Does your practice take insurance?

Why We Do Not Accept Insurance

Our practice operates on a private pay basis, allowing us to prioritize your confidentiality and treatment flexibility. While we can provide documentation for you to submit an Out-of-Network claim for possible reimbursement, it’s important to understand the implications of using insurance:

• Diagnosis Requirement: Insurance will only reimburse services with a diagnosis, regardless of your reasons for seeking therapy.

• Impact of Diagnoses: Any diagnosis could be considered a pre-existing condition, potentially affecting future health or life insurance applications.

• Medical Records: Your therapy records become part of your medical history, and insurance companies may request detailed documentation, impacting your privacy.

• Session Limitations: Insurance can dictate the number of sessions and treatment goals based on their standards, which may not align with your needs.

• Administrative Burden: Navigating insurance involves time-consuming paperwork and phone calls, often resulting in limited coverage.

Bottom Line: Choosing private pay enhances your confidentiality and allows greater control over your treatment journey.

What ages do you work with?

Taylor specializes in working with clients aged 3 and older, focusing on young children, young adults, and adults or parents seeking support or counseling.

Jared serves as our adult therapist, providing services for older teens (16+) and adults.

How often are sessions scheduled?

Sessions are typically scheduled on a weekly or biweekly basis, with weekly sessions required for most play therapy clients. You and your therapist will assess and adjust the frequency of sessions as your treatment progresses.

How long does the therapy process take?

The duration of the therapy process varies depending on the individual or family, their goals, and their personal history. On average, many child clients and their families begin to see changes within 15-20 sessions, though some may experience progress more quickly or may require additional time. The outcome often depends on your commitment to applying what you learn in sessions—whether as a parent implementing new strategies at home or as an individual practicing coping skills.

Will I be in session with my child?

For most play therapy sessions, parents do not participate. Your child will have one-on-one sessions with their therapist.

• We ask that you wait in the lobby or your car during these sessions.

• In rare cases, we may need to pause or end a session early due to safety concerns or if your child needs restroom assistance.

• Parent consultations are a required part of treatment and are scheduled separately from your child's appointments, typically every 4-6 weeks. During these, we’ll discuss your child's progress and practice new parenting strategies.

• For teens, parent meetings occur less frequently unless requested, and may involve joint sessions to enhance communication and family dynamics.

• Whether parents join sessions can depend on treatment goals. Some parents may wish to participate for real-time coaching on co-regulation, while in other cases, it may be more beneficial to wait until more progress has been made. This treatment plan can be discussed during the initial intake appointment.
  

What is an intake appointment? What do I bring?

• Purpose: This initial intake appointment is designed for you to meet your therapist and discuss the therapy process, office policies, and the history of your or your child’s experiences that led you to seek counseling.

• Discussion Topics:

  • Goals for therapy

  • Comfort level with the counseling process

  • Referral options if your needs cannot be met

• Important Notes:

  • Intakes are for adults only. If you are seeking services for your child, please do not bring them to this appointment. Arriving with your child will result in rescheduling and a full session fee charge.

• Preparation:

  • Before your intake, you will receive intake paperwork and an invitation to my secure client portal via TherapyNotes.

  • Please complete all paperwork fully and submit it through the portal at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Incomplete paperwork will require rescheduling.

Do you require both parents to consent for services and participate in the child’s treatment?

Yes, typically both parents' participation is essential for effective therapy, especially when both are actively involved in the child's life. Progress can be hindered if only one parent understands the child's behaviors or implements changes at home.

If the child does not live with both biological or adoptive parents, Texas law requires you to provide us the most recent custody document signed by a judge, specifying consent rights for mental health services. If both parents have consent rights, we will need consent from both before starting services. If only one parent has sole consent, we will inform the other parent about the counseling and invite their participation, unless it may harm the child. Services cannot begin until we have received and reviewed the custody document and necessary consents from all required parties.

What happens if my child misses school for an appointment with you?

We can provide a school excuse note for you to give to their school to excuse their absence. Most schools are understanding of the counseling process.

What do I tell my child about their therapy appointment?

It is important that you let your child know about their therapy appointment in advance and don’t spring it on them suddenly. You can tell your child they are going to a playroom filled with toys, games, and arts and crafts and they will be working with someone who can help them with their big feelings. Some children may already have some level of awareness of their struggles, so if you’ve talked about it with them before, you can be more specific.

Should I ask my child about their appointment after their session?

It’s natural to be curious about your child’s sessions. However, I encourage you to allow your child to take the lead on how much or little they share with you. Asking about your child’s sessions can be like the equivalent of your friend, partner, or spouse asking you to share what you talked about in your own talk therapy sessions. Sometimes it may feel okay to share, but sometimes sessions can be really heavy and you may be ready to take a break from the thoughts or feelings that were brought up in the session - the same goes for your child. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your child’s sessions, please reach out to your child’s therapist.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept most major credit cards, including HSA/FSA cards.

Do I have to put a credit card on file?

Yes. We require all of my clients keep a credit card on file. We currently accept payments through my secure client portal in TherapyNotes. This software is secure and allows you to put a card on file without us ever seeing your card information.

What do I do if I need to cancel or reschedule?

We are happy to accommodate cancellations or reschedules with at least 24 hours' notice. Here are the key points regarding our cancellation policy:

• Notice Requirement:

  • If your appointment is scheduled for Wednesday at 5 PM, you must notify us by Tuesday at 5 PM to avoid a late cancellation fee.

• Fees:

  • If you do not notify your counselor or do not show up for your appointment, or if you provide less than 24 hours' notice, you will be charged the full appointment fee.

  • If you reschedule an appointment within the same week, the late cancellation fee will apply to the rescheduled appointment instead of charging for two appointments. However, if you late cancel or no-show the rescheduled appointment, you will incur a second cancellation fee.

  • We understand emergencies may arise and will consider waiving the fee on a case-by-case basis.

• Impact of Frequent Cancellations:

  • Frequent cancellations or reschedules that interfere with treatment progress may result in:

    • Forfeiting your recurring time slot

    • Potential termination of services, particularly for weekend or evening slots due to high demand.

  • Our policy states that after two or more consecutive cancellations or no-shows, we will release your recurring time slot and terminate services.

• Communicate with your Counselor:

  • If your current time slot is not working with your schedule, please discuss alternative options with your counselor.

What do all of the letters/credentials mean?

Great question! MS stands for Master of Science and refers to the master’s degree I earned while in graduate school at the University of North Texas. LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor. RPT stands for Registered Play Therapist.

To earn the LPC credential, one must complete a master’s program in counseling or a related subject, which typically includes over 700 hours of clinical experience prior to graduating PLUS an additional 3,000 hours of clinical experience post-graduation under the supervision of a board-approved LPC-Supervisor.

To earn the RPT credential, one must complete the above requirements to qualify for the LPC credential or other-related, independent license (such as LMFT or LCSW), complete at least 150 hours of play therapy-specific instruction, and complete a minimum of 350 hours of play therapy services under the supervision of an approved RPT-Supervisor.

To maintain these credentials, one is required to complete a certain number of Continuing Education courses each year. This allows those who hold these credentials to stay informed about the latest research and techniques in the field.