What to Expect
Every counseling practice will have their own processes and expectations for therapy.
Below are some basics of what to expect as a new client.
New Client Intake Process
All new clients will go through an intake process. This includes completing intake paperwork. All intake paperwork must be completed before the start of the intake appointment.
These forms will be sent to you prior to your intake appointment through a secure Client Portal.
Appointments will need to be pushed back in the event that paperwork is not completed.
The first appointment, the intake, is meant to gather more information about your reasons for seeking therapy, personal and family history, and better understanding your short and long-term goals. The structure of this appointment is often much different from other appointments.
If you have a specific therapist you wish to request, we will do our best to accommodate this. However, each therapist makes their own hours, not all will accept the same insurances, and therapists are responsible for taking on clients who they feel competent to work with and feel match the skill set that they have. This being the case, it cannot be guaranteed that you will be able to meet with the therapist you initially choose, as they may not have the availability or may feel they do not have the skill set or scope of practice to ethically provide you with the services you need.
In the event that the therapist you prefer is not available, or if you do not have a preference, we will do our best to match you with a therapist based on your needs. If there is not a therapist at this practice who meets your needs, we will provide you with a referral for another therapist at another practice.
Regarding Letters (such as HRT and/or Gender Confirming Surgery Letters)
As therapists who work with the LGBTQIA+ Community, we are often asked about writing letters, such as those for Gender Confirming Surgeries or Hormone Replacement Therapy.
These services are provided dependent on the therapist you are seeing. Your therapist may also offer letters to advocate for medications and other health related needs in general, for pre-established clients.
We are professionals who have a level of liability for the clients that we take on. To meet standards for ethics and liability, we want to ensure that we have discussed any information that is necessary to have within the letter for your doctor and/or your insurance, and that requirements for informed consent and exploring options available to you are met prior to providing a letter.
This means that a letter will generally not be provided after the initial intake, and will only be provided after you and your counselor have had a enough sessions for the therapist to feel that these standards for ethics and liability have been met. There is no legally set number of sessions for this and it is dependent on the counselor and their professional opinion and interpretation of the information presented and shared with each individual client.
Regarding Evaluations
Your therapist may be able to provide evaluations and assessments for some diagnoses. This is dependent on the specific therapist. Therapists only provide evaluations for what they are competent in. If your therapist feels that the evaluation that you need is not something they are able to evaluate for, they may refer you to a specialist for the evaluation. Each therapist has listed in their bio on "The Team" page what types of evaluations they provide, if any.
Payment Expectation
Please visit the page for "Fees and Insurance" if you want to learn more about if services are covered under your insurance plan, and to learn about our Cancelation Policy.
Payments for co-pays, deductibles, and self-pay fees are all expected at the time of service. All clients will receive a Payment Authorization Form prior to their intake appointment. This must be filled out and submitted before the start of the appointment.
In the event that payment is not received or if the payment method provided is declined, any following sessions will be subject to be rescheduled until payment is rendered.
Our services are 100% telehealth.
We do not offer in-person services, and will not offer them in the future.
While video sessions are preferred, phone sessions can be utilized if needed when video is not available.