Behavioral Health

➤ Please arrive 15–20 minutes early to fill out paperwork. You will be greeted at the waiting-room window by our office staff to assist you with this.

➤ If the testing client is a child or adolescent, please ensure that a parent or legal guardian accompanies them to the testing session to sign paperwork and give consent for treatment.

➤ Any insurance co-payment, deductible, or self-pay is due at this time.

➤ Your psychologist will escort you from the waiting room to their office for the evaluation.

➤ Our offices are private and comfortable with noise machines to ensure confidentiality.

➤ The first part of the evaluation will be a 1-hour diagnostic interview regarding your current situation, your family and personal background, relevant medical conditions, symptom history, and current symptoms and functioning. Though it may be difficult to tell your private story to someone you don’t know, our psychologists do their best to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

➤ The testing period itself may take up to several hours depending on the tests you require. Testing may take place the same day as the intake interview, or it may be scheduled for a later date if you have an insurance company that requires prior authorization. Please note that some insurance companies can take up to two weeks to authorize testing, and they may determine that testing is not medically necessary.

➤ After the testing is completed, the psychologist will review the results and write a report containing all relevant information, testing results, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. This process may take up to two weeks.

➤ Once the report is written, you'll visit again, at which time your psychologist will discuss your results and give you a copy of the report.

➤ If you were referred by your physician or outside agency, a copy of the full report will be faxed to them with your permission.

➤ Our offices are private and comfortable with noise machines to ensure confidentiality.

➤ Your counselor will discuss confidentiality with you and the importance of your information and conversations being kept private. There are a few exceptions to this rule that will be explained to you (for example the need to protect the safety of yourself or others), but for the most part you can expect your privacy to be protected in every way possible.

➤ If the client is a child or adolescent, please ensure that a parent or legal guardian accompanies them to the testing session to sign paperwork and give consent for treatment.

– Please note that the guardian/parent of a minor has a right to all relevant clinical records regarding the child. However, for teen clients, our counselors try to balance the teen’s need for privacy vs. the caregiver’s right to information. Your counselor will have this discussion with you during the first session if this situation applies.

➤ Our counselors are trained to gather information in the first session to gain an understanding of your situation, your family and personal background, relevant medical conditions, symptom history, and current symptoms and functioning. Though it may be difficult to tell your private story to someone you don’t know, our counselors do their best to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

➤ Your counselor will assist you in making agreed upon treatment goals and discuss some possible strategies for reaching those goals through counseling.

➤ First sessions generally take one hour and follow-up counseling sessions are usually scheduled for 45-minute increments.

➤ At the end of your first session, your counselor will discuss with you the recommended frequency of visits and set up your next appointment.