The information below is meant to convey a bit more about what to expect in therapy. This will be included in the general paperwork required for new patients in-depth.

 

How I think about treatment

I believe there are numerous ways for us to invite change and work closely with clients and patients to enable them to reach their goals and potential through an inclusive, affirming, judgement-free orientation. Often as people become mindful and accepting of themselves, they are more capable of finding peace and contentment in their lives. This can happen in assessment and talk therapy alone, while in other cases I may suggest meditation, mindfulness, and hypnosis in our work. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to help unlock strengths; other times, difficulties are more complex and we may need longer to find our way. Most patients begin with weekly or bimonthly sessions for a while, until the original concerns that brought them to seek therapy begin to reduce, and then gradually taper off to less frequent appointments. Wherever possible, decisions about the number of sessions and the intervals between appointments are made collaboratively between us.

 

Participation

In order for therapy to be most successful, it is important for you to take an active role. This means working on things that we talk about both during and between your sessions. This also means avoiding any mind-altering substances like alcohol or non-prescription drugs for at least eight hours prior to your therapy sessions. Generally, the more of yourself you invest, the greater the return.

 

Services Provided

I provide in-person, video conferencing, and telephonic sessions. See section on TeleHealth below for more details on tele-sessions. During your first session, I will speak with you in more depth about your reasons for seeking therapy. I carve more time for the first session, leaving us plenty of room to get to know one another and ensure that I have an understanding of what brings you to therapy. Each follow-up session typically lasts 50-60 minutes.

​

Rates, Fees, and Insurance

• Initial Phone or Video Consultation: Free 

• All standard sessions (including file set-up, consultation, and course of treatment): $145

• Self-pay until 2021

• Payments may be made by Cash, Check, Credit, Debit, or HSA/FSA cards

​

Insurance

If your health insurance includes mental health benefits, it may cover all or a portion of your treatment. I am currently out-of-network for all insurance companies, but will be affiliated in 2021. If you would like to use your out-of-network benefits, you will pay in full at the time of your appointment and will be provided with the necessary paperwork (see next section) to submit claims for insurance reimbursement upon your request. As insurance companies reimburse at their discretion, you may want to contact your insurance company to determine your out-of-network benefits prior to making an appointment, and consider the following questions:

​

• Do I have mental health benefits?

• Will those benefits pay for work with a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)?

• Does my plan offer coverage for individual, couple, or family therapy?

• What is my deductible and has it been met?

• How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?

• Is primary care physician approval required?

​

Claims for Insurance Reimbursement:

I can provide you a “superbill” with information that will help you seek reimbursement from your insurance company. Please note that, when I provide you with a superbill, I do not communicate directly with insurance companies on your behalf in order to protect your confidentiality and cannot make any guarantees about reimbursement rates that are determined by individual insurance plans. It is your responsibility to check with your individual insurance provider regarding benefits. Please be advised that most insurance companies require a clinical diagnosis, indicating medical necessity, in order to provide reimbursement. Any diagnosis submitted to an insurance company will become a part of your medical record. If you choose to file your therapy with an insurance company, I do not have a role in deciding what services your insurance covers and you, not the insurance company, are responsible for paying for therapy services rendered to you at the time of service.

​

Reduced Fee Options

As a matter of practice, I maintain a handful of reduced rate and pro bono spots in my caseload each year for patients experiencing extreme financial hardship. If you feel that you qualify for one of these slots, please inform me before our session. Know that these are a case-by-case basis and there may be a waitlist for these spots. I also offer a discount for military and students currently enrolled in a technical school, college, or university. 

​

Cancellations

It's worth noting that therapy and consultation services are NOT only provided during a scheduled session, but also within the 24 hours prior to and following your session—to prepare, review your case, and make notes.

​

Therefore, to avoid a service charge for your cancelled or missed appointment, please notify me at least 1 full days/24 hours prior. I will always respond and confirm receipt of your cancellation. So, if you don't hear back from me, it is likely that I didn't receive your cancellation notice and you may be charged the service fee. I deeply appreciate your understanding.​

​

Benefits and Risks 

Therapy and counseling have been shown to be a highly effective treatment for a variety of life concerns. One major benefit that can be gained from participating in therapy includes an enhanced ability to handle or cope with family and other interpersonal relationships. Other benefits relate to the potential to resolve specific problems brought to therapy, as well as more lasting contentment, satisfaction, and skills for coping with the inevitable challenges life presents. Seeking to resolve issues between a couple, family members, and other persons can similarly lead to discomfort, frustration, and relationship changes not originally intended. Making and adapting to changes in your life may have a profound impact on you and your relationships as well as challenge long-held assumptions or behaviors.

 

Reasonable efforts will be made to discuss the potential impact, positive and negative, that may result from the changes you make in your life as a result of therapy. Please ask questions if you have any concerns. There is no single definition for success, nor guarantees for successful therapy, due to the overall complexity of the process and the multiple variables brought into it by each individual.

​

Confidentiality

As your therapist, our interactions are considered “privileged communication,” and I will treat what you tell me with the utmost care. We'll talk more about this in session set-up.

​

TeleHealth and Digital Communication

There are several ways we could potentially communicate and/or follow each other electronically. It is of utmost importance to me that I maintain your confidentiality, respect your boundaries, and ascertain that your relationship with me remains therapeutic and professional. This section will define TeleHealth practice in Georgia and outline what technology-assisted practices are considered TeleMental Health.

​

Definition. “TeleMental Health means the mode of delivering services via technology-assisted media, such as but not limited to, a telephone, video, internet, a smartphone, tablet, PC desktop system or other electronic means using appropriate encryption technology for electronic health information. TeleMental Health facilitates client self-management and support for clients and includes synchronous interactions and asynchronous store and forward transfers.” (Georgia Code 135-11-.01)

​

Additionally, there are several other factors that need to be considered regarding the delivery of TeleHealth services in order to provide you with the highest level of care. Therefore, I have completed specialized training in TeleHealth. I have also developed several policies and protective measures to assure your information remains confidential.

​

• Telephone via Landline: It is important for you to know that even landline telephones may not be completely secure and confidential. There is a possibility that someone could overhear or even intercept your conversations with special technology. Individuals who have access to your telephone or your telephone bill may be able to determine who you have talked to, who initiated that call, and how long the conversation lasted. If you have a landline and you provided me with that phone number, I may contact you on this line from my own landline in my office or from my cell phone, typically only regarding setting up an appointment if needed. If this is not an acceptable way to contact you, please let me know. Telephone conversations (other than just setting up appointments) are billed at my hourly rate.

​

• Cell Phones: In addition to landlines, cell phones may not be completely secure or confidential. There is also a possibility that someone could overhear or intercept your conversations. Be aware that individuals who have access to your cell phone or your cell phone bill may be able to see who you have talked to, who initiated that call, how long the conversation was, and where each party was located when that call occurred. However, I realize that most people have and utilize a cell phone. I may also use a cell phone to contact you, typically only regarding setting up an appointment if needed.  Telephone conversations (other than just setting up appointments) are billed at my hourly rate. Additionally, I keep your phone number in my cell phone, but it is listed by your initials only and my phone is password and fingerprint protected. If this is a problem, please let me know, and we will discuss our options.

​

• Text Messaging: Text messaging is not a secure means of communication and may compromise your confidentiality. However, I realize that many people prefer to text because it is a quick way to convey information. Nonetheless, please know that it is my policy to utilize this means of communication strictly for appointment confirmations. Please do not bring up any therapeutic content via text to prevent compromising your confidentiality. You also need to know that I am required to keep a copy or summary of all texts as part of your clinical record that address anything related to therapy.

  ​

• Email: I utilize a secure platform that is hosted by Google Workspace for Collaborative Healthcare. I have chosen this technology because it is HIPAA compatible, and has signed a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA). The BAA means that the company is willing to attest to HIPAA compliance and assume responsibility for keeping your information secure. I also strongly suggest that you only communicate through a device that you know is safe and technologically secure (e.g., has a firewall, anti-virus software installed, is password protected, not accessing the internet through a public wireless network, etc.). Email (other than just setting up appointments or general updates) is billed at my hourly rate for the time I spend reading and responding to them. If you are in a crisis, please do not communicate this to me via email because I may not see it in a timely matter. Instead, please see section below entitled "After Hours and Emergency Procedures." Finally, you also need to know that I am required to keep a copy or summary of all email as part of your clinical record that address anything related to therapy.

​

• Social Media - Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Etc: It is my policy not to accept "friend" or "connection" requests from any current or former patients or clients on my social networking sites because it may compromise your confidentiality and blur the boundaries of our relationship. You are welcome to "follow" me on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest where I may post therapy-related content.  However, please do so only if you are comfortable with the general public being aware of the fact that your name is attached to mine. Please refrain from making contact with me using social media messaging systems such as Facebook Messenger or Twitter. These methods have insufficient security, and I do not watch them closely. I would not want to miss an important message from you.

​

• Search Engines: It is my policy not to search for my patients on Google, DuckDuckGo, or any other search engine. I respect your privacy and make it a policy to allow you to share information about yourself with me as you feel appropriate. If there is content on the Internet that you would like to share with me for therapeutic reasons, please print this material out and bring it to your session.

​

• Blogs: I may post psychology information/counseling information/therapeutic content on a professional blog. If you have an interest in following my blog, please feel free to do so. However, please be mindful that the general public may see that you're following my blog.  Once again, maintaining your confidentiality is a priority.

​

• Video Conferencing: Video Conferencing is an option for us to conduct remote sessions over the internet where we not only can speak to one another, but we may also see each other on a screen. I utilize a HIPAA compliant version of Meet for Google Workspace. 

​

• Recommendations to Websites or Applications: During the course of our treatment, I may recommend that you visit certain websites for pertinent information or self-help. I may also recommend certain apps that could be of assistance to you and enhance your treatment. Please be aware that websites and apps may have tracking devices that allow automated software or other entities to know that you've visited these sites or applications. They may even utilize your information to attempt to sell you other products. Additionally, anyone who has access to the device you used to visit these sites/apps, may be able to see that you have been to these sites by viewing the history on your device. Therefore, it is your responsibility to decide if you would like this information as adjunct to your treatment or if you prefer that I do not make these recommendations.

​

• Electronic Transfer of protected health information for Certain Credit/Debit Card Transactions: I utilize Stripe or Ivy Pay for your credit/debit card transaction information. These companies may send the card-holder a text or an email receipt indicating that you used that card for my services, the date you used it, and the amount that was charged. This notification is usually set up two different ways - either upon your request at the time the card is run or automatically. Please know that it is your responsibility to know if you or the card-holder has the automatic receipt notification set up in order to maintain your confidentiality if you do not want a receipt sent via text or email. Additionally, please be aware that the transaction will also appear on your credit-card bill. The name on the charge will appear as Adam Albrite.

​

After Hours and Emergency Procedures

My practice is considered an outpatient facility, and I am set up to accommodate individuals who are reasonably safe and resourceful. I do not carry a pager, nor am I available to provide emergency services. If at any time this does not feel like sufficient support, please inform me, and I can discuss additional resources or transfer your case to a therapist or clinic with 24-hour availability. I am able to receive calls between meetings, any day of the week. If I miss your call, please leave a voicemail, stating your first and last name twice. Your message is completely confidential, and I will make every attempt to return your call within 2 hours if possible. If I cannot, for some reason, return your call that day, you will absolutely hear from me the following day. Please remember that my practice is closed after 8 PM and on major holidays.

​

If you have a mental health emergency, I encourage you not to wait for a call back, but to do one or more of the following:

​

• Contact the Behavioral Health Link / GA Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225

• Call Ridgeview Institute at 770.434.4567

• Call Peachford Hospital at 770.455.3200

• Call Dekalb County Mental Health Crisis Line at 404-892-4646

• Call Cobb County Mental Health Crisis Line at 770.422.0202

• Call Fulton County Mental Health Crisis Line at 404.730.1600

• Go to your nearest Emergency Room (ER)

• Call 911