USEFUL INFORMATIONScheduling and Fees
SCHEDULING
To schedule an appointment, simply call the office at 410-758-4800.
We will assist you in scheduling an appointment within a reasonable amount of time.
We offer evening, daytime and Saturday appointments. The initial session is a diagnostic session which involves obtaining information which may be helpful in formulating a plan and goals. Sessions last approximately 50 minutes.
As Christian counselors, we address issues in an open and non-judgemental way. We will also address the spiritual aspect of the issues when appropriate. We respect individual differences in denominational preference. If you are not a Christian, we will still be able to give you quality care without imposing on your personal beliefs. We can also show you how becoming a Christian can change your life for the better, if you are interested.
FEES
Fees will be discussed with you prior to your first appointment.
Payment is expected at the time of service.
For your convenience we accept cash, check or Master Card/Visa.
Some of our counselors are credentialed with insurance companies in which we would file claims for you. Some of our other counselors accept out of network benefits in which we would provide a receipt for you to submit for reimbursement from your insurance company. You will need to check with your insurance company to see if you have this benefit.
We also have a couple of interns on staff, who see clients for a discounted price. Our interns have all completed their Master's degree in a counseling field and they are working with us to gain their experience and the necessary client contact hours for them to become licensed. They are all under supervision of a licensed clinical counselor. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please inquire about our sliding scale fee schedule. Another option that we have is a church assistance program in which we can offer to contract with your church to help you pay for your counseling services. Many churches have special funding to help in this kind of situation. If this is an option, you may be asked to pay a certain percentage of the counseling and Lighthouse will bill your church for the contracted amount.
If your plan has out of network benefits we can provide you with the paperwork to seek reimbursement from your insurance company. You will need to check with your insurance company to see if you have this benefit. There are many benefits to paying for your own mental health care rather than using insurance. Areas to consider include choice, flexibility, confidentiality, autonomy and personal growth. For more information about paying for your own care rather than going through an insurance carrier, check out the following article, "Paying for therapy Out of Your Pocket" and learn some surprising facts and benefits most people don't know about the best way to pay for counseling.
Paying for Therapy out of Your Pocket
Howard Lambert, PhD
If choice, flexibility, confidentiality and autonomy are important to you, you should consider paying for your own mental health treatment. It may be the best investment in your future you ever make.
CHOICE
Would you like to choose your own therapist? Most people prefer this freedom. When you seek therapy through a managed care company you are typically given one to three names of counselors to contact. You are not usually given information about the experience level, specialties or background of the therapists. And there is another problem: If you don't see the therapist to whom the company assigns you, you stand to lose your benefits. If you ask your family doctor, clergyman or friend to recommend a therapist, the chances are slim that the counselors you hear about will be on the panel of mental health providers covered by your managed care plan. If you want to choose a therapist based on credentials, reputation, experience, and personality "fit"' you likely will have to pay for the treatment yourself.
FLEXIBILITY
Most people want their therapist to be totally on their side. Therapists who are paid by managed care companies are in a difficult situation. They work hard to help you achieve relief from you difficulties, but they are under contract with the managed care companies. The companies impose rules and regulations that you may never hear about - rules concerning length of treatment, medications, and how often you can be seen by the therapist (to name just a few). Only when you pay for therapy out of pocket can you and your therapist be totally in charge of the length, frequency, cost and focus of your sessions.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Have you ever worried that your decision to see a mental health therapist could come back to haunt you? When you use your insurance benefits, perhaps you should worry. There has been an alarming increase in cases in which consumers have been turned down for life or health insurance because they had sought mental health counseling at some point in the past. Managed care and insurance companies have been known to share banks of data with other companies in return for similar favors. Is this illegal? Usually not, because insurers require that you sign a general release of information when you apply for benefits. That puts you in a bind: Sign the release of information and give up the right to privacy, or lose your benefits.
AUTONOMY
Would you rather not take medications to alleviate your symptoms? Many people prefer not to take psychiatric medications. Some managed care companies encourage their providers to use medication early in treatment for the purpose of shortening the length of therapy. Yet research has shown that this is not an effective strategy. When you buy therapy from an independent provider of mental health services, medications are considered and used only when both you and the therapist decide on this course of action.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Clients receiving services from a provider who contracts with a managed care plan generally receive ultra-brief "crisis counseling". Some managed care companies even provide a standardized templates that instructs therapist "how to treat" specific problems. Their only goal is to return the client to his or her prior level of functioning (i.e., symptom reduction). If you wish to achieve a deeper understanding of how your problem developed, to make lasting changes in your life and stop repeating dysfunctional behavior patterns, then you will be better off purchasing psychotherapy form an independent provider. You and your therapist create the goals for therapy and have total control over the processes used to reach these goals.
Excellent mental health services can help you reduce stress, resolve relationship struggles, become more productive on your job and improve your physical and spiritual health. In this era of overly managed care, my advice is that you find the best professional for the job, and then negotiate a fee acceptable to both you and the therapist. There should be no substitute for quality.
If you are interested in learning more about our counseling philosophy, have any needs or concerns in your congregation or staff, we would be happy to meet with you or talk with you on the phone.
Referring a client is very easy. Just give the person our phone number, 410-758-4800 and we will schedule an appointment with them directly. We will contact their insurance company and arrange for the authorization. Often times, clients will sign a release for us to follow-up with you on their progress or for any other special need they may have.
We offer a safe, confidential, professional, yet compassionate Christ-centered environment for those you entrust to us.