Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office?
Special landmarks to guide you:
- Saxony Road runs parallel to I-5.
- The closest exit is Encinitas Boulevard.
- We are just south of the YMCA.
- The entrance is right next to the Animal Keeper.
- The 169 building is at the back of the business complex.
What are your hours?
Typically, 9-2pm throughout the week, some exceptions are made, based on need.
How long are sessions?
Individual sessions are 50-55 minutes.
How do I set up an initial appointment?
Call (760) 496-8941 – I do my best to pick up calls. If you need to leave a voicemail, I aim to return that call by the end of the day. Texts are welcome too!
Alternatively, you can email: info@headwaytherapygroup.com; I will get back to you by the end of the day.
What forms will I need to fill out?
When you book an appointment, you will be sent a link to the client portal. You will be prompted to complete all of the necessary paperwork. If you are unable to access this portal, please download, review, sign and provide your therapist with these documents at your initial appointment:
Demographic supplemental information
Informed Consent Agreement for Psychotherapy Services
Credit Debit Card Payment Consent
Telehealth Treatment Consent Form
What is your cancellation policy?
Text reminders are sent out 48 hours in advance of your appointment. The full fee is charged if your appointment is canceled within 24 hours of your appointment, unless the cancellation is due to an unforeseen emergency.
Can I use my insurance?
We are out of network with most insurances. Please check the Fees page for more information on out of networks benefits.
Many insurance providers do have out-of-network coverage, and you would need to call them and ask what your benefits are. Some helpful questions you can ask are:
- What are my behavioral health benefits?
- Do I have a deductible?
- What is the coverage amount per session?
What age range do you work with?
Typically adults, 18+ years.
Do you do couples work?
I love bringing partners into sessions when there is a specific need. If couples therapy is needed, I will most likely provide you with some referrals to some truly awesome therapists who specialize in this work.
What does a session / therapy look like?
Each person has different goals for therapy, so it will be different depending on your needs. In general, you can expect to talk about what has brought you in to therapy, your current life situation, as well as your past and your family history. Therapy can be short-term or longer-term, depending on your needs and goals for either specific issues or more ingrained patterns and personal development, respectively.
Therapy is a process of learning, understanding and developing awareness. As such, you need to be an active participant in this to gain something and grow from this process.
What approach or modalities do you use?
I work within an integrative, practical model of psychotherapy. This means that we draw upon different skill sets based upon your needs.
Concepts from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) are used. In addition, I strive to truly understand you and your internal world, drawing upon psychodynamic principles and methods to help you build awareness around your patterns of being and relating to others in the world. With insight comes long-lasting change!
This is all under the umbrella of being real with you. My aim is to connect with you wherever you are at, to let the therapeutic relationship unfold, and for new meanings to develop.
How often will I need to come in?
Typically, once or twice a week.
Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
I. MY PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION:
I understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. I am committed to protecting health information about you. I create a record of the care and services you receive from me. I need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which I may use and disclose health information about you. I also describe your rights to the health information I keep about you, and describe certain obligations I have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. I am required by law to:
• Make sure that protected health information (“PHI”) that identifies you is kept private.
• Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information.
• Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
• I can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information I have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in my office, and on my website.
II. HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:
The following categories describe different ways that I use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures I will explain what I mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways I am permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.
For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules and regulations allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the client to use or disclose the client’s personal health information without the client’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. I may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your person health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.
Disclosures for treatment purposes are not limited to the minimum necessary standard. Because therapists and other health care providers need access to the full record and/or full and complete information in order to provide quality care. The word “treatment” includes, among other things, the coordination and management of health care providers with a third party, consultations between health care providers and referrals of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another.
Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, I may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. I may also disclose health information about your child in response to a subpoena, discovery
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request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested. III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION: 1. Psychotherapy Notes. I sometimes keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is: a. For my use in treating you. b. For my use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy. c. For my use in defending myself in legal proceedings instituted by you. d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPAA. e. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law. f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes. g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law. h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others. 2. Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapist, I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes. 3. Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapist, I will not sell your PHI in the regular course of my business. IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AURTHORIZATION. Subject to certain limitations in the law, I can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons: 1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law. 2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety. 3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations. 4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so. 5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on my premises. 7. For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition. 8. Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions. 9. For workers’ compensation purposes. Although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, I may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws. 10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. I may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with me. I may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that I offer. V. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT. |
1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. I may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.
VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:
1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask me not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. I am not required to agree to your request, and I may say “no” if I believe it would affect your health care.
2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
3. The Right to Choose How I Send PHI to You. You have the right to ask me to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and I will agree to all reasonable requests.
4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that I have about you. I will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and I may charge a reasonable, cost based fee for doing so.
5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which I have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. I will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list I will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. I will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, I will charge you a reasonable cost based fee for each additional request.
6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of important information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that I correct the existing information or add the missing information. I may say “no” to your request, but I will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF PRIVACY NOTICE
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information.
You will be required to sign acknowledgement of receipt of this notice in your intake documents.