Appointments
Your first appointment is generally an initial evaluation which lasts approximately 50 minutes. This will allow enough time to gather information about why you are seeking assistance at this time, as well as, assure that you have ample time to ask questions. You may be asked to arrive ten minutes early in order to fill out initial session paperwork.
Follow up sessions will last 50 minutes and are generally each week at the same time to provide consistency. You may be asked to practice something during the week (homework) in order to continue the work done in session. Homework is optional and is available if you feel it would enhance your experience.
Currently, we are only seeing clients via telehealth. Once local Austin area is in Stage 3 of virus, will we open up to in person office visits for those clients that are at low risk to the virus. Our goal is to keep our clients and therapists as safe as possible.
Cancellations and Missed appointments
We ask that you notify us at least 24 hours in advance if you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment. ate and missed appointments (without any prior notification) are charged the full fee due to the space being reserved specifically for you and made unavailable to other clients. The fee is payable before or at the next appointment.
Session Fees
Payment is required at the time of services rendered. Currently sessions fees are as follows (note: LMFT-A and LPC-A will provide sliding scale fees):
Initial Consultation: $210
Individual Psychotherapy (adult or child): $210
Couples Therapy/ Family session: $220
Telehealth session: (individual) $200 (Couples/families) $210
Note: Many of our therapist are providing special discounts for telehealth sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority pricing will be given to those on the front lines. We are happy to support in this way. Please call us for further information.
Sliding scale fees are available for LPC-A and LMFT-A therapists.
Frequent telephone contacts longer than 15 minutes will incur a prorated fee. There is no charge for records sent to other mental health professionals.
We accept cash, check, VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover as forms of payment. A $25 service fee will be charged in the event of a returned check.
Insurance
Healing Tree Counseling, PLLC is an out of network provider for most insurance companies. At the end of each session, you will receive a detailed receipt of the service/s provided that contains all of the information needed to self-file for reimbursement from your insurance company, should you choose to do so. Please tell your therapist if you would like for us to provide you this information.
On a limited basis, our therapists will accept Crime Victim’s Compensation (CVC). You will need to bring your CVC paperwork to the initial session in order to assure that claims can be made.
Confidentiality
All interactions with us including scheduling of appointments, your records, content of your sessions, and progress in counseling, are kept confidential within our office. On occasion, we may consult with another therapist in order to provide you with the best service possible. If we do so, such consulting clinicians will be bound by the same confidentiality agreement and will not be provided with any identifying information.
Under certain circumstances, we may be required to share confidential information under
legal mandate. These circumstances are outlined below:
- Imminent risk of harm: When there is reason to believe that a client may be at imminent risk of harming him/herself/hirself, others, and/or property, I have the legal and ethical option to warn appropriate authorities.
- Cases of abuse and neglect: When there is reason to believe that a minor, or elderly person, or a person with a disability is in danger of being, or has been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused or neglected, I am obliged by law to report the information to the appropriate authorities.
- Orders from Courts of Law & Criminal Proceedings: When a court of law
orders a therapist to release information, the therapist must comply with such an order. Confidentiality does not extend to criminal proceedings in Texas, so that if a client is presently, or will later become, involved in a criminal lawsuit, the client’s file may be opened for court inspection. - Inappropriate behavior by previous therapist: If a client discloses that a
previous therapist behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner, then I am legally bound to report it to the District Attorney’s office as well as to the appropriate state licensing board. The client’s identity need not be disclosed if he/she/ze does not wish it.
Additionally, clients can give written consent for us to provide information to others (e.g. psychiatrists, doctors, case workers, etc.) in an effort to coordinate treatment.
Your rights regarding your health information
You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a written request to the Privacy Officer:
- The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you. I am, however, not required to agree to a requested restriction. If I do agree to a restriction, I must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it.
- The right to inspect your health records and to request a copy of these records.
- The right to amend your protected health information.
- The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
- The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from me upon request.
- The right to restrict disclosures of protected health information to health plans and insurance companies if you are paying out of pocket for your services in full.
- The right to be notified if you are affected by a breach of unsecured protected health information.
