient's best interest to meet more frequently.
This is assessed on a case by case basis. In the event of the necessity to meet for an extended session,
such as in couples counseling, crisis, or family therapy, the fee will be adjusted accordingly. These
typically might be 90 - 120 minutes. These decisions are made collaboratively with patients.
FINANCIAL POLICIES and INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT
Please call or e-mail me for current fees. If payment in full makes therapy prohibitive, I am willing to
discuss a fee reduction especially if sessions can be scheduled at non prime-time hours such as
morning or early afternoons.
I will complete insurance forms in your behalf and bill your insurance company directly.
If you have a co-payment, I will ask you to pay it at each session. Please note that your insurance
policy is a contract between you and your insurance company. It’s important that you understand its
provisions. Although your insurance company will be billed for fees, you are responsible for that
portion of the fee that is not reimbursed by your insurance carrier (e.g., deductibles, co-payments,
cancelled sessions, etc.). If your insurance company pays only a portion of the bill or rejects it entirely,
the insurance company will send an explanation of benefits to you. Reduction or rejection of your
claim does not relieve you of your financial responsibility for your therapy sessions. If unusual
circumstances of financial hardship develop please let me know so that we may discuss possible
payment options. If your check “bounces” and is returned by the bank for insufficient funds, you are
responsible for making payment in full and for any bank fees.
TELEPHONE & OTHER PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATIONS
Phone calls that are less than ten minutes in length will not be charged. However, for those calls that
are more than ten minutes, they will be charged at quarter-hour segments ($30.00 per quarter hour).
For professional consultations with people with whom you have asked or allowed me to speak
(physicians, attorneys, schoolteachers, therapists, etc.), I charge in quarter-hour segments (for calls
that are more than fifteen minutes). I also charge for time writing letters/reports about your case or
reading extensive reports. I will notify you about these charges before beginning these activities.
These are charges that insurance companies usually do not cover. If you become involved in legal
proceedings that may require my participation, you will be expected to pay for my professional time
even if I am called to testify by another party.
CONFIDENTIALITY
In general, all communication between a therapist and a patient is confidential and protected by law
and may not be revealed without your written permission. Confidentiality also protects children and
adolescent patients. However, there are a few exceptions in which I am legally and/or ethically
obligated to break confidentiality. Please review these exceptions carefully and ask me any questions
at your first session or as soon as they arise during the course of treatment.
- In most – but not all – legal proceedings, you have the legal right to prevent me from giving
information about your therapy. In certain legal situations, such as in a child custody case or
when your emotional condition is an issue (for example, in a Worker’s Compensation or
personal injury case), the judge may order me to testify and I must comply. - Disclosure is required when there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse/neglect, dependent
adult, and elder abuse. - If a patient is a danger to himself or others, I am required to take protective measures. This
may include notifying a potential victim, contacting the police, or hospitalizing my patient. If
my patient threatens to harm him/herself, I may need to seek hospitalization or contact family
members or others who can provide protection.
If any of these above situations occur, I will make every reasonable effort to discuss my course of
action with you prior to implementing it. If you are participating in group therapy, details of the
group are to be kept strictly confidential (please see separate forms for more information about
group therapy).
On occasion, it may be beneficial to your situation to consult other professionals about your case.
During such a consultation, I make every effort to protect your identity. The consultant is also legally
obligated to keep the information confidential.
INSURANCE COMPANIES AND CONFIDENTIALITY
On the insurance form, you will be asked to sign an authorization to release information to your
insurance/managed care company which permits me to release information about you that is
necessary to process claims and request additional sessions. If you have any questions or concerns
about disclosure of information to your managed care/insurance company, please discuss them with
me.
CONFIDENTIALITY WITH FAMILY AND COUPLE’S THERAPY
When working with family members and couples, I will ask all parties to sign releases of information
so that I may share relevant information and give important feedback to all those participating in
treatment. In situations where one family member or one partner requests that I release information
about the family or couple’s sessions, I will not release information unless all family members (or both
members of the couple) sign an authorization allowing me to do so.
TELEPHONE AND EMERGENCY COVERAGE
I have a telephone voice mail that is available at all times for routine messages. I collect my messages
frequently and will make every attempt to return messages within 24 hours.
If the rare instance that you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest
emergency room for immediate assistance.
VACATION COVERAGE
If I am out of town or otherwise unavailable, I will arrange for a qualified professional to cover for
me. Simply check my office voicemail for additional information about who to contact. I will also let
my patients know in advance when I will be out of the office (unless an emergency situation arises,
such as a sudden illness or family emergency – in which case, a qualified professional will notify you
and discuss treatment options).
TERMINATION OF TREATMENT
You have the right to terminate treatment at any time. However, if you are dissatisfied with my
services or have questions about my treatment methods, I invite you to discuss them with me as soon
as possible. If you decide to stop treatment with me, I will be happy to give you the names and
telephone numbers of other therapists in order to ensure a smooth transition of your care.
Therapists also have the right to terminate therapy under certain circumstances – for example, if a
patient is not benefiting from treatment after a reasonable length of time or if a patient could benefit
more from receiving treatment elsewhere. At times, during the course of treatment, additional issues
come to light which would best be addressed by another therapist or treatment agency which
specializes in that particular area. In the event that it becomes apparent that it is in your best interests
to terminate treatment with me, referrals will be given and reviewed carefully with you. In addition,
I will conduct termination sessions with you prior to your transfer to another therapist or treatment
facility. If you are dissatisfied with my services, fees or any other legal issues, I encourage you to
discuss them with me.
These policies and procedures are documented fully in the Outpatient Services Contract reviewed and
signed in the office with a copy provided to you.
________________________________________
You may e-mail me by
clicking here
Call (562) 307-2743
for information about how
to make an appointment.
