WELCOME!

Thank you for choosing our office for your psychotherapy & counseling needs.  We look forward to working with you. The information contained within this document is important & we strongly recommend you read it in its entirety.  If you have any questions or concerns about the policies or any other aspect of the practice, please feel free to discuss them with your therapist at any time.

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SESSION TIME & COST: 

- 1st Session: $120= 60 minutes

- Sessions Afterwards $100= 50 - 60 Minutes

(In certain situations, you have the right to extend the length of your counseling session; however, the client be responsible for the extra cost for the additional time if your insurance company does not cover the extra amount).

 

PAYMENT:

For your convenience, we accept cash, check, credit cards, PayPal or Venmo. For clients who choose to pay by credit card, a processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 with be incurred. 

 

INSURANCE:

As a service to you, our office will verify your coverage including your deductible and co-payment, and out-of- network benefits. If we are a provider with your insurance company or third-party carrier, we will file your insurance claims unless you tell us otherwise. If we are not in-network with your insurance company, you will be responsible for the full amount of the session fee. We request that you also confirm these provisions with your insurance company. Your insurance policy is a contract between you and the insurance company. Therefore, you, as the insured, are responsible for the payment of amounts refused or determined unnecessary by your insurance company. We do our best to acquire the correct information as soon as possible, but insurance companies occasionally misinform our office about patient benefits. We are not responsible for errors made by third-party payers. Unpaid account balances will be transferred to a collection agency if outstanding for more than 60 days. The client is responsible for any collection, court, or attorney fees from such referral.

24-HOUR CANCELLATION POLICY:  

Please notify our office 24 hours in advance if your are unable to attend your appointment.  Otherwise, there will be a $20 "no show" fee.

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CRISIS & AFTER HOUR EMERGENCIES:

We do not provide emergency services. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency or need immediate care, please use the following resources: -911 or go to your nearest emergency room -Call the Helen Farabee Center at 1-800-621-8504 or (903-472-7242) -National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 -National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org

 

TELEPHONE & INTERNET ACCESSABILITY:

If you need to contact your therapist between sessions, please leave a message on our voicemail. Due to being in session throughout the day, we are often not immediately available. However, we will do our  best to return your call within 24 hours. Whether in crisis or not, a client may occasionally want to discuss an issue on the phone or by internet with the counselor. Phone contacts between sessions can be helpful for discussing particular events or situations that are causing you or your child distress. For this service, the counselor charges a minimum $25.00  fee, which includes up to 15 minutes of internet or telephone counseling or consultation. If the call or internet session goes beyond 15 minutes, the client will continue to be billed at a rate of $25.00 per 15-minute increment. Many health insurance companies do not reimburse for this fee.

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ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION:

E-MAIL:  

Our counseling office does everything possible to protect your private correspondence by using a highly secured e-mail service provider. However, our clients’ e-mail addresses might not be secure & there is always the possibility electronic communication may be compromised. Please notify your therapist if you decide to avoid or limit, in any way, the use of the secure messaging or e-mail. If you communicate confidential or highly private information via e-mail, your therapist will assume you have made an informed decision and will honor your desire to communicate via e-mail. Please do not use e-mail for emergencies.

 

TEXT MESSAGING:

Our office cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including text messages. Please use the confidential messaging option in our portal on-line if you would like to text your therapist regarding your concerns or upcoming appointments. If you choose to text your therapist, our counseling office will assume you have made the informed decision to text your therapist, knowing the potential risks to confidentiality.

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TREATMENT PLAN:

Within a reasonable period of time after the initiation of treatment, your therapist will discuss with you their working understanding of the problem, treatment plan, therapeutic objectives, & their view of the possible outcomes of treatment. If you have any unanswered questions about your treatment plan, any of the procedures used in the course of your therapy, the procedures’ possible risks, etc. please ask & your questions will be answered fully.

 

RECORD KEEPING:

McNamara Counseling will keep records of your/your child’s appointments. Records entail brief details about each session, interventions used & the topics we discussed. If you prefer for McNamara Counseling not to keep records of you/your child’s sessions, you must give the office a written request for your file & we will only note that you/your child “attended therapy” in the record. McNamara Counseling makes sure your therapy records are stored in locked files &/or electronically on a secure server that is only accessible by our staff. Upon request, you may review your therapy records. In order to ensure the information contained is clearly understood, you will be asked to arrange an appointment with your therapist to go over the information. Appropriate fees will be charged for making copies of client records.

 

REFERRALS:

Counselors in our office may not be trained in all areas of therapy. Therefore, it may  become necessary for a counselor to refer a client for appropriate treatment, if deemed necessary by the counselor.

 

LIMITS TO CONFIDENTIALITY:

What you discuss during session is kept confidential between you & your therapist. No content of the sessions may be shared with another party without your written consent or the written consent of the parent/legal guardian of a minor. However, there are times when therapists are required, by law & professional ethics, to break confidentiality & file a report.

Those exceptions are:

1.) If your therapist believes you are likely to harm yourself &/or another person.

2.) If you disclose abuse or neglect of children, the elderly or disabled persons, the clinician is required to make a report to the appropriate state agency.

3.) If you are a minor (under the age of 18), your parents or legal guardian(s) may have access to your records & may authorize their release to other parties.

4.) Upon the issuance of a court order or lawful issued subpoena

5.) If you disclose sexual misconduct by a therapist or in legal/regulatory actions against a professional.

6.) When insurance & managed care companies require personal identification, information, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment goals, prognosis, evaluation of progress, & other information before reimbursement is considered. Such companies may also maintain the right to have a copy of your records. Information regarding such releases is covered in the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) information you have received.

 

COUNSELING RISKS & BENEFITS:

Counseling and psychotherapy are beneficial, but as with any treatment, there are inherent risks. During counseling, you will have discussions about personal issues which may bring to the surface uncomfortable emotions such as anger, guilt, and sadness. The benefits of counseling can far outweigh any discomfort encou ntered during theprocess, however. Some of the possible benefits are improved personal relationships, reduced feelings of emotional distress, and specific problem solving. We cannot guarantee these benefits, of course. It is our desire, however, to work with you to attain your personal goals for counseling and/or psychotherapy.

 

THERAPIST’S INCAPACITY OR DEATH:

In the event your therapist passes or becomes incapacitated, it will become necessary for another therapist to take possession of your file & records. By signing this Informed Consent Agreement, you give permission to allow another licensed mental health professional to take possession of your file & records, providing you with copies upon request, or to deliver them to a therapist of your choice.