Question 1

What to Expect: 1st Counseling Session

Answer

Contact us directly with any questions about fees, to get forms emailed, or just because its time. Before coming in for your first session please register through our HIPAA compliant secure client portal, and complete both the required forms, and any other assessments you are comfortable completing. The more information I have the better prepared I am to assist you from our first visit. You can also download the forms through the client portal or they can be sent to you via USPS mail or email.

When you arrive to the first session we will discuss your reasons for coming in. When this session is complete we will all decide how to proceed, what areas to address going forward. Generally, the first 3 – 4 sessions are used to establish a plan of treatment. When providing couple or family therapy I may meet individually with each member of the family to solicit feedback and finalize plans for treatment. At this point services are implemented to address the identified challenges.

The length of treatment can vary, its specified to your needs. My objective is to assist you through talk-therapy, education, intervention, and practical application on your part to resolve the problem or challenge, and that you have more insight into the factors that contributed to the problem. Treatment ends when you feel change has occurred and you have the tools and support system(s) to sustain that change. You decide when services are no longer necessary.

Register through the secure client portal for information about our Individual, Couple or Family Session, Sliding Scale, & other Professional fees.

PREPARE-ENRICH workbooks and additional client resources: http://www.consultantsandcounselors.org/resources

We offer a flexible calendar to meet your busy schedule.
(sessions are available by appointment.)
(253) 777-9782 Are you on a EAP, let us know. If we are not on your plan; please provide the organizations details so we will become a provider and serve your needs.

24/7 Access! "Our clients benefit from around the clock access..."

Use our HIPPA Secure Client Portal by clicking the orange button at the top or bottom of this page to register then:

* complete all required forms and clinical questionnaires
* keep a secure Electronic journal ("tell your story")
* control privacy settings
* collaborate on Interventions/Treatment planning
* view portions of your EHR
* securely communicate with us
* view and pay your statements
*utilize our HIPPA compliant Tele-Therapy (video or messaging) services
* make session appointments
* save time and resources

Question 2

What can I expect from our sessions together?

Answer

It is common to be apprehensive about the first session. However, I have been complimented by my professors, supervisors, colleagues and other clients; as having a calming and nurturing presence that helps calm those fears quickly. I will give you my undivided attention during each of your sessions. I’m committed to creating an "sanctuary" where you feel safe, empowered and heard. We process information, construct well-informed goals and work through any challenges to achieving them. Our time together will be spent engaged in traditional "talk-therapy", but also aspects of media psychology, and in-session/

This is your time and as such is customized based upon your desired outcome. Typically, the first several sessions are devoted to building rapport and gathering information. I understand that concerns and goals sometimes shift a bit and deepen over time as you feel safer and more comfortable with me. Much of the focus of the first sessions will be getting to know each other, sharing your presenting problem, assessing, and mutually exploring therapy/health goals. Many clients choose to bring paper or a notebook to sessions. This is optional but useful.take home activities. You will often be given something to think about or practice in between sessions.

Question 3

What form of payments does Sunrise Couples Therapy take?

Answer

Forms of Payment:
We accept Cash, Health-Saving Account Cards, EAP and Credit Cards. Payments are made at the start of each session. Now accepting ALL* Insurance subscribers as Out-of-Network Provider *we do not summit billings. we will provide all paperwork, including a "itemized or superbill" for you to submit yourself. We do not submit insurance claims. We are a private -pay practice. Payments are made at the start of each session. Are you on a EAP, let us know. If we are not on your plan; please provide the organizations details so we will become a provider and serve your needs.

CLICK and Register through our Secure Client Portal to view our Sliding Scale fees.

Question 4

How does Insurance impact Couples Therapy?

Answer

Listen, as a matter of business viability, I get it. I may have to submit to the insurance boards; seeking their approval as would you, as a consumer. However, as a result of my vantage point; as both a consumer and clinician, I can see clearly how the insurance system is constructed to limit our collective ability to seek clinicians we choose. Insurance companies only pay for things that are “medically necessary.” This means that we have to actually diagnose you with a mental health disorder according to the DSM-V, then document how it is impacting your health on a day-to-day basis. So? What’s the big deal with requiring a diagnosis? Despite what many people think. HIPAA doesn’t keep your information 100% confidential. Your diagnosis is something that is seen by multiple people at the insurance

We all pay a great deal for health insurance, and we all want our insurance providers to cover the maximum amount of services that we are entitled to. However, it is important for those seeking couples therapy to understand what their insurance actually covers, and what it does not.company, and can be shared with other insurance companies such as life, disability, future health insurance companies, and even the government.

A University of Illinois study revealed that half of the Fortune 500 corporations acknowledged using employee medical records in making employment decisions,” so it’s up to you to decide whether to risk being rejected for a job in the future based on your insurance claim. Federal and state privacy laws protect couples undergoing marriage counseling, which is why some practices insist that you pay your fees up front and seek reimbursement directly from the insurer. Additionally, if you claim your marriage counseling fees as a deduction, even if the insurer has accepted your claim, the Internal Revenue Service could reject the expense; so proceed with caution. Its important to consult your tax and insurance administrators.

We believe that private-pay clients enjoy the greatest amount of privacy over insurance clients related to informational disclosure and preauthorization. No Disclosures. No Co-Pays.

In most cases, health insurance companies will not pay for couples counseling nor will they pay for missed sessions, telephone calls, reports, letters, or interactions with attorneys and others; you will be solely responsible for payment for these services.

If you wish to still attempt to get reimbursed from your out-of-network insurance coverage, we are happy to provide you a monthly billing statement free of charge. However, payments are still expected to be made to us at the start of each session, unless you have a prepaid account. The responsibility to submit the appropriate documentation to the health insurance company remains with the client(s).

Question 5

What does this cost?

Answer

Marriage counseling is not a “one size fits all” science. Some practices bill by the hour or the session. Many marriage counselors employ a sliding fee scale, basing therapy cost on household income. “Since most marriage counselors see couples one session a week for the first three months, you can expect to pay about $1,200” if billed at $100 an hour, according to the National Directory of Marriage & Family Counseling. Here’s qualify for insurance reimbursement but only under very limited circumstances.

While you can visit with a psychiatrist or a psychologist when your relationship is on the rocks, the fees of a marriage counselor are statistically lower. As a general rule, marriage and family counseling is 30% cheaper than hiring a psychiatrist and 20% cheaper than taking on the services of a psychologist. Additionally, a study that was conducted by the AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) found that marriage and family counseling services often require 30% fewer sessions than you would need under individual therapy sessions. Furthermore, when you rely upon private practice marriage counselors, 68% are willing to reduce their hourly rates and fees based upon your income and ability to pay.goodIt’s not cheap to undergo marriage counseling, but for couples eager to save a marriage, this may be their only recourse. Also called couples counseling, this form of talk therapy helps partners “recognize and resolve conflicts and improve their relationships,” according to the Mayo Clinic definition. Credentialed specialists are expensive, particularly if long-term counseling is required. Marriage and Family Therapy, “average costs for marriage and family counseling are typically 60 percent of that of psychiatrists and 80 percent of psychologists.”able

Question 6

How do I get started?

Answer

Call (253) 777-9782 or Click and Register through our Secure Client Portal to complete required paperwork, view our sliding scale fees, schedule a session.

Question 7

So, what is Telemedicine, exactly?

Answer

Telemedicine refers to the practice of caring for clients remotely, when the provider and client are not physically present with each other. Modern technology enables our therapist to conduct sessions with our clients by using HIPAA conpliant video-conferencing tools. We can share information in real time from one computer screen to another. By using this online counseling service clients enjoy more immediate access to care. Early morning, late nights and limited weekend availability; without having to wait for an in-office appointment.

Question 8

How does Sunrise Couples Therapy measure a client’s success?

Answer

Our approaches are grounded in Attachment and Systems theory; are evidence-based, and attuned to your desired outcomes. We utilize scaling tools, assessments & other instruments of measure including; client-informed feedback to gauge clinical progression. Treatment ends when you feel change has occurred and you have the tools and support system(s) to sustain that change.

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