Helping You Find Your Strength And Serenity
This web page will help you make the most of your counseling services. Make note of places where you want an explanation. Add this page to your Favorites and refer to it later. Please read these policies carefully.
We rely upon our clients to refer to us others who may benefit from our services. If we satisfy you, please send us others so we may satisfy them with the help we provide. Thanks for your trust.
One of the first questions people ask us is “What is your fee?” Your counselor offers you the benefits or his or her many years of training, skills, knowledge, and experience. We expect your effort to make changes, to work at healing, and to pay for the counselor's time and effort.
- Charges are based on the customary fees in our community.
- Because of savings on billing costs, we have courtesy discounts for cash clients.
- We expect you to pay co-payments, deductibles, and fees at each visit unless other payment plans have been made.
- Please make out checks before the session so we can save time during the session.
- Tell us immediately any changes in your insurance, address, or telephone number.
- If there is a balance on your monthly statement, please pay it within ten days to save on re-billing or collection charges.
- If we need to collect an unpaid balance, we will only release to the collection service the information needed for that purpose.
- We will file the insurance claim for you.
- If you have HMO or PPO services, you will get the initial authorization. We will work with the company on subsequent reviews.
- If you have health insurance, we are required to charge you any deductibles and co-payments After all the insurance is collected, we will charge you any remaining part of the fee that the insurance company did not cover. It is your responsibility to be aware of your coverage and the requirements of your insurance. You are ultimately responsible for payment of the bill. Our agreement with your HMO may include a provision to accept a discounted fee; we will let you know that.
You may be asked to bring a special claim form. Filing an insurance claim means releasing infor-mation needed for payment, including the service provided, diagnosis, dates of service, and charges. Some insurers require treatment records. Insurers should treat this information confidentially, but we cannot be responsible for how the insurer handles information.
If you belong to a Managed Care organization or HMO, a report is usually required before services are authorized and the company may require periodic updates on treatment progress.
We review our policies and fees regularly. If fees are increased during your therapy, you will receive notice at least 30 days in advance.
Note: If you have an HMO or PPO, we may have a contract to provide services at other rates.
| Service |
PhD |
MSW |
MD |
SAC |
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45-50 minute session
30 minute session
Family Session
Initial assessment
Group therapy session
Medication (per 15 min.)
Projective Tests (Each)
Projective Test Battery
Objective Tests (Each)
Intelligence Testing
Comprehensive Testing
AODA Day Treatment
|
$150
100
150
175
60
—
150
300
100
175
750
—
|
$150
100
150
175
60
—
—
—
|
$180
120
180
220
60
65
—
—
|
$150
70
100
150
60
—
—
30/hr.
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Also at Hourly Rates—Reports or correspondence. Lengthy telephone calls with you or on your behalf, with teachers, caseworkers, physicians, or others to gather information to help (with your written permission to call). Reviewing extensive records of your previous health and mental health services.
Cancellations without 24 hour notice will be charged to you. In the case of a hardship, we will work with you to develop a reduced fee or payment plan.
II THERAPY PROMOTES CHANGE
You and your psychotherapist will discuss the goals of therapy, how you may benefit, and how it works. Therapy works best if you and your therapist set SPECIFIC GOALS for changing behaviors, thinking patterns, attitudes, and coping patterns in your relationships and in yourself. You will be asked what problems you have had, your goals for change, how you will know you are achieving those changes, and how you will know therapy has been successful. So think about these questions. A plan for the goals of therapy, the frequency of meetings, and the length of treatment will be written out.
Depending on the (a) type of problem, (b) the therapist's decision of how best to help, and (c) the type of therapy, the therapist may work with one member of the family or the whole family. We see some patients 2-5 times per week and others 1-4 times a month. The frequency of visits and the total number of sessions you will need are based on discussion of the unique problems and strengths of you and your family.
We may suggest other kinds of help for you. There are the most frequent suggestions: a hospital stay, a day treatment program, psychological testing, a physical exam, medication, reading materials, and self-help groups. These are often invaluable aids to helping bring about change.
Listening so you feel understood
Facilitating creation of a private setting in which you can open up and share
Using the latest knowledge and a variety of professional skills
Offering a multidisciplinary team and consultants, so we can give quality services
Bringing Out memories and feelings that have you stuck
Healing traumatic and painful experiences
Helping you discover and understand your feelings, beliefs, patterns, and actions
Changing behavior patterns and beliefs which cause distress
Identifying options, strengths, and new perspectives so you can manage your life better
Developing new coping mechanisms
Working Through decisions
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Therapy benefits you by helping you work towards these changes: relieving depression, reducing fears or anxieties, lessening distress, healing painful experiences, improving the ability to cope, increasing independence, increasing assertiveness, solving family problems, improving parenting skills, changing patterns of behavior, finding new and better images of yourself and your family, changing inappropriate thinking patterns, promoting self-esteem, gaining greater satisfaction from life. Therapy may help you to clarify personal goals and values and to grow as a person.
Change may be swift or it may take a longer time to accomplish your therapy goals. We regularly review progress and make suggestions for additional kinds of help for you. Results cannot be guaranteed, but we will do our best to help you as you work to achieve positive changes in your life.
- Follow recommendations to try medication, physicians, psychiatrists, or counselors, or to go for inpatient or day treatment
- Attend recommended programs or groups.
- Do homework assignments, writing, or readings your counselor suggests.
- Take time to think about your sessions.
- Ask questions so you understand your therapist's ideas and methods.
- Discussing your growth with trusted people can help strengthen your changes.
- Let others know you appreciate how they change in response to you and that they notice your changes.
- Important: If you are dissatisfied or confused about therapy, please talk it over with the therapist. Don’t stop coming without a final visit to talk it over.
- Take the risk to be open and honest in therapy. Openness can be scary and may mean changing old patterns and trying new ones. It may mean looking at old hurts or secrets. That's why we welcome you and compliment you on the courage and effort you put into making therapy work for you.
Therapy is an investment of your time, money, energy, and hopes, so you need to be comfortable and optimistic with your counselor. If you wish to discuss a complaint, we will find an appropriate supervisor in the Clinic for you to talk to.
The first one or two appointments are for "evaluation" or "assessment." To help the counselor identify the memories, feelings, behaviors, or patterns which lead to problems, discuss your concerns openly.
We may ask about many of your problems and experiences, both now and in the past, such as:
- your inner feelings, memories, dreams
- recent changes, losses, and stresses
- your family, upbringing, and relationships
- previous therapy and medical information
- your sexual experiences and your work experiences
- any feelings about hurting yourself
You may be asked questions, such as
- what was happening when you called for help?
- what were you thinking and feeling then?
- what changes were in your life in recent years?
- what have you tried to do to solve your problems?
- what changes will tell you that things are improving?
- when have you been free of these problems?
Commonly, people are unaware of patterns that lead to problems. Many factors may influence even the most obvious problems. Part of therapy is to help you define these patterns and set goals for changing them. We often give questionnaires to fill out which give us more clues to how we can best assist you. We will consider all this information and help define goals and methods for your therapy.
Are There Risks in Psychotherapy?
Therapy is usually very beneficial, but occasionally, a very small percentage of the time, there may be some risk, such as: bringing out intense feelings, such as anger, guilt, or sadness; remembering unpleasant life events; facing difficult thoughts; slow progress; increasing personal awareness; changing your relationships; becoming more independent; feeling embarrassed at revealing information; feeling worse for a time; knowledge of uncomfortable memories; questioning some of your ideas or values.
We want to discuss any of these feelings or any negative reactions you may have in therapy. For your well-being, we suggest you avoid ending therapy early since your therapist can direct you to other resources and can try different methods to help you. Sometimes patients feel too upset or depressed to want to come to a therapy session, but these feelings may be part of the process of change, so come to every scheduled appointment and discuss all the feelings you are having.
You or your therapist may request a face-to-face consultation with one of our Consulting staff in order to resolve any difficulties you may have.
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The final sessions are an important time for reviewing the therapy. If you decide to stop, let the therapist know in advance. A good ending is important. Be sure to come for the final sessions. If additional help is needed, the therapist will refer you. Tell the therapist if you decide to stop.
III Shorehaven Behavioral Health
Shorehaven Behavioral Health, Inc. (SBH), is Wisconsin licensed mental health and alcohol and drug treatment clinic. In order to provide you a wide range of services, SBH includes three programs: Outpatient Department, I-home Department, and AADRS—Anxiety, Addiction, & Depression Recovery Services.
Our therapists include licensed psychologists and social workers, alcoholism counselors, and family therapists. Most have Masters or Doctorate Degrees. Most are members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, and other groups requiring high standards of ethics and training.
Many people prefer to pay for care themselves. Here are some advantages to this increasingly popular trend known as “self-pay”:
- Confidentiality The files remain with your therapist and are not shared with insurers.
- Public Records There will be no public database record of your care.
- Choice You get to choose your therapist based on the referrals or recommendations you receive rather than having to select from a list of network providers.
- Control You have more of a say in the type of therapy, the frequency, and the length of care. You may choose a longer period of care or more intensive care than your insurer would approve or a type of care which your insurer might not sanction.
- Private Therapeutic Agreement Your therapy will be an agreement between you and your therapist without being influenced by a third party.
- Investment in Personal Well-Being The therapy of many problems is brief. The cost—in relation to your growth and change—may be fairly small, with a large return.
- Motivation You will be a more careful consumer and more involved, focused, and hard-working to gain the changes and improvements you want.
- Personal Necessity Insurers today pay only for ‘medically necessary’ treatment for medical-psychiatric illnesses, but with self-pay you may choose help for your personal growth and well-being when a psychiatric diagnosis in not appropriate.
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Our affiliated therapists do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, health status, or sexual orientation. We offer services to all people for whom we have the appropriate skills and knowledge and funding.
Access to Records. The law requires us to keep records of therapy for seven years after treatment. Records help us recall details, keep track of what happened in therapy, and review plans for helping you. After you complete treatment, you may have a copy of the record sent to you or to health professionals you designate, for a small copying fee. If you want to review files during treatment, the therapist will summarize the record for you. When you ask us to release information, we expect your account to be paid in full.
Testimony and Court Proceedings. We collect data for the purpose of helping you in therapy. So we don’t testify in custody cases, children's court, divorce court, or criminal court, unless we are hired especially for that. Legal hearings have different goals than therapy. If we saw you for marriage therapy and you divorce, we cannot ethically testify without permission from BOTH partners. Assume that therapists will not testify in court unless you cleared this before treatment begins and agreed upon prepaid fees for court appearances.
Appointments and Messages
An appointment is a commitment for us to meet. If the therapist is delayed, you will be charged only for the time you receive. If you are late, it may be difficult to make up the time—the therapist may have a session scheduled after yours. When your therapist plans to be away for any reason he or she will tell you in advance. If the therapist is ill, he or she will try to contact you.
Depending on the type of service, sessions vary from 25 to 90 minutes or more. Most therapy sessions are about 45-48 minutes. Most medication checks are 15-25 minutes.
Please Make it to Each Session
Because time is reserved for you, please inform us 24 hours ahead if you must miss a session. You will be charged for missed sessions or for those canceled on the same day because we may not have enough time to contact someone else to come during that time. If we fill the time, we won’t charge you for a cancellation.
Your therapist may have a very full schedule, so when you miss a session for which you have waited 1-3 weeks, you may have to wait an additional time for the re-scheduled session! So please try to make it to each visit so you receive the best care.
Treatment is most helpful when you come to every planned session. Patients who miss frequent appointments may be asked to postpone treatment until it fits better with their schedules and needs.
Telephone counseling is not a substitute for meeting in person. If you have a concern which requires additional time, it’s better to schedule extra sessions rather than have lengthy phone calls.
Also, therapy is different from friendship or other business or social relationships. If you see your therapist in another setting than at an appointment, he/she may limit that contact and continue to be available to you as a therapist only.
If you have scheduling problems, discuss them with your therapist. If you feel uncertain about scheduling appointments, these feelings could be due to the therapy process. Keep your appointment and discuss your feelings with your therapist.
Messages: Many of our calls are answered by voice-mail. We usually can’t accept calls during sessions. Calls late in the day may be returned the next workday. A back-up paging system on the voice mail can locate someone on call for serious emergencies.
In an emergency, call the therapist’s mail box at 540-2170 and identify the problem as an emergency by pressing ‘#' at the end of your message, then press ‘1' and '2' when you are asked to do so. If the therapist is on vacation, there will be someone on call for him/her.
Confidentiality Is Not Absolute
Limits to Confidentiality
Treatment is a private confidential relationship involving just the therapist and you. Information is sent to other professionals outside our treatment team only with your written permission, except when the law requires us to disclose information. For instance, the therapist, by law, is required to work with a clinical supervisor in order to provide the best treatment he/she can. Ethically, therapists working with couples or families only release the entire family record if all family members (over 13) seen in marriage or family therapy give written permission. All members in group therapy should keep everything discussed in the group confidential.
There are a few emergencies or situations in which counselors have a legal duty to share information which may help protect you or your family. These situations include abuse or neglect of children or the elderly or when a client may be a danger to self or others, or under some subpoenas or court orders. Then, the therapist may need to take steps to protect people from harm or warn them, such as contacting a family member or recommending hospital treatment.
Certain state agencies and insurers may have a right to records for the purpose of investigations, audits, or verification of charges.
There are some situations in which information is "Privileged," i.e., it can’t be divulged in court without your permission. Ask if you have concerns about it.
We will let you know how information is handled when different members of a family are seen. For example, therapists who see a child build the child's trust by keeping whatever the child discusses confidential . Note: If you are in marriage therapy, family therapy, or group therapy, ask your counselor to explain how privacy is protected. Often, the rule is information given to the marriage or family therapist outside the family meeting may be disclosed to the family, at the discretion of the therapist.
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If we’ve helped you, please let others know about Shorehaven.
This helps us reach people who may benefit from our help.
Please, make sure you receive a copy of the Shorehaven
HIPAA PRIVACY NOTICE DISCLOSURE
and the
These handouts explain additional rights you have when you receive medical and psychological care.
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