FAQ

By appointment only.

Health insurance: Please contact your insurance company to determine eligibility and coverage. I am in-network with OPTUM/United Behavioral Health and COMPSYCH Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA).

Other payments include cash and credit cards.

BENEFITS OF NOT USING INSURANCE

Insurance companies will only cover treatment if I provide a diagnosis. Some plans put restrictions on the amount of sessions that they will cover, which often results in an abrupt termination of treatment.

Please have your insurance card handy when you call because I will need to verify your benefits before your first visit.

Please complete the confidential forms that I will send directly to your email address. Your brief answers about your reasons for seeking therapy and your child’s medical history will help me get to know you and/or your child better and prepare for your visit.

If you have a problem completing the electronic forms, please call, and I will provide further instruction.

Would you please bring the following items to your first visit: insurance card(s), photo ID, and payment or co-pay?

I look forward to seeing you soon!

I ask that you contact me within 24 hours of the appointment time if you cannot make your scheduled session.

If you fail to cancel or reschedule the session at least 24 hours in advance, I will bill you at the full rate. The reason for this is that I hold the session for you; if you do not show up, it takes time from someone else who needs a therapy session.

The number of sessions varies for each child, and we will discuss this at your review. Allow at least 6-8 sessions to allow your child to build a rapport with me and adapt to the playroom.

It is important to remember that children work through their difficulties at their own pace, and I support and respect how each child responds to the process. Often, it takes many weeks to see noticeable changes, and behaviors may become more prominent as the child learns new ways of thinking, understanding, and behaving.

Research suggests that it takes an average of 20 play therapy sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred to treatment. Of course, some children may improve much faster, while more serious or ongoing problems may take longer to resolve (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002).

Each therapy session varies in length but usually lasts about 50 minutes. Sessions are generally held weekly, but this varies based on what seems most appropriate for your situation.

You are very important in supporting your child through the process.

Be consistent and encouraging to your child about attending sessions regularly. Please resist the urge to ask your child what they did in the session, as this will put pressure on them to comment on something they may have difficulty understanding.

Please don’t ask your child to ‘be good’ or check that they have been. Therapy is not about being ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ and your child must feel free to express ‘bad’ feelings in an uncensored way.

Don’t insist that your child tell certain things. It is their time, and they must feel free to express themselves at their own pace. Instead, tell your concerns to the therapist on a separate occasion.

Play is sometimes messy, and it is helpful if your child can wear old clothes to minimize their anxiety about getting messy/dirty.

During any therapeutic intervention, behavior may appear to get worse before it gets better – please tell me if you have any concerns. Please also feel free to ask me any questions throughout the process.

Above all, you must be able to trust your therapist. I follow best practices to ensure that your personal information stays private. I never share information about you without your written permission.

As mandated reporters, legally all therapists must contact the appropriate emergency services if we have reason to believe that a client potentially presents a danger to themselves or others or if a minor or an elder is being harmed.

I believe that parental and family involvement is important for your teen’s progress, and I encourage participation in the therapy process. However, I also understand the need and right of adolescents to have their own safe space in which their privacy is respected. I protect your teen’s privacy the way I respect yours as an adult client, but I will work with them to talk to you when an issue arises that is important for you to know.

Of course, I will notify you if we believe that your teen or child is at risk in any way.