Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation

I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation for all new clients prior to your first appointment. During this time, we can explore what your concerns are and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have regarding counseling options, office policies, and fees/billing. As a result of this process, we can decide if I am the best person to provide the services you need in order to meet your goals. If we agree to move forward, an initial appointment will be scheduled. 

If psychotherapy is warranted and we agree to start follow-up sessions, I will typically schedule one 50-minute session (one appointment hour of 50 minute duration) per week at a mutually agreed upon day and time. Occasionally, when needed, additional sessions may be arranged or more occasional sessions, such as bi-weekly or monthly, can be arranged. Please note that during the 2020-22 Pandemic, all appointments will be conducted via Zoom, not in the Fairmount Blvd. office until further notice.

First Appointment

Our first meeting will involve an evaluation of your needs, while offering an opportunity for us to get to know one another better. During this time you should get a greater sense of how I work and who I am. I will ask you questions regarding your current concerns, as well as past experiences that may be related to these issues. By the end of the evaluation, if you decide to proceed with therapy, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow. Therapy involves a commitment of time, money, and energy, so it is important to me that you feel like we are a good match. If you feel like we are not a good fit, I will be happy to provide you with referrals to other therapists.

Before you arrive for your first appointment, please download and sign the Consent for Treatment, HIPAA and Teletherapy forms. These forms, among other things, spell out the parameters of the professional relationship, explains federal rules on privacy and clarifies the legal limits to confidentiality. 

The Client Questionnaire is also required before our 1st appointment. Please set aside time to complete it so that we can discuss it in our first appointment.

You may ask or I may request to seek or share information from an individual or healthcare system. Here is the form that I will need from you in order to do so. Release of information / Permission to collaborate.

Teletherapy

In general, teletherapy can be offered as an adjunct to face-to-face counseling, especially in cases of a mental health crises, natural disasters and pandemics. I can offer to ‘connect’ through the use of cell phone, FaceTime, Skype or a similar platform, but can not fully guarantee privacy. In preparation for this option, please review the Teletherapy Consent Form. I will answer your questions about the form and discuss the merits and limitations of teletherapy with you.

Fees and the ‘Good Faith Estimate’ requirement (GFE)

Federal laws require healthcare professions to provide fee for services information to patients in advance of services. You can find this information under “Fees + Billing + Insurance” page. The GFE form also requires your signature, so be sure to review and sign this form in preparation for our first appointment.