Frequently Asked Questions
What will my first session look like?
For play therapy/activity therapy/teen clients, Erin will go over the intake forms that parents will have filled out prior to the intake appointment. In this session, Erin will answer any questions that come up and gather more information about your child’s history and your family so that we can begin to draw up objectives for your child’s treatment. It is important that only the parents attend this first session, as Erin will not be meeting with the child until the following session. This appointment will take between 1 and 1.5 hours.
For adults, the first intake session will also be question-heavy, unlike the following sessions. We will go over the intake paperwork and collaborate to develop a treatment plan. This session will also allow you the opportunity to bring up any questions or concerns about therapy.
Are you just playing with my kid?
Despite the name and use of toys in sessions, play therapy consists of much more than simply playing with clients. Through the use of carefully chosen toys and the therapeutic relationship, we create an environment that is safe for children to express themselves authentically and work through a wide variety of concerns. These include anxiety, impulse control, traumatic experiences, etc. We will identify overall themes of your child’s play in order to help them develop the skills they need to work through their problems, as well as provide further insight for you as the parent regarding problems and needs your child may be having at home.
Will you be diagnosing me/my child?
If you choose to seek therapy through your insurance, we will be required to diagnose you or your child in order for sessions to be covered/reimbursed. Some positives of diagnosis, other than paying less for therapy due to insurance coverage, are that it can feel relieving to some to have a name for their collection of symptoms, it can provide a sense of community with others who share a diagnosis, and it can open doors to additional forms of treatment if necessary, such as medication or support groups. Some negatives to receiving a diagnosis and paying through insurance are that it will remain on one’s medical record, insurance will often only cover a set number of sessions, and diagnoses can feel stigmatizing and alienating to some.
If diagnosis is a concern for you and your family, paying out-of-pocket for therapy is always an option.
How long does treatment typically last?
Everyone – adults and children – completes therapy at their own pace, so it is difficult to say exactly how long treatment will last. With play therapy/teen clients, check-ins are every 3-4 weeks in order to touch base about your child’s progress. With adult clients, we will similarly maintain an open dialogue regarding your progress and the effectiveness of treatment.
How are parents involved?
Parents are a crucial part of play therapy. In the first intake session, Erin will be speaking to parents alone in order to gather information and establish a plan for your child’s treatment. Erin will meet with parents every 3-4 sessions to discuss what is happening at home as well as the progress seen in sessions. During these parent consultations, Erin will not be divulging specific things discussed in sessions with your child, but rather overall themes.
If any immediate concerns come up between parent consultations, we ask that parents not speak to Erin about their child in front of the child in the waiting room, as this can be very uncomfortable for them. Instead, parents may call or email me. Phone calls or emails that take more than 15 minutes will be charged at $25 per 15-minute increment after the first 15 minutes. If the question or concern is more extensive, it is suggested that we schedule a full parent consultation.
Will you tell me what my child/teen says in session?
One of the first things we will talk about in your first session is confidentiality. This is an essential part of therapy for adults and children alike. Unless your therapist has any concerns for your child’s safety, we will not be telling you specifics of what your child says in therapy, but instead will tell you the most important overall themes.
So everything I say in therapy will be kept secret?
Trust is key to real progress in therapy. Therefore, Erin takes confidentiality very seriously. However, there are some times when confidentiality would need to be broken, both for legal and safety reasons. Neuse River Counseling would need to break confidentiality if it was determined that the client was a danger to themselves or to others, if the abuse of a child/elder/person with a disability were to be disclosed, or if it were ordered by a court.
Can I leave and run errands while my child is in session?
Parents of play therapy clients are required to stay in the waiting room during the session in case their child needs something during the appointment. Parents of teen clients are free to leave during the length of the session.
How much does therapy cost?
The first session (intake) is $150. After the intake, the rate is $125 per session. Neuse River Counseling is an out of network counseling practice which means that we accept payment upfront for services and provide clients with a receipt they may use to file with their insurance carrier. Please note that fees are reviewed annually and are subject to revision.
Neuse River accepts all forms of payment and will place your card on file for convenient payment at later appointments.
Counseling rates:
Initial intake session- $150
Sessions following the intake session- $125/session
What if I need to cancel my session?
Of course, we understand if there is an emergency or illness that prohibits you from attending your scheduled appointment, and we will consider late cancellations on a case-by-case basis. However, in general, we ask that you give at least 24-hours notice if you know that you will need to cancel a session. In general, the full price of a session ($125) will be charged for a no-show, and a $60 fee will be assessed for a cancellation with less than 24-hours notice.
What do I tell my child about therapy?
The way you talk about therapy to your child can contribute to your child’s attitude toward the therapeutic process. It is important that you do not communicate to them that there is something wrong with them or that therapy is a punishment of any kind. You can tell your child that Erin is someone who plays with kids because everyone needs a special place to play sometimes. Parents can say that in play therapy, kids get to go to a special room with lots of toys that they can play with in many of the ways they would like. Many kids will be nervous before their first session, and that’s okay! You can emphasize that Erin is there to care about them and play with them, and they can ask Erin any questions they have. For preteens and teens, you can say many of the same things, except instead of playing we will be doing activities or talking. Child, preteen, or teen, you can tell them that therapy is a safe place that is just for them.
Divorced/separated parents:
We work frequently with divorced/separated parents, however, both parents need to sign off on therapy and be willing to attend parenting sessions together. It is important to the therapeautic process that parents in these circumstances are willing to co-parent, otherwise, Erin has found that treatment goals are hard to achieve. Neuse River Counseling has referrals for parents whose relationships have higher levels of conflict.
Neuse River Counseling does not work with parents who are actively in court due to custody and do not provide mediation services.
Please contact Erin if you have questions regarding whether or not your family is a right fit for services. We realize there are extenuating circumstances where one parent may be out of the picture and these cases are taken on by a case-by-case basis.
