I am so glad that you are considering working with me in a counseling relationship. It is important to our office to treat every client with professionalism and confidentiality. This page is designed to cover many initial questions you may have, but please feel free to contact me to discuss any additional questions or concerns.
Services Offered
I seek to tailor my services to each individual client and often our work will involve psychological evaluation and counseling services. Should it appear that specific psychological assessments would be beneficial, a referral will be made to a qualified psychologist. Additionally, for some clients I may recommend an evaluation for medication, in which case the client would work with their physician to obtain medication and to monitor the client for potential side effects.
I offer talk therapy to adults, both individuals and couples, and offer neurofeedback for individuals ages 4 and up. I am currently certified in Neurofeedback (Othmer Method Clinician), Prepare-Enrich, have completed Gottman Level One training, and have a certification in the Knowdell Career Counseling model.
Theoretical Views & Client Participation
It is my belief that as people become more aware and accepting of themselves, they are more capable of finding a sense of peace and contentment in their lives. However, self-awareness and self-acceptance are goals that may take a long time to achieve. Some clients need only a few sessions to achieve these goals, whereas others may require months or even years of therapy. As a client, you are in complete control, and you may end your relationship with me at any point.
In order for therapy to be most successful, it is important for you to take an active role. This means working on the things you and I talk about both during and between sessions. This also means avoiding any mind-altering substances like alcohol or non-prescription drugs for at least eight hours prior to your therapy sessions. Generally, the more of yourself you are willing to invest, the greater the return.
Furthermore, it is my policy to only see clients who I believe have the capacity to resolve their own problems with my assistance. It is my intention to empower you in your growth process to the degree that you are capable of facing life’s challenges in the future without me. I also don’t believe in creating dependency or prolonging therapy if the therapeutic intervention does not seem to be helping. If this is the case, I will direct you to other resources that will be of assistance to you. Your personal development is my number one priority. I encourage you to let me know if you feel that transferring to another therapist is necessary at any time. My goal is to facilitate healing and growth, and I am very committed to helping you in whatever way seems to produce maximum benefit.
Appointment Scheduling
Each client is given a one hour time slot in my schedule and I do my best to honor that time by being prompt and not over scheduling. Should you need to cancel or re-schedule your appointment please contact me 24 hours or more prior to your scheduled appointment. Cancellations, unkept appointments, or scheduling changes within 24 hours of the scheduled session will incur a fee.
Prior to your first appointment you will complete your paperwork online via the office’s client system.
Fees and Insurance
Our center’s fee for one clinical hour (50 minutes) is $150. For those clients who are unable to pay this fee, please ask about your options. Payment is required at the time services are rendered. The center accepts checks, cash, visa and mastercard. Clients who owe money and fail to make advance financial arrangements may be referred to a collection agency.
Occasional phone consultations under 10 minutes are considered a courtesy to the client. For phone calls longer than 10 minutes, the Client may be charged a pro-rated fee. Please note that phone consultations will typically take place when I have free time between sessions or at the end of the day. I also charge the same prorated fee for other professional services that may be required.
At this time I am not on any insurance panels nor will I be able to process any type of insurance claim or paperwork for my clients. However, all clients receive a receipt from each session which you may be able to use to file for out-of-network coverage.
Client Confidentiality
Psychological services are best provided in an atmosphere of trust. You expect me to be honest with you about your problems and progress. I expect you to be honest with me about your expectations for services and any factors that may be important to your progress.
Because trust is so important, all services are kept confidential except as permitted by law and to the extent that you authorize me to release information about you. Should you be seeing a Psychiatrist for medication management, it is beneficial that I have permisson to consult with the doctor to coordinate therapeutic services.
I am required by law to make exceptions to confidentiality in specific special circumstances, such as when there is a reasonable cause to believe that a child, elder, or vulnerable person has been abused or neglected, when there is a need to protect you or others from imminent and foreseeable danger or harm, and in other rare circumstances.
Office Hours
I am currently available to meet with clients on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Client Contact
I am available for contact via my phone number and e-mail address. I seek to respond to all client calls and e-mail within 24 hours Monday through Friday. Non-urgent calls and e-mails received on the weekend will be responded to on Monday.
Social Media
Please note that I do not accept any form of friend or connection request from clients on any social media, including but not limited to: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If I recognize that you have followed me on Twitter or other social media, I will bring that up for discussion in the therapy room. Please be aware that I will not follow you back. You are always welcome to observe my posts, but the goal is to maintain your privacy and ensure that others do not assume you are my client due to your following my work. Additionally, if you wish to read my blog or observe my Twitter feed, I encourage you to have a conversation with me about how that may affect the counseling relationship.
Emergencies
Waystone Therapy is an outpatient facility and does not provide 24-hour support. Should you be in a place where you are concerned that you need support at that level, please discuss with me and we will explore options for care. Should you have a psychological, medical, or other emergency please utilize the following resources for help as you may not be able to immediately reach me:
- Call Ridgeview Institute at 770.434.4567 or Peachford Hospital at 770.454.5589.
- Call 988
- Call 911
- Go to your nearest emergency room.
Should you have an urgent communication that is not an emergency, you may call my office and leave a message on my confidential voicemail and I will respond to the voicemail on the next business day.