Session Fees, Missed Appointments, and Length of Service
Services will be rendered in a professional manner consistent with the American CounselingAssociation's ethical standards. Therapy sessions are typically 53 minutes long. For self-pay, the agency charges $150 per hour for in-person counseling sessions, $175 for initial intakes, and $125 per hour for distance counseling. Provided that we can bill your insurance (we accept, but are not limited to, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Medcost, Medicaid, Medicare, Cigna, Aetna, Tricare, Magellan, North Carolina Healthchoice, CBHA, & Optum), we will accept your copays in the form of cash, check, or credit card. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify me at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time at 336-818-0733.
The duration of counseling varies widely among clients depending on their needs and preferences. You may choose to terminate therapy at any time, but I strongly encourage you to schedule one final session together SO that I am able to help you prepare for and process the conclusion of our work.
Effects of Counseling
Beginning counseling is a brave undertaking that may also challenge you at times. The counseling process may open up levels of awareness that could cause pain and anxiety as you work through them; the process of change can be a difficult one that could cause disruption or discomfort in your life. Working though this discomfort has the potential to yield very meaningful personal benefits, but you always have the right to refuse to participate in certain therapeutic techniques.
Given the nature of counseling, it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen in terms of therapeutic outcome or provide an estimate of the time required for a client to reach their personal goals. Despite this, clients who are open to the process of change, are consistent with attending sessions, and are willing to work on goals outside of session tend to see the most positive change.
Use of Diagnosis
In most cases, you will be given a mental health diagnosis as part of your treatment. This diagnosis will be discussed with you and is used to plan the appropriate course of counseling. Your diagnosis will become part of your permanent record at this site and may be accessed by your insurance company and any other entity to which your records are released.
Confidentiality I respect your right to privacy, and anything shared in our sessions will remain confidential. There are three exceptions, however, to confidentiality. I am ethically bound to break confidentiality if:
(a) you give written permission to disclose information to someone else, such as another health professional, insurance company, or family member.
(b) I determine that you are a danger to yourself or to others.
(c) you disclose information that leads me to believe a child, disabled person or elderly person is being abused or neglected.
(d) I am ordered by a court to disclose information; a subpoena is not a court order. (In unusual cases a client's involvement in a custody or criminal dispute may lead to me receiving such a court order.
In accordance with professional ethics, I may consult with my direct supervisors, other counselors, and the peers in my supervision group from time to time about aspects of certain cases while revealing as little as possible about clients' identities. My supervisor and all other consultees are mental health professionals held to the same standards of confidentiality as I am, and these consultations are designed to help me provide the best services possible. Other than the above exceptions to confidentiality and