INFORMATION ABOUT APPOINTMENTS & FEES
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THOMAS N. DORSEL, Ph.D. |
Appointments: |
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SC License #392 |
Telephone: |
While the health and welfare of the client is the primary concern of psychotherapy, this objective is best served if the following overview of the therapeutic process is first understood:
Appointment Policy
Therapy sessions are generally
scheduled on a weekly basis, although some circumstances may require more or
less frequent visits. Cancellations are discouraged as they may disrupt
the progress of therapy. However, if a cancellation is necessary, it
should be done 24 hours in advance of the starting time of your appointment, or
full payment will be expected for the missed session. If I have to be out
of town, or will be otherwise unavailable at a regularly scheduled appointment
time, I will provide you with similar notice. Any messages should be left at
the telephone number provided above. Please leave the date/time of your
call, as well as where I can call you back.
Fees and Insurance
Psychotherapy is provided at the
rate of $75 per hour. If you feel you need to extend a particular therapy
session beyond the usual hour, additional 20-minute segments are provided at $25
each. If psychological testing is necessary, each test has its own
fee. Health insurance generally covers the services of licensed clinical
psychologists to varying degrees, depending on your policy.
In order to keep expenses and
therapy fees as low as possible, the billing and insurance procedure of this
practice operates as follows: Payment is due on the day of each session.
I will keep a receipt of your payments which you can have at any time to submit
to your insurance company. The company should then reimburse you
directly. The receipt that I give you is usually sufficient to attach to
your insurance forms. However, I will also provide you with any extra
information that you request for your particular insurance company.
Length of Therapy
The number of sessions varies from
case to case. To give you some frame of reference, brief therapy may
involve as little as 3 or 4 sessions, or it could extend to 20 sessions.
On the other hand, long-term therapy may require 6 mos. to 2 yrs. to achieve
its goals.
In any case there is flexibility,
and the ending time is primarily up to you. When you feel like you are
doing well enough to proceed on your own, just let me know and we will discuss
it. The important thing is that you don't just disappear. We both need an
opportunity to bring some closure to a therapeutic process that has involved a
personal investment on the part of each of us.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is both an ethical
and a legal responsibility for psychologists. Therefore, you can assume
that anything you say, or even the fact that you are seeing me, will be kept
confidential.
There are some exceptions to confidentiality, however, of which I must make you
aware: (1) While South Carolina has a confidentiality law which gives you
considerable protection regarding your privacy, the courts may still in rare
instances require access to my files. I must obey the law, but even in
these rare instances, I will do everything in my power to protect your privacy.
(2) If you are unable to take care of yourself, or if you threaten to harm
yourself or another person, I must take action to protect the involved parties
(including you). (3) Protective Services must also be notified in cases of
child abuse. The law affords the psychologist little latitude for
discretion in such instances. (4) Lastly, if you ask me to provide information
about you to a third party, I will, of course, provide you this service with
your written consent.
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