Getting Started
Before your first face-to-face appointment
It is your responsibility to contact your insurance company or your Human Resources/Employee Benefits person (if you are planning to use insurance benefits) and find out the details of your coverage for therapy/behavioral health. You will need to know if you have a deductible and if so, you may be responsible for all session charges until that deductible is met. You will also need to know the co-pay amount, as all charges are due at the time that service is rendered. It is important to know how many sessions are authorized per year, if pre-authorizations are required, and what the process to request additional sessions is, should they be desired.
Therapy
Whether beginning therapy for the first time or returning to therapy, the first session is an intake/evaluation and usually takes approximately one hour. During that session we will discuss the presenting issue and your goals for therapy. I will also ask some background questions about your history, family, previous therapy, and current details and events in your life.
Typically, clients seeking psychotherapy are seen weekly for the first three to four sessions. During that time we complete the assessment, articulate short- and long-term goals, and formulate the therapeutic intervention(s). During these first few sessions we also attend to the “goodness-of-fit” between us. Once treatment goals have been identified and when it is clinically appropriate, sessions may be scheduled less frequently.
Throughout the therapeutic process, we will revisit progress on short- and long-term goals. Therapy is an ongoing conversation between the client and the therapist and it often evolves and changes as therapy progresses. Your experiences, feelings, and opinions are always valued.
Psychological Assessment
Please bring your insurance card and a legal form of identification with you to your first session. The intake documents are located on the Forms page and you should read them, fill them out, and sign them if you don’t have any questions regarding the content.