Client Services
Families are an important and powerful influence in every person’s life. They can provide a network of understanding and social support that can lead individuals within the family towards healthier lifestyles promoting emotional growth, intellectual expansion and relational connections. Unfortunately, they can also undermine individual efforts and intensify the problem by unknowingly feeding the energy of the disease process within the individual member. In this sense, families are never neutral.
Drug abuse and/or mental illness can tear at the fabric of a family system. Not only is the identified patient suffering, but so is every member of the family. Consequently, in order to get the maximum benefit from a therapeutic experience family involvement is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, there are times when either distance or circumstance prevents the family's participation. In such situations group therapy can often act as a surrogate family providing support for the individual seeking treatment.
Issues of confidentiality and insurance are addressed below.
Services offered
Family Therapy and relational therapy
Family therapy is particularly important for individuals struggling with issues of substance abuse or dependency. Family therapy sessions are usually scheduled for 60 to 90 minutes and may include a psycho-educational component.
Group Therapy
We facilitate group sessions which last 90 minutes. Generally, group members are also seen individually unless they have been referred by a therapist, in which case they will continue to be followed by their referring therapist. Information releases are required in order to ensure communication between myself and the referring therapist. Currently, the men's group meets on Monday night from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM.
Individual Therapy
There are certain circumstances when individual therapy is encouraged. Utilizing a motivational enhancement approach and incorporating a DBT skill set individuals work on a variety of issues from substance-abuse/dependence, early childhood experiences which intensified shame, depression, anxiety, relational stress and complicated mourning.
Interventions
Interventions are a systematic process utilizing friends’ and family support as an encouragement for a loved one to seek treatment. We are committed to the belief that interventions should not be done in secret nor should they involve coercion. In my practice family members and friends, along with professional guidance and support lovingly invite the individual struggling with substance abuse/dependency or mental health into an opportunity to obtain help. This systemic approach may take more time but in the end both the family, friends and the identified patient benefit from using the energy of love rather than the energy of shame as they collectively move toward a greater degree of health.
Initial Assessment
(90 minutes)
The foundation of any successful therapeutic experience is a thorough assessment. Family members, friends and other collateral sources such as primary care physicians can provide information that is critical in defining the clinical dynamics. The goal of an assessment is to identify and evaluate the family’s and/or individual's presenting issues, strengths, struggles, and expectations for the future while respecting confidentiality. At the end of the 90 minute assessment process a recommended plan for treatment will form through the collaborative efforts of the patient, his/her family if applicable and therapist. Such a treatment plan could involve referrals to other health care professionals and/or healthcare facilities.
Individual Consultations (non-therapeutic)
There are situations where family members and/or individuals seek information and assistance in making decisions about what steps are to be taken in response to a loved one's addiction or other mental illness. These sessions, which usually last 90 minutes, provide an opportunity to receive professional information supporting the next step in the therapeutic journey. They are not considered therapy sessions. However, over the years many family members and individuals have found this service particularly helpful in clarifying their decision-making process.
Documentation for Legal or Other Purposes
Most often insurance will not reimburse for these services. It is the client’s responsibility to investigate whether insurance will reimburse the client for a court-ordered assessment. Do not assume insurance will reimburse for court ordered services.
*depending on how many times client needs to be seen, etc.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a professional and ethical mandate. In addition, patient histories are now protected by federal laws. Therefore all information shared in my office is confidential. Even if sharing part of a patient's history may seem in that patient’s best interest it cannot be done without their written consent. There are certain circumstances where this strict commitment to confidentiality is overridden by the urgency of the situation, such as, imminent harm to self, or others, child abuse and medical emergency. Questions and concerns about confidentiality can be addressed during the assessment process.
Billing and Insurance Reimbursement
We request that you fill out a Registration Form, that can be downloaded from our website and sent to our office. We have retained a confidential service which will file your insurance if applicable. After receiving the appropriate compensation for services rendered, we will file your insurance with no service fee added. Despite our efforts to be supportive in this area we cannot guarantee exactly how your insurance company will respond. Please check your insurance provider for specific benefits.
Office Policies and Procedures
Fees are based on the amount of time involved. The fee for an initial consultation is $225.00; and $120.00 for each additional session. 90 minute sessions will be charged at a rate of $150.00. This includes individual, marital or family therapy; administering, scoring, analyzing, and reporting diagnostic tests, court testimony time, consultations, travel time for “out of office services,” emergency telephone calls lasting more than 15 minutes, and reviewing formal reports or records. You will be billed for all time spent with you or on your behalf. There is a $60.00 fee for all missed sessions without 24 hour cancellation.
Appointments are made through my administrative assistant Terry Dail who may be reached through my office number at 919-286-1600. If you are unable to keep an appointment, you are asked to contact Terry during office hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday) and cancel at least 24 hours in advance. After business hours, please leave a message on Terry’s mobile at 919-218-8196, with the time and date of your cancellation and a number where you can be reached. Terry will call you to reschedule. All of my patients are allowed one no-show session without being billed. After this one time allowance, you will be charged for the full amount of any missed appointments which insurance companies usually do not cover.
Fees
This includes individual, marital or family therapy; administering, scoring, analyzing, and reporting diagnostic tests, court testimony time, consultations, travel time for “out of office services,” emergency telephone calls lasting more than 15 minutes, and reviewing formal reports or records. You will be billed for all time spent with you or on your behalf.
Fees/Methods of Payment
Payment should be either by check or by MasterCard at the end of each session. If necessary we can make other billing arrangements; however, those arrangements must be agreed upon in advance of the appointment. Cash payments will be required if more than two (2) checks are returned and you will be assessed a $25.00 handling fee. Each month you will receive a billing statement, documenting the fee for services rendered to be filed with your insurance carrier for reimbursement.
Emergencies
If you need to reach me at any time, you may contact my office at (919) 286-1600. You may leave a confidential voice-mail message which is checked regularly. Normal business hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After office hours, calls will be returned by the next business day. If you are having an emergency and can not reach me, call 911 or go to your closest hospital emergency room.
Ethical Standards/Complaints
If any aspect of our work does not meet your needs, please inform me immediately. This will make our work together more effective and collaborative. If you think that you have been treated unfairly or unethically, by me or another counselor, and cannot resolve the issue with me, you can contact the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors at Post Office Box 1369, Garner, North Carolina 27529 or by phone at (919) 661-0820, or the website at www.ncblpc.org, for clarification of clients' rights as I have explained them or to lodge a complaint.