Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an LPC?
Licensed Profession Counselors meet educational and training requirements including at least a Master's degree, three years of supervised professional clinical experience, and successful completion of a state examination. After receiving licensure, LPCs are required to earn 35 continuing education units bi-annually to maintain their status. Counselors are regulated by the State of Georgia and accountable to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Social Workers. LPCs work with children, adolescents, and adults in short or long-term therapy based on clients' needs and in a variety of different settings.
2. What are your hours?
Currently I am able to see clients as early as 9:00 am and as late as 6:00 pm, Monday to Thursday. A fair amount of my clientele are school age, college age, or working during the day, so evening hours are the most popular and not as readily available as morning or afternoon appointments. I will always work with you to find the day and time that best fits your schedule.
3. What are your fees?
My fee varies from $300 to $375 per session depending on the type of service you are seeking.
4. How long will I be in therapy?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions. Unfortunately there is no direct answer. Therapy may be brief, long-term, or somewhere in between. The length of time you will be in therapy depends on a number of factors including the severity and nature of the problem you are experiencing and how long it has been an issue. I believe, as with most things, that you will get out of therapy what you put into it. Reaching your goals is a collaborative effort that takes place over time and your participation is paramount. If you are seeing me for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder I will be assigning you “homework” on a weekly basis. Your effort inside my office, as well as outside my office, will have a direct impact on your rate of progress. Evidence suggests the use of Brainspotting Therapy can be more efficient and effective than talk therapy alone and can reduce overall time in therapy.
5. What about confidentiality?
Your visits with me are confidential. However, there are certain situations involving abuse, neglect, or the intent to harm oneself or others which I am legally obligated to disclose. If I am seeing your child I will discuss with you and your child the confines of confidentiality and how it relates specifically to your situation.
6. Will you be in contact with other professionals involved in my care?
I believe in a team approach to your well-being. With your permission and agreement I will contact any psychiatrist, doctor, school counselor, teacher, etc. that should be involved in your care. I believe it is important that all professionals involved work together to provide the best possible treatment. I will not contact anyone without your written permission.
7. What is your stance on medication?
Use of medication is a highly debated topic these days especially when treating children or teenagers. Many of my clients seek therapy as a way of avoiding medication and are often times successful in doing so. On the other hand, there are those who feel strongly that the combination of medication and therapy is right for them. I will talk with you individually and provide input to help you make a decision about the use of medication. I cannot prescribe medication.
8. Do you accept insurance?
The good news about insurance is that more and more insurance companies are responding to the needs of their clients. As a backlash to the days of stringent managed care when insurance would only reimburse if you saw an “in-network” provider insurance companies are loosening the reigns and reimbursing for “out of network” providers as well. It has been my experience, especially in the last year, that several insurance companies reimburse for out of network providers at a rate greater than for in network providers.While I do not file insurance for my clients, I will provide you with an insurance claim form that will allow you to submit a claim should you so desire. Full payment is expected at time of service. Check with your insurance carrier directly to obtain information about your benefits and remember to get information on out of network benefits as well. Insurance can be confusing. I am happy to assist you in any way I can.