Getting Started

The process of entering into counseling is fairly straightforward. It begins with a phone call or email message. Our initial meeting will provide an opportunity to go over the specific issue or situation that is presenting itself. It also involves going over the structure of our relationship, issues about privacy, and modes of treatment, as well as fees and insurance. Our second meeting will continue the process of getting acquainted, sharing general background information and presenting issues and will conclude by assessing the particular strengths each client brings to the task and by setting some reasonable goals for our work together. From then on, the length, frequency, and nature of our sessions will be determined by our progress toward those goals. We will mutually decide the modes and methods of treatment.

Protecting Your Privacy

In general, the privacy of all communications between a client and counselor are protected by law; We can only release information about our work to others with your written permission.  The only exceptions to this would be those situations when we are convinced that our client represents a danger to himself/herself or others.These are situations in which we are legally obligated to take action to protect others from harm, even if we have to reveal some information about a client’s treatment. For example, if we believe with reasonable certainty that a child, elderly person, or disabled person is being abused, we are required to file a report with the appropriate state agency, or, for instance, if we believe a client is suicidal or homicidal we are legally obligated to take action to prevent harm. These actions may include notifying the potential victim, contacting the family or police, or seeking hospitalization for the client. These situations are rare and 99% of the time all communications are completely private unless our client asks us to release information to a specific party.

Rates, Payment, and Insurance

Rates

Creative Insight Counseling & Consultation, LLC is a fee-for-service practice.
Our rates are as follows:

Initial Session Rates:
Initial Phone Consultation – 15 minutes – FREE
Initial In-take, Clinical or Creative Assessment, and Goal Setting Session – 90 minutes – $150

Regular Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling session Rates:
60 minute sessions – $120 (most common – individual)
75 minute sessions – $150 (most common couples)
90 minute sessions – $180 (most common – family)
120 minute sessions – $240
45 minute sessions – $ 90
30 minute sessions – $ 60
15 minute sessions – $ 30
We can do our sessions via phone or videoconferencing software when face-to-face sessions are impossible or inconvenient.
Rates are identical to in-person sessions

Creative Consultation session Rates:
90 minute sessions – $180 (Practice Location or videoconference), $240 (Your Remote Studio or Gallery Location) (Most Common)
75 minute sessions – $150 (Practice Location or videoconference), $200 (Your Remote Studio or Gallery Location)
60 minute sessions – $120 (Practice Location or videoconference), $160 (Your Remote Studio or Gallery Location)

Fees for other services:
Report generation for legal or social services, required court attendance, etc. – $120 per hour
Short (1,000-1,700) word) Creative Consultation essay for catalog publication – $300
Long (1,800-2,500 word) Creative Consultation essay for catalog publication – $500
Mileage for travel to remote studio or gallery location – $0.40 per mile.

Payment Policies

Reduced Fee
Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis.

Payment
Cash, check and all major credit cards accepted for payment.

Cancellation Policy
If you do not show up for your scheduled therapy appointment, and you have not notified us at least 24 hours in advance, you will be required to pay the full cost of the session.

Insurance

Our counseling services ARE covered by insurance if your insurance is BCBS, PAI, or the South Carolina state Health plan. If you have a different form of insurance we would be considered out-of-network providers.
Creative Consultation services are not covered by insurance.

We have chosen to work independently, unrostered by insurance companies other than BCBS, for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, if you have a different form of insurance, we will assist you in your efforts to obtain reimbursement from your insurance company by providing you with a receipt containing a diagnosis code and a procedure code. As a general rule, insurance companies reimburse for “out-of-network” providers at a lower rate than they do for “in-network” providers, and there is usually a deductible to be met. As a consequence, it will probably cost you more to see us than an “in-network” provider .

Why would you choose to do that? The overriding reason has to do with the fact that therapy is an intensely personal process and rostering with insurance companies involves negotiated limitations to privacy, flexibility, freedom of choice and, ultimately, these choices impact the effectiveness of the counseling process.

When operating as out-of-network providers, no information other than diagnosis and frequency of sessions is shared with your insurance company. Since all psychotherapy is done in confidentiality, no information will be shared with anyone else, including your employer, unless you request or authorize it.

Out-of Network providers are able to be more flexible than rostered providers. We can schedule sessions as frequently or infrequently as needed, depending on your specific needs, and there is no limit to the number of sessions we can schedule per year or week. We can vary sessions in length, according to clinical and practical considerations, from 15 minute check-ins to sessions extended to two hours or more. We can use phone and Skype sessions when face-to-face sessions are impossible or inconvenient. Fees and payment arrangements for out-of-network providers are unregulated. We can negotiate them freely between us.

If you are willing to consider out-of-network providers, you have more options when it comes to your choice of therapist. You are not limited to your insurance company’s list of providers, which often includes less experienced providers. Most insurance plans do not pay highly experienced therapists more than those just beginning their careers.

Lastly, When contracting with out-of-network providers, all decisions – financial, clinical, and practical – are made between therapist and client without restricting rules or need for approval by a third party. The potential for greater effectiveness exists when your therapist works for you, not for your insurance company. This enhances the therapeutic relationship and makes you and your therapist more directly accountable to each other and no one else. Ultimately, this enhanced rapport and collaborative responsibility paves the way for more effective therapy.