Typical services provided include:
1. Individual Counseling (paid by Employee Assistance Programs -EAP, self-pay, or insurance)
2. Couple/Relationship Counseling (paid similarly)
3. Family Counseling (paid similarly)
3. Substance Use Counseling (paid similarly)
4. Brief Consultations on special topics, cases, or concerns (usually self-pay)
5. Clinical Supervision of therapists for licensure (usually self-pay)
6. Specialized EAP Services (CISM, etc., usually paid by the EAP)
II. Qualifications:
-- I hold a B.A. in Spanish & German, & an M. Ed. in Adolescent/Adult Counseling (Northeast Louisiana University [now ULM], 1972 & 1983, respectively).
-- I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), holding Louisiana License 1438 for the practice of professional mental health counseling, credentialed as a Clinical Licensd Professional Counselor - Supervisor (LPC-S), and privileged for Appraisal.
-- I am also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), holding Louisiana License MFT73 for the practice of Marriage and Family Therapy, credentialed as a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist - Board Approved Supervisor (BAS).
-The licenses, credentials, and privileges noted above are granted to me by the Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners, 11410 Lake Sherwood Avenue North, Suite A, Baton Rouge, La. 70816 [(225) 295-8444, Fax: 225-295-8448, lpcboard@lpcboard.org].
-- In addition, I have been certified as a Secondary School Counselor (grades K-12), and as a teacher of Spanish, French, German, & English (Louisiana Teaching certificate 042317, type A, valid for life) by the Louisiana Department of Education.
III. Areas of Focus: (Mental Health, Addictions, Relationships, etc.)
-- Adolescent and Adult Counseling
-- Growth or Adjustment Counseling for Personal or Career Reasons
-- Individual, Group, Couples, and Family Counseling
-- Brief Solution-focused Therapy -- EMDR (Levels I and II)
-- Parenting Concerns (including marital issues, and children�s school-related problems)
-- Suicide Issues for families, schools, communities, agencies, businesses �
-- Employee Assistance Programs and Services (for individuals, families, and companies)
-- Crisis Intervention/Management Services (and other trauma response)
including CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management), & training/consultation
-- Adoption-related Issues (behavior, adjustment, & attachment issues in adoptive families)
-- Clinical Consultation to Mental Health Professionals, & to Crisis Lines or Help Lines
-- Clinical Supervision Services (for both Counselor Interns and MFT Interns)
-- Appraisal Services (Psychological Testing)
-- Health & Wellness Promotional Workshops
-- Consultation and Training Services (to other counselors, to businesses, etc)
IV. Fees and related information:
The hourly fee for most individual & family counseling services is $120.00. Initial assessment is usually $150.00. Group counseling is usually $40.00 per hour. Clinical supervision rates are $60-70.00 per hour for 1-to-1 supervision, & $40.00 per hour for group supervision. Payment is expected when services are rendered unless prior payment arrangements are made. Special rates may be arranged for specific services. An hour equals approximately 45-50 therapy minutes, plus documentation time. Please give 24 hours notice in order to cancel an appointment, or you may be billed for time scheduled. After two re-schedules, I reserve the right to terminate the counseling relationship. Third-party payment is accepted, with arrangements made on an individual basis. Phone consultation imay be pro-rated. Counseling sessions are by appointment only. Call for available times in Slidell or Lafayette, including evening and weekend availability. INSURANCE: I accept several coverages, such as BCBS (including Benefits Management), and the multiple insurances managed by Magellan. In addition, I belong to the 300+ EAP provider panels with Magellan, including Federal Occupational Health, US Postal Service, and others, along with several smaller EAP companies: BHS, CorpCare, American Behavioral, etc. MEDICAID: I am not a Louisiana Medicaid provider. I do not see Medicaid clients for payment, in order to avoid any conflict of interest.
V. Services and Clientele:
In practice since 1984, I have a practical view of counseling, & may use any of several approaches based on the needs of the individual or the situation. Approaches most often used help clients to: identify problem behaviors/patterns, bring them to a conscious level of awareness, and choose new, different, and more workable replacements. This often results in a cognitive-behavioral approach to problem solving. I have experience in various approaches, including but not limited to: Reality Therapy, Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Person-Centered techniques, etc. In both individual and family therapy, I see the overall system of family relationships and social context as important resources for problem solving. Goals for any therapy are always established in collaboration with the client, and the overall objective will always be the resolution of the problem(s) that we have together identified as the most important. I assist clients in organizing their relationships so that resources can be brought to bear on the problems being addressed. I may use appraisal instruments to help identify or clarify problems and resources. I also use such techniques as instruction/education and modeling of communication skills, role-play, discussion, and homework (between-session interactive assignments). Homework is a vital part of the therapeutic process, and completion of homework is necessary if the client is to get the greatest benefit from the therapeutic experience. I conduct therapy with individuals, couples, families, and groups, for both adolescent & adult clients. I do not provide individual counseling for minors under the age of seven. I also conduct limited testing (Appraisal) for treatment planning, related to specific needs of clients. I work privately with outpatient clients, on problems related to emotions, behavior, crisis situations, depression, suicide, & many types of personal, family, or relationship problems. I have both personal & clinical experience with adoption-related issues. My work includes in-depth experience consulting with institutions, groups, & individuals on crisis intervention, suicide prevention, & the aftermath of suicides & suicide clusters, & other types of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). I provide clinical supervision for post-master�s level counselor interns and MFT interns registered with the Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners. If I conclude that your interests will be best served by another provider, I will refer you elsewhere for professional services.
VI. Code of Conduct (and affiliations):
-- I am required by law to adhere to the LPC Board of Examiners� Code of Conduct governing the practice of mental health counseling in Louisiana, and to the Louisiana Code of Ethics for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Clients may receive a copy of the codes upon request.
-- My professional memberships (past & present) have included the LA Counseling Association (LCA), LA Mental Health Counselors� Association (LMHCA), LA Association of Addictions & Offender Counselors (LAAOC), Clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), & the LA Association of Counselor Educators & Supervisors (LACES).
-- Other affiliations: (1) Past member & Past Chairman of the LA Adoption Advisory Board (LAAB), (2) Past member of the National Crisis Response Team for the U. S. Postal Service EAP (3) Named Citizen of the Year (1987) by the Monroe, LA Unit of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), for tri-state suicide prevention services to schools & communities, (4) Nominated in 2001 & 2002 by the LCA for appointment to the LPC Board of Examiners, (5) commissioned member of the Governor�s Allied Health Workforce Council, & (6) past member on a variety of other boards & commissions.
VII. Confidentiality and Privileged Communication:
I am required to abide by professional standards and applicable laws. I do not disclose client confidences and information to any third party (except for materials shared during supervision or professional consultation) without a client�s written consent or waiver, except when mandated or permitted by law. Verbal authorization is not sufficient except in emergency situations. State law mandates that I report to appropriate authorities suspected situations of (1) child abuse/neglect, (2) elder abuse/neglect, (3) abuse/neglect of the disabled or incompetent, and (4) instances of danger to self or others when reasonably necessary to protect the client or other parties from a clear and imminent threat of serious physical harm. In these situations, I am obligated to act, & cannot guarantee confidentiality. It is my policy to assert privileged communication on behalf of the client, and the right to consult with the client, if at all possible (except during an emergency), before mandated disclosure. I will attempt to apprise clients of all mandated disclosures as conceivable. In some situations, such as custody litigation, I may be ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction to release information without your consent. Also, note that if you use third party insurers, such as health insurance policies, HMO or PPO plans, or EAP programs, you must sign a release of information, and all information will be disclosed. Any material obtained from a minor client may be shared with the client�s parent or guardian. Otherwise, when working with couples, families, or groups, I cannot disclose any information outside the treatment context without a written authorization from all individuals competent to sign such authorization. For example, I cannot release any information about either or both spouses I have seen for marital therapy to an attorney without signed authorizations from both spouses. When working with a family or couple, information shared by individuals in sessions where other family members are not present must be held in confidence (exceptions are noted above) unless all individuals involved sign written waivers at the outset of therapy. Clients may refuse to sign such a waiver, but should be aware that maintaining confidentiality in individual sessions during couple or family therapy could impede or even prevent a positive outcome to therapy.
VIII. Emergency Situations:
(A) For Slidell /Lafayette office clients: Call for me directly at 985-774-3252, or call my Lafayette office at (337) 235-2304 & ask for the counselor on call to be paged.
(B) For any need of immediate assistance, call your nearest hospital emergency room or 911.
IX. Client Responsibilities: Clients are generally responsible for:
(a) making their own life decisions regarding such things as deciding to marry, separate, divorce, or reconcile, how to set up custody and visitation, etc. (While I can help clients think through the possibilities and consequences of these and other life decisions, I am not allowed by my Code of Ethics to advise someone to make a specific decision.)
(b) payment when services are rendered (or according to payment plan),
(c) following established, appropriate procedures for appointments and scheduling,
(d) providing accurate information during the counseling or consulting relationship,
(e) deciding to make and/or follow through on changes discussed in the counseling relationship, including completion of assigned homework activities
(f) disclosing and/or terminating any existing counseling relationship before beginning another, and authorizing appropriate information sharing to coordinate services,
(g) expressing concerns and suggestions freely as a full partner in the counseling process
(h) other responsibilities as may be deemed appropriate.
PHYSICAL HEALTH: Clients should have a physical exam upon starting therapy, if not done in the past year. Clients are routinely asked to give the name of their physician, and to list current medications.
BENEFITS AND RISKS OF COUNSELING:
1. Counseling may reveal new concerns not identified before, or add new issues to original ones. Enter the counseling relationship prepared to accept such a risk, and to respond via the counseling process.
2. Making changes through therapy may bring about unforeseen changes in a person�s life.
3. Individual issues may surface for each spouse as clients work on a marital relationship.
4. Marital or family conflicts may intensify as feelings are expressed.
5. Changes in relationship patterns that result from family therapy may produce unpredicted and/or possibly adverse responses from others in the client�s social system.
6. Individuals in marital or family therapy may find that spouses or family members are not willing to change.
7. Studies suggest that counseling involving only one spouse can lead to the dissolution of the relationship instead of improving it.
8. It may be discovered that the best path for growth is termination of an existing relationship.
X. Client Statement:
I have read and understood this Declaration of Practices & Procedures, and I have a copy for reference.
_________ ___________________________ ________ ____________________________
DATE Client Signature 1 DATE Client Signature 2
