|
IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
ABOUT
MY PRACTICE
& YOUR TREATMENT
SESSIONS
Initial consultations (up to 1 hour) are
free of charge, at your request. I offer this service to
ensure your comfort with me and make sure that I am the
best person to help you reach your goals. The
initial consultation will take place over the phone or in
person. During this time, we will discuss your mental and physical
health, as well as the difficulties that bring you to see
me. During this consultation, I will likely suggest
alternative viewpoints for you to consider. Initial
consultations are not "therapy", but they give you an idea of how I
can assist you in resolving your problems. These
consultations help us both understand your problems
better, and allow us to see if we
"fit". Rest assured, I
will always refer you to another psychologist if I feel you
would be better served by their specialties. You are
under no obligation to continue with my services at any time, even
after your free consultation.
After our initial meeting, I normally conduct an evaluation
that will last from 1 to 4 sessions - depending on the
complexity of your difficulties. During this time, we will work
together to decide treatment goals, . If we begin therapy,
I will usually schedule one full 50 minute session (i.e
therapy “hour”) per week, although some sessions may be longer
or occur more frequently.
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
PROFESSIONAL
FEES
I do not directly accept reimbursement
from insurance companies for my services, but I will
provide you with reimbursement forms to submit to your
insurance carrier for self-reimbursement. If you have any
questions, please feel free to call
me so we can discuss this matter further.
My per session fee for individual,
couple, and family therapy is based upon a flat rate, but I
also use a "sliding scale", as I believe everyone should
have access to quality services if there income warrants such a fee
reduction. Specialized biofeedback and health psychology services
are priced on a sliding scale as
well. Specialized coaching or "in-home"
services require an additional
fee.
Lectures and speaking engagements also
operate on different fee schedules. However, I do offer
many lectures, even within your facility, free of cost. Please call me for
details.
For group therapy, a $50 per person fee
is standard for each 90-120 minute group session. This may
vary depending on the length and type of
group.
For your convenience,
Cash, Checks, Money Orders, and   are
accepted as methods of
payment.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Insurance
Reimbursement
I do not serve on the panels of managed
care companies for the protection of my patients and the quality of
your treatment.In my office, you will get the best
available treatments without
restriction. Because of the growing problems with third
party reimbursement (HMO, managed care)
many experts anticipate that most therapy in the future
will also be paid out of
pocket.
The length of your treatment and your
treatment success will be based upon your needs, your motivation to improve, and
your specific
desires for therapy - not the best interests of your insurance
company.
If you choose to have your services
reimbursed by your managed care company, HMO, PPO, etc.,
I will provide you with a
standard out-of-network
reimbursement form that you can submit to your insurance
company. If doing so, please know
that I have no control over your
insurance company's decision to reimburse you - and they will
likely request personal
information about our therapy sessions to
determine your care. As always, in dealing
with your insurance carrier, I will
be as discreet and confidential as
possible.
BUT, before you expect
reimbursement, please ask them:
- If they pay for
out-of-network services
- If they
pay for mental health services and/or biofeedback
- If they cover
the services of a licensed clinical psychologist
____________________________________________________
Education on Managed Care
Please review the
following materials to educate yourself about
using managed care to provide your mental
health services -
click on the boxes below for more
information.
________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Practice Hours and Emergency
Services
As a
rule, I do not keep any emergency hours. Being an effective therapist (and as many of you
know, an effective parent &
spouse) requires a great deal of energy and self-care. In
order to provide consistently good service to my patients, I set
limits on my availability. However, I am available for a
large part of the day and I will return phone calls as soon
as possible, usually within a few hours. Many times, I will
even answer the phone when you call!
For true emergencies, I advise people to call 911 or go to their nearest
emergency room for safety, and ensure
they get immediate attention. Many therapists operate this same
way, but I understand that you may need more availability than
this. If so, you should consider this when selecting a
therapist that best meets your
needs.
I schedule appointments at
variable times, throughout the day, based upon your
needs.
|
