Frequently Asked Questions

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How can therapy help me?

A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn.

Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

  • Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
  • Developing skills for improving your relationships
  • Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
  • Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
  • Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
  • Improving communications and listening skills
  • Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
  • Deepening relationships within your marriage, friendships, and with family members
  • Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
How much can I expect to pay per session and how long are they?

Sessions are typically 45 minutes long, but if you prefer to have longer sessions, that can be arranged. The fee will be discussed over the phone during the initial consultation.

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you’re at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy.

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.

How long will it take for me to feel better?

Everyone is different in how they will respond to therapy, but some people begin feeling better immediately because it can feel like a relief talking to someone about the struggles they’ve been facing. Also, taking the first step towards improving your mental health can bring about feelings of hope and optimism. I will provide ongoing support and teach you tools that you can use after the very first session that may bring immediate relief to feelings of anxiety and stress.

What is therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).

It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. People seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their lives.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

Currently we do not take insurance, however depending on your insurance coverage, individuals can still receive reimbursement for portions of the cost of therapy. To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier and how much your insurance will cover an out of network provider, the first thing you should do is call them.  Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers.

Some helpful questions you can ask them:

  • What are my mental health benefits for an out of network mental health provider?
  • Do I have to meet a deductible, and if so, how much is it?
  • What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
  • How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
  • How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
  • Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist’s office.   Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone.  This is called “Informed Consent”.  Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.

Testing FAQ’s

QUICK ANSWERS:

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Can you waive the deposit?

We do not waive the deposit seeing as it locks in your intake slot and ensures all individuals reaching out have equal access to intake slots.

Do you take insurance?

We are fuly out-of-network and can offer a superbill.

Can I get back to you about booking?

Yes, you do not have to schedule immediately.

Do you have a sliding scale for testing?

At this time due to high demand, we do not offer a sliding scale.

Can I do a payment plan?

Not at this time; we can offer to schedule your intake for a later date into the future to accommodate financial needs.

Is there a refund if I don't receive a diagnosis?

The purpose of our evaluations is to provide you with detailed information about yourself regardless of diagnosis, therefore we do not refund based on diagnostic outcome.

Are you able to do mandated/court-ordered/custody/parent fitness/rehab/medical evals?

Not at this time.

DETAILED ANSWERS:

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Can I book my testing appointments in advance?

Yes, they can be booked after your intake session is confirmed. Testing appointment duration depends on the type of evaluation you’re receiving, and the age of the individual being tested. We do not book sessions for longer than 1-2 hours for minors and 2-3 hours for adults to be sure you save your energy. More often than not, testing is completed within 2-3 weeks of your intake.

What if I have to work or have school at the times you have testing appointments available?

Our testing business hours are Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm. We observe federal holidays. Testing appointments typically only occur in the morning hours, unless in rare circumstances where your evaluator determines it may be beneficial to test in the afternoon. We are able to provide a written or electronic medical excuse note on the day of your appointment(s) – this note cannot be provided in advance. You have the option to book your testing appointments in advance so that you can plan accordingly with your employer or school.

Can you bill my insurance directly?

No, however, we can provide a superbill at the end of testing. On the day you receive your report, we will electronically send the superbill document to you via email for you to independently submit to your insurance company.

Can you do a single-case agreement with my insurance company? Or complete a pre-authorization form?

No, unfortunately these processes often require unpaid interviews (sometimes 1+ hours) and do not always guarantee you will receive any reimbursement.

Do you need to speak with my (therapist, friend, family, spouse, teacher, psychiatrist, etc.) to do this evaluation?

No, any contact we have with people in your life is completely optional. You can let us know if there’s an important person in your life you’d like us to speak with and we will complete documentation for this during your intake.

For autism evaluations: do you have experience working with women or with people with high levels of masking?

Yes, the majority of the assessments we complete are for women or female-identifying individuals. We use measures that specifically look at masking and camouflaging behaviors and are very familiar with and comfortable with assessing this. We also believe you are the expert on your own experiences and will ask many questions about what life has been like to better understand any concerns you have or observations you’ve made.

How much experience do you have doing assessment?

Dr. Wieckowski has trained in assessment since 2016 and has been with Relucent since mid-2020. She specializes in evaluations related to development (ADHD and autism) and explaining test findings in a more human-to-human way (rather than giving you a bunch of numbers and scores to read through). She uses the therapeutic assessment approach, which is a way of collaborating with clients to help them seek answers to questions about themselves through testing.

Can I schedule an intake and then not move forward with testing if I change my mind?

Yes! We require a non-refundable $500 deposit in order to book your intake. However, at the time of your intake you can choose to not move forward with testing if it doesn’t feel like a good fit or if you change your mind. The deposit covers the cost of your intake visit and no further charges will be made if ending the process at the intake.

If I’m not sure what kind of evaluation I want, can I start with one type then add on more testing as we go?

Yes, at the time of your intake this can be discussed with your assessor. An assessor’s role is to help you decide what you could explore through testing and provide options about how to proceed.

What is your cancellation policy?

For testing appointments, you must notify us at least 2 business days prior unless it’s due to emergency or medical reasons. Cancellations or changes made with less than 2 business days’ notice will be charged for the time reserved. We do not want you to arrive to your appointment sick – if you show any signs of physical illness, you would be expected to contact your assessor immediately to reschedule. If we are not contacted prior to your scheduled appointment time, even if for emergency or medical reasons, you will be charged for the time we are waiting to hear from you. This protocol is in place to be sure all clients have an equal and fair opportunity to receive their evaluation in a timely manner.

Why is testing so expensive?

Great question – psychological assessment is a specialty service that provides you with a quick, in-depth look at your brain and helps to explain your life experiences. It takes many years of education and practice to provide a proper assessment. There are also many hours of work face-to-face with you as well as hours of preparation before and after you’re tested to complete the assessment process. At Relucent, we strive to make sure that our fees appropriately reflect the high level of service provided based on location of service.

If I’m not sure what kind of evaluation I want, can I start with one type then add on more testing as we go?

Yes, at the time of your intake this can be discussed with your assessor. An assessor’s role is to help you decide what you could explore through testing and provide options about how to proceed.

What can I expect in an assessment report?

Our assessment reports are very thorough and include an in-depth explanation of what was found from testing. We often break reports into sections, depending on what questions you are having answered. Common sections include Social-Emotional Functioning, Cognitive Functioning, and diagnosis-specific answers. Regardless of the findings, we strive to write our reports in language that you can understand (instead of just showing you numbers and using clinical terms) and in a way that provides you clear steps for moving forward while more deeply understanding yourself. We are also happy to provide local referrals for any recommendations made in the report. We will provide you with your full report a few weeks after testing is complete and then we will review this with you during a one-hour virtual meeting. We also offer a redacted copy (summary of the findings) that you can give to your medical team, school, etc. if needed.

Do you offer payment plans or have a system for paying over time?

We do not currently work with payment plan companies. We can delay scheduling to accommodate financial needs (this means we will book your intake at a later time). We cannot provide a report until payment is received in full – we don’t do payment plans to prevent any delays in this process.

Can you tell me the name of the tests, or the exact battery you’ll be giving?

No, we do not share the specific names of tests that you’ll be given in advance. This is for two reasons. One is to protect the security of the testing environment, and the other is because you don’t need to do any type of preparation or studying for the testing experience. Even if you’ve taken the same or a similar test before, we still administer the tests that we know will get you the best answers for your question(s).

Is it worth it?

Yes, it is definitely worth it to get an evaluation! We know it is a lot of money for most individuals to spend at once, however we’ve seen over the years that the value that comes from our assessments makes it financially and emotionally worth it. Regardless of whether or not you receive a diagnosis, you would be provided with a lot of information about yourself that can help with future planning and building self-confidence. Our assessment style is also very collaborative, so if at any point along the way you had concerns or doubts about the process, your assessor would be more than happy to see what can be done to help testing continue to feel beneficial.

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