Mental Health Clients

Frequently Asked Questions

Do not forget to check out the “about Kirsten” tab

  • Yes!

    How this works is you will pay my rate of $150, and then I will provide you with a “superbill” or receipt that you can submit to your insurance company. They will reimburse you for some of the cost based on their rates.

  • In Louisiana, the law does not clearly state that minors can independently consent to outpatient mental health therapy. However, there is related law that provides some guidance.

    Under Louisiana law, minors age 16 and older may consent to voluntary admission to a treatment facility for mental health or substance use treatment. The legal definition of “treatment” includes a wide range of services, such as evaluation, diagnosis, and outpatient care.

    Because of this, many interpret that minors 16+ may have some ability to consent to their own mental health treatment. However, this is not explicitly stated for outpatient therapy, and the law leaves room for interpretation.

    For this reason, it is generally considered best practice to involve a parent or guardian and obtain consent whenever possible, even for clients age 16 and older.

    Relevant Louisiana statutes:

    • Louisiana Children’s Code Article 1464

    • Louisiana Children’s Code Article 1404

  • My sessions are weekly or biweekly (every two weeks). We might start out at weekly and move to every two weeks.

    Session are 50 min.

    Therapy last as long as there are goals that you would like to meet. We will look at those goals together in session two and we will check in every so often on updating those goals. Some clients only want/need a few sessions to get where they want to be. Other client want to have more sessions to take it slower or add more goals as we go.

  • I will introduce myself, review the confidentially policy, review the cancelation policy.

    If you have been in therapy before I will check in with what has worked in the past and what has not worked for you.

    I will ask what was the catalyst for coming to therapy now in order to get to know the issue(s) bring you to my office.

    At the end of session I will talk with you about your goals for counseling.

  • While you are parked alone in your car? Yes! I will not be able to see you while your car is in motion.
    Therapy is only open and honest when no one else is in session with us. No public places and no guests such as a partner or best friend or even a child.

  • If you cancel with in 24 hours of your session you will be charged the full rate. Please note that insurance will not cover missed sessions; no superbill for those days.

  • In Simple Practice there is a messaging system.

  • First I would like us to interview each other. This is a 2+ year long business relationship. We both need to make sure we are a good fit for each other.

    Some questions I will have is (see the about Kirsten supervisee page for more info).

    • Your acknowledgement of my fees.

    • My limited experience with certain areas of counseling.

    • Your thoughts on mostly telehealth sessions.

    • Your practicum and internship information.

    • Any CEUs you have attended.

  • While you are parked alone in your car? Yes! I will not be able to see you while your car is in motion.

    Supervision is held to HIPAA standards. No public places and no guests such as a partner or best friend or even a child.

    If you are interested in me coming to your work if it is with in a 10 mile radius I will gladly go to your work for our meeting. Telehealth is an option. Also if I have an office you are welcome to come to me.

  • If you cancel with in 24 hours of your session you will be charged a cancelation fee.

    If you no show a session you will be charged the full fee.

    If missing scheduled sessions becomes an issue; I will have you start looking for another supervisor.

  • Session are 60 minutes with an option to add on 30 additional minutes for a fee.

    At the start of your PLPC we can meet once a week or two times a week as your preference and move to once every 20 direct client hours.

    PLPCs are required to remain under supervision for a minimum of 2 years. Once you have completed 1,900 direct client hours and 100 supervision hours, our work together will most likely end. Some PLPCs choose to continue tracking hours beyond that depending on future goals, such as relocating to another state.

  • We will email about scheduling with no HIPAA information int he emails.

    If needed for a crisis I will be able to give you a phone call between sessions.

  • I do request permission to communicate with your site supervisor by email. If they would like to speak with me further, I am open to that as well.

    I also require either a recorded session for me to review and assess, or an opportunity to attend one of your sessions in person.

  • I encourage you to take on cases that support your growth as a counselor. While I always prioritize the client's wellbeing, I also encourage you to challenge yourself and try things that may not come naturally to you yet.

    About a year into my time as a PLPC, I saw a couple for the first time and seriously considered quitting couples work afterward. My LPC-S helped me realize that just because I was not good at it yet did not mean I could not learn. In the same way that I learned how to work with individuals who have survived trauma, I was also able to grow in working with couples.

Supervisees

Frequently Asked Questions

Do not forget to check out the “about Kirsten” tab