Office Policy
Welcome to my office. The clinical work in this practice is based on both the instrumental enrichment model of Dr. Reuven Forestein and the developmental individualized relationship (DIR) method of intervention created by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Both of these treatment modalities are based on the premise that an individual's basic biology is not necessarily a limiting factor in their overall development.
Specifically, Professor Forestein believes that all person's brains have the ability to be modified. If someone has, as yet, not succeeded in life, he believes that the failure is often a consequence of the teacher not being able to teach the materials (mediate) in a way that the student can take in the information. This concept removes from the challenged child the negative label of not being able to learn and/or perform and places the burden of academic proof on the shoulders of the instructor. The Professor has created a series of fourteen cognitive based instrumental exercises to encourage and train both children and adults in enlarging the scope and manner of their thinking.
As one of Dr. Greenspan's Senior Clinician representatives on the west coast, it is a privilege to additionally present his particular treatment modality that deals predominantly with children and their families and helps children go up the developmental ladder through a series of individually devised interventions that are relationship based.
Dr. Greenspan's protocol is geared to extend a child's ability to sustain attention to activities and interactions, engage in interactions through a range of emotions, develop adaptive and regulatory coping strategies, be initiators of independent ideas and have the ability to sequence these ideas in a meaningful way. In addition, the goals of this methodology include the development of a good sense of self, the ability to think and play symbolically and abstractly and ultimately to reason and problem solve.
Treatment protocol
Children do not live independently and as a rule tend not to be the most accurate of reporters. Therefore, I feel that it is critical that the therapist and parent(s) work together as partners. Consequently, as a course of treatment, you will be asked to be an active participant in the therapeutic team. This may mean physically joining in on the ongoing intervention as well as continuing the treatment protocol in your home, multiple times a day.
To realistically assure the continuity of the home portion of the program, typically developing siblings may be called to assist. Very often children can be the best affective models for each other. The treatment modalities will capitalize on the natural link between brothers and sisters. However, the needs of the siblings themselves will not be overlooked and support, if needed, ranging from specific 'how to' of the play therapy to individual treatment sessions, is available for brothers and sisters dealing with having a challenged family member. In addition, you may be asked to come into the office separately to work on parenting strategies to better prepare you for the proposed protocol.
Finally, I will assist you in collaborating the efforts of the other various interventionists working with your child (e.g. teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapists, play dates, etc.), to make sure that all actions are being coordinated.
Office Procedure
As a licensed therapist I am governed by various laws and regulations and by the code of ethics of my profession. The ethics code requires that I make you aware of specific office policies and how these procedures may affect you. However, many of these policies will be unrelated to our work together.
Patient's Rights
Our relationship is voluntary and you (and your child) may leave the psychotherapy relationship any time you wish. It will often be recommended however, to have a closure session to help finalize the ending of the therapeutic relationship. This ending session often concretizes the continuity of the work, and is particularly valuable to children who, more often that not, struggle with sequential order in their lives.
Limits of Confidentiality
Sessions between a psychologies and a patient are strictly confidential, except under certain legally defined situations involving threats of self-harm or harm to another, and situations of child abuse, elder abuse, or abuse of otherwise dependent individuals. In the case of danger to others, I am required by law to inform any intended victim(s). In the case of self-harm, I am ethically bound to inform the nearest relative, significant other, or to otherwise enlist methods to prevent self-harm or suicide. In instances of child abuse, elder abuse, or dependent abuse, I must notify the proper authorities.
Payment, Fees & Insurance
Session length is a 45 minute therapeutic hour and fees are based on session (45 minutes) or a double session (1 1/2 hour). It is our policy that payment for the session is due at the time of the session. Fees will be increased once yearly. Fee for court attendance, school evaluation, I.E.P. meetings or writing a psychological report is based upon the hourly fee. A drive time fee based on the hourly fee, each way, will be charged if a professional visit necessitates the clinician traveling beyond 15 minutes of the office.
An initial evaluation consisting of at least two 1 1/2 hour parent history taking sessions, a 1 1/2 hour school assessment, a 1 1/2 hour home assessment, a 1 1/2 hour parent/child observation session and one 45 minute review session with the parents and the clinician. It will be under the discretion of the clinician to elongate to abbreviate any of the components of the initial evaluation. Fee for the evaluation is based upon the therapeutic hourly fee.
This office does not process insurance claims directly. Rather, insurance is handled directly by the client and his/her family to their own individual health care provider. At the end of the month, an insurance form will be provided to you for the purposes of reimbursement from the insurance company directly to you. Please check with your agent for rates.
Phone accessibility & Emergency Procedures
I will return calls as soon as possible should you need to speak to me between sessions. Efforts are made to return calls within four hours. If you have an immediate emergency, call 911 for help. In the event of a lengthy telephone session, you will be charged at the hourly session fee. Regularly scheduled phone consultations will be based on 1/2 hour increments and charged at 1/2 the usual hourly fee.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify me as soon as possible, at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise you will be help responsible and be billed for the session. This is necessary because a professional time commitment is set aside and help exclusively for you.