Our goal is to meet you where you are on your life journey. For some, spirituality is an important element in their issues, for others, spirituality is not at the forefront. Whatever spiritual or nonspiritual orientation you bring to CPS, it will be met with understanding and respect. CPS staff encourages each individual to determine how much they want to integrate spiritual elements into therapy.

    There are two kinds of initial visits at CPS – an initial Intake or a First Visit with your therapist.  In addition, we are currently offering “Telehealth” counseling and therapy for clients who prefer to meet with a counselor or therapist using video conferencing technology. 

    The Initial Intake is a brief visit in which you share the basic elements of the issues that you want to work on and a therapist, usually the Executive Director, listens to your concerns, gathers information about what types of people you believe you connect with the best. Integrating these factors and giving you consideration to your schedule needs, as well as insurance benefits and concerns, she will help you choose the therapist that is most likely to be a “best fit”.

    At times, your doctor or a friend makes a direct referral to a specific therapist. In such a case the first few visits to your therapist will be about getting to know you and your history. The therapist will clarify any questions that you may have about guidelines, fees, heath insurance coverage, and a treatment plan. Many insurance companies are requesting written treatment plans so clarification of your symptoms and goals are important.

    Of utmost importance, CPS wants you to feel comfortable with your therapist and will do their best to make sure you are comfortable talking to them about your concerns. If for some reason you are not comfortable, or do not believe your therapist is a “best fit” for you, do not hesitate to contact the Executive Director so that she can assist you with your concerns.

    Therapy is not mind control or magic. Therapists will have a Psychodynamic Orientation, Behavioral Orientation, Cognitive Orientation, or a mixture of several approaches. You may ask your therapist what approach they will utilize in your treatment. Each approach to treatment can be successful and will bring results. Usually several therapy techniques are used by a therapist.

    You will not be asked to lie down on a couch As a general rule, you will be to talking directly to the therapist, face to face, while s/he is taking notes of the conversation.

    Expect that you will be doing most of the talking. Self-reflection is a common element of modern psychotherapy. Therefore by asking you key questions about your self, your feelings, what your life is like, the therapist can help you understand your current concerns and behaviors. Be prepared to answer questions thoughtfully and honestly. The ultimate goal of therapy is to help you resolve and treat mental health issues; bring about healing to hurt, resentment and areas of “stuckness” in your life; assist in identifying areas that you want to change; and to help you be your best self.

    As a general rule, yes. All sessions are confidential and information about you can only be released with written authorization from you.

    There are some legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality. These exceptions are related to potential harm to you or to someone else and include:
    • When there is a reasonable suspicion that you may present a danger of violence to others;
    • When there is a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or elder adult physical abuse;
    • When there is a reasonable suspicion that you are likely to harm yourself unless protective measures are taken.

    In the cases described, a therapist is either required or allowed by law to break confidentiality in order to protect you, or someone in danger from harm. In almost every case, however, you will be informed by your therapist what parties your information will go to, why the information needs to be shared, and what information will be shared. In nearly all cases, every attempt will be made to secure written authorization for the release of the information.

    Fees for sessions with Psychologists are $165 and sessions with Social Workers and other Masters Level therapists are $150. Psychological Assessment fees range from $200 to $1,000 depending upon the number of assessment tools and objective for the evaluation.  Most people have insurance coverage that covers most of the fee and clients have a co-pay similar to physician offices.

    Forensic services (court related) are considered a specialty service that is billed at the rate of $165 per hour. Forensic services are generally not covered by insurance.

    CPS therapists contract with a number of major carriers. Some therapists contract with certain companies while others do not. When you contact CPS for an initial visit, your insurance information will be obtained and CPS will collect your benefit information on your behalf. That information is generally a consideration when helping you choose a therapist.
    Yes. CPS will complete and file all of the necessary information to bill your insurance directly. Most of the time this process goes smoothly. If there is denial of payment from your insurance CPS will assist you in resolving the matter. However, there may be instances in which you will be asked by CPS to contact your insurance carrier to assist in the resolution of payment. Ultimately, you are responsible for your bill. However, CPS has always and will continue to assist clients in resolving insurance matters.
    CPS is a not-for-profit organization and sets asides funds on an annual basis to supplement clients who have financial challenges and less resources. Clients that do not have insurance may apply for a fee adjustment that considers their income, current circumstances, and family size.

    No. You are only billed for the therapeutic time and for the procedure applied.

    The difference is related to the number of years of education. Social Workers and Masters Level therapists generally complete a 4-year Bachelor Degree and a 2-year Masters Degree. Psychologists generally complete a 4-year Bachelors Degree and 6-8 years of graduate education. Most psychologists have obtained both a Masters Degree and Ph.D. Degree.
    No. Your therapist will assist you in working with your primary care physician to enable you to obtain a prescription for medication. When necessary, CPS therapists will refer you to a doctor or specialist to assist you with medication needs.
    The simplest answer lies in the educational background required for each profession. A psychiatrist has a degree in medicine and a psychologist has a doctoral-level degree in psychology. However, there are a number of other distinctions that make each profession quite unique. Psychologists receive graduate training in psychology and pursue either a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) in clinical or counseling psychology. Doctorate programs typically take five to seven years to complete and most states require an additional one or two year long internship in order to gain licensure. Other states require an additional year or two of supervised practice before granting full licensure. The title of “psychologist” can only be used by an individual who has completed the above education, training, and state licensure. Informal titles such as “counselor” or “therapist” are often used as well, but other mental health care professionals such as licensed social workers can also claim these titles. Psychiatrists are physicians that have specific training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses. Psychiatrists attend medical school and receive an M.D. After finishing their medical training, they also complete an additional four years of residency training in mental health. In addition to this, some receive additional training in a specific area of interest such as geriatric psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addictions and other areas. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication while psychologists cannot.
    Generally speaking, CPS therapists treat individuals from ages 13-100+. Each therapist varies in his/her specialty areas. Importantly, CPS will always determine whether CPS is the best environment to meet a client’s needs. In some cases referrals to other agencies may be necessary for specific treatment issues that require specialist training.
    Yes. Several of the psychologists on staff are trained in utilizing a variety of tests to clarify a diagnosis or to provide better treatment direction. If you have any questions about the process of testing and evaluation, please do not hesitate to ask your therapist.
    It is very common at CPS to utilize a “team approach” to assist clients in meeting their goals. Hence, therapists who do not routinely perform testing will often refer a client to one of the testing specialists for the testing, provide feedback to the referring therapist and/or the client. Therapy with the original therapist may continue and the new information from the testing can enhance treatment outcome.
    Yes. Several of the CPS staff are trained in marital counseling.
    Yes. CPS has provided court-ordered evaluations. Such evaluations may include those necessary for diversion, general assessment of overall mental condition, and custody evaluations. CPS can provide court-ordered counseling. However, we do prefer that those who choose our services are willing participants and wish to learn more about themselves and how to manage their life more effectively.
    Insurance can only be utilized for services that are medically necessary. Many cases involving court ordered services do not have medical necessity. Involving insurance in court ordered procedures is done on a case-by-case basis and written authorization from your insurance carrier will be necessary. Because of the specialty training required for court ordered evaluations, insurance will not be submitted for such procedures and no fee adjustments can be made.
    No. Currently CPS does not have any scheduled anger management classes. Most therapists on staff can assist in developing a treatment plan for anger management.