What to Expect and Privacy Rights

Seeing a counselor or therapist is to get help with struggles in your life that bother you or keep you from thriving. You may want to talk to a counselor or you’re here because a parent, doctor, teacher, or friend had concerns about you. Your therapist will listen to you, maybe ask questions, and suggest a plan for improving these problems. It is important that you feel comfortable talking about the issues that concern you. However, in the counseling relationship, you are in charge. It is always your decision to participate, how much to divulge, or even to discontinue therapy. For most people, knowing that what they say will be kept private helps them feel more comfortable to trust their therapist. Privacy, also called confidentiality, is an important and necessary part of good counseling. As a general rule, the information you share in sessions will be kept confidential, unless you provide written consent to disclose certain information, except if: you say you plan to cause serious harm or death to yourself or someone else, and the therapist believes you have the intent and ability to carry out this threat in the very near future; you are doing things that could cause serious harm to you or someone else, even if you do not intend to harm yourself or another person; you are being abused-physically, sexually or emotionally-or that you have been abused in the past and are underage; you are involved in a court case and a demand is made for information about your counseling or therapy. For children and adolescents, your parents sign that they understand this, and have rights to view your information and be informed of progress and treatment plans; however, details of sessions will remain your private information protected by your rights above. Under age clients with split or contested custody will require signed consent and/or acknowledgement of both parents/guardians.*

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About Your LPC Counselor

Your therapist is recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and more broadly as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Your therapist is also certified as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S). Your therapist utilizes an integrated, holistic approach based out of several theory modalities including Adlerian, Rogerian, Jungian, and Crabb/Hawkins. Specific techniques applied may include cognitive behavior therapy, person-focused therapy, mindfulness, and child-centered play therapy. Because your therapist is a Christian counselor, therapy will reflect the beliefs and values of that worldview. However, distinct Biblically-based counseling techniques will not be utilized unless specifically requested by you.

 

Student/Intern or Resident Counselors

You may chose to see a therapist who is not yet licensed. This therapist will be under appropriate supervision and will review notes, treatment plans, diagnosis, and any other critical information with a supervisor or professor on a regular basis. There may even be video recorded sessions for assessment and training purposes. You will have the opportunity to sign and release or decline at your discretion.

 

Session Information

Each standard session runs 45-50 minutes in length. Current rate for individual sessions is $150 (initial consultation and family sessions are $200), subject to regular review and increase. Payment is expected at the time of service unless otherwise arranged (monthly payment options and invoicing may be available). Checks and credit cards are accepted. For sessions extending beyond 50 minutes, additional rates apply. For need-based reduced rate pricing, please inquire. Although your therapist is not currently accepting any forms of insurance, you will be provided a superbill for services including the amount paid, tax ID number, diagnostic code and date/location of service, which you may submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. 

 

Contact and Communication

It is very important that you have access to your counselor to obtain the help you need. While your counselor makes every attempt to secure your information, confidential communication cannot be guaranteed. Phone calls, e-mails, texts, and even postal mail have the potential to be hacked or intercepted making your private information vulnerable. With that understanding, you may contact your therapist in whichever manner allows you the most comfort and access for the express purpose of scheduling. Communications of a therapeutic nature will not be returned in order to protect your privacy necessitating that such concerns be discussed in session.

 

Office Information and Policies

Glimpses of Hope is conveniently located in an office complex close to shopping and dining. For ease of locating: from Rt. 28 take the Westfields Blvd exit (662) to the east; turn right on Walney Rd (3rd light); turn right on Robert Paris Ct; make an immediate left in the parking lot and go to the last building on the end. Parking is available in front of the office, although it is strongly recommended to lock doors and not leave valuables in vehicles. To exit: go right from the building to the stop sign; turn left and proceed to Walney Rd. Glimpses of Hope shares a suite with Total Facial Artistry. A restroom and water are located in the back waiting area. 

Glimpses of Hope requires acknowledged receipt of financial and privacy policies including canceled check fee and missed appointment fees of $50. If files or summaries are requested, transcription rates will apply in addition to regular session rate fees. Additional fees for paperwork requested with rush status may apply. 

 

Dual Relationship and Social Media

In a heavily populated area such as Northern Virginia, today’s active lifestyles cause a great deal of overlap. In the event that you see or are seen by your counselor outside of the session environment (for instance at a church event or even at the grocery store) it is your right to acknowledge or avoid contact to whatever degree you are most comfortable. Your counselor will wait for cues from you as to how much interaction is desired and will attempt to respect your privacy even in a public setting. However, it is the policy of this therapist to refrain from connecting to clients (past or present) via any form of social media. While this may seem distant or unfriendly, it is done with the specific intention to respect your privacy and preserve the therapeutic relationship from the potential dangers of social media. Our therapists meet regularly for support and team collaboration. You will have the option to refuse if you expressly wish to not have your case referenced or discussed.

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