New Clients

How do I setup my first appointment?

The best first step is contacting one of our therapists by email or phone to express your interest in starting therapy. Please include a brief message about what it is you’re curious about or hoping to working on. Let us know of any questions or concerns you have and your availability in scheduling a first session with one of our staff therapists. After we receive your inquiry, you will be contacted by a staff therapist who will assist you in setting up an initial consultation. We generally respond to inquiries within 24 – 48 hours.

Do I have to fill out paperwork?

It takes about 10 minutes during your first appointment to fill out initial paperwork. We ask our clients to fill out the following forms:

1. Demographic Form / Service Agreement
2. Payment Acceptance Form
3. HIPPA Agreement (federal law providing confidentiality with regard to all health care records and interactions) (no signature required on this form)
4. HIPPA Acknowledgement
5. Lastly, if your insurance provider is Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO we’ll ask you to bring your insurance card to the first session

All of our forms are available on our website. To save some time in your initial consultation, you may download and bring your pre-filled forms to your first appointment if you wish. View and download forms here.

What should I expect in my first session?

During your first session, our focus is to gather information to assess what it is that brings you to therapy. We work in a collaborative effort with you to create a therapeutic environment that fits your needs and which will be most helpful to you in making the change you desire. The assessment part of therapy is in many ways ongoing throughout the treatment process. However, the first one to three sessions tend to be more focused on therapeutic assessment via collecting pertinent information, history, and primary presenting problems. This collaborative process between you and your therapist will help your therapist tailor a treatment plan that is the best fit for your needs. Above all, this is an opportunity for you and your therapist to begin building a therapeutic relationship in which you have the space to grow within and trust and support to lean on, as you work toward your therapeutic goals.

Appointments

Can I cancel my scheduled appointment?

We understand that unexpected emergencies can change plans. We request that you give a cancellation notice as early as possible. There is no cancellation charge for cancellations due to emergencies. In non-emergency situations wherein you need to cancel your appointment we ask for at least 24 hours notice or earlier. If an agreed upon session is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice in a non-emergency situation (and/or a session is forgotten or a “no-show”) then you will be charged the full amount for the session. Insurance companies typically do not reimburse for missed sessions.

Can I re-schedule my appointment?

Yes, we understand emergencies do come up and changes to schedules are necessary from time to time. We ask for at least 24 hours notice if you need to change a scheduled appointment.

Billing and Insurance

Do you accept insurance?

Yes, we are “in-network” with BCBS PPO. If you have BCBS PPO, we submit claims on your behalf (with your permission) and then payment is based on how your plan works (in some cases a copay, or percentage of coinsurance, or paying until meeting a deductible-it’s all based on your particular insurance plan with BCBS).

What if my insurance is not accepted?

We have many clients that utilize therapy with us as out of network providers. If not insured by BCBS PPO, for all other insurance claims (Aetna, United Health, Cigna, et al), we can provide you insurance ready invoices (including every piece of information needed for your out of network submission) that can be submitted for an out of network reimbursement with your plan.

Therapy

How long is each therapy session?

Therapy sessions tend to be a little less than one hour, approximately 55 minutes.

How frequently does therapy happen?

The frequency of therapy is based on your needs and goals. It is helpful to develop a consistent routine with therapy (day of the week, time of the day). It’s not uncommon to have a weekly appointment time. Some people find therapy every other week to be the right level of support. This varies from case to case, but is an important conversation to have and process through with your therapist.

How long will I be in therapy?

It’s not uncommon if you have a specific problem to be in and out of therapy in 4-6 sessions. It’s also quite common to be in therapy for an open-ended amount of time as you process through major life transitions and stressors. It is contingent on what you are trying to get out of the process and what your goals for therapy are. This is a great question to discuss with your therapist.

Is information shared during therapy confidential?

Absolutely, confidentiality is the cornerstone of successful and helpful therapy. We strongly believe that you must feel safe and trusting with your therapist and in the therapeutic environment.

Potentially, the only exception wherein confidentiality can be broken is if you are a potential harm to yourself and/or someone else. In these cases, your safety is our primary concern and we will work with you to determine best treatment options to make sure you are safe.