You've made the first contact: now what?
It is common to feel some anxiety when you are going to a new place and communicating with someone you've never met. Here is what to expect after you have made the first contact!
What to Expect:
After we've made our first contact (email/phone/text), you will be added to our electronic health record (EHR), which is where your data is securely stored, and we will be communicating via a HIPAA-compliant messenger. This EHR is called SimplePractice, which you can actually download from the App Store and do any telehealth sessions from your phone if needed. Before our first session, I will send you several documents to fill out such as demographic information, informed consent, practice policies, etc. This is also where you upload your insurance card or credit/debit/HSA card information.
Now it's time for our first session! I add these appointments to the calendar in SimplePractice, and you can make sure it sends you appointment reminders so you are where you need to be on time. If you are doing a telehealth session, the portal will send you an email link when it's getting close to time for your session. If you are in person, you will navigate to our office at 43800 Garfield Rd. The 43800 building is the closest to Garfield Rd (in the same building with Face Addiction Now), and you can park directly behind it in a visitor spot (or whatever spot is available), which is where the double doors to enter are. For security purposes, I will message you the door code on SimplePractice before your session, and once you get through the second double door, our office is on the right. We share space with Tiny Feet Wellness in Suite 101, so you will come through the first door with the frosted glass and their logo, and find a seat in our waiting room. I will come get you when it's time:)
The first session is called an intake session, and it usually takes around an hour and a half to complete fully. I will gather lots of background information to better inform treatment and give me a better understanding of you holistically, and we will start to develop some goals together.
With new clients, I work to bill that same day to ensure all insurance information (if applicable) is correct. SimplePractice auto-generates invoices, so if we have agreed on a different fee based off client needs, I will work to adjust the invoice before the end of the week when I make sure I have absolutely all billing done for all clients. After this is done, we switch to our weekly (or whatever schedule you have decided works for you) sessions that are about 55 minutes.