Frequently Asked Questions
Most people who are considering working with a therapist have a lot of questions. That's pretty common. This page is our attempt to answer, right up front, a number of the questions people have asked in the past. If your question isn't answered here, feel free to get in touch and ask.
Will you be able to help me?
Many people are fearful about whether someone can actually help them with the unique problems they face. While no therapists are able to offer guarantees, the feedback from our clients has been decidedly positive. If you are ready to be open and honest and to put in the work needed in therapy, you can be confident that together we can make progress.
How do I know if my therapist and I are a good fit to work together?
The best way to determine that is to take advantage of our free 20 minute consultation. We are happy to talk with you by phone or schedule a time for us to meet at one of our offices. Feel free to ask whatever questions you have and to discuss our approach to working with your specific situation. If you're relatively confident you'd like to work with us, go ahead and schedule an intake session. We always take time during the intake for us to lay the foundation for a strong therapeutic relationship.
What should I expect in a therapy session?
Sessions tend to have a relaxed feel to them. Typical sessions are focused on you and the issues that you feel are most pressing.
Depending on what problem is being addressed and where we are in therapy, it may be more discussion around your thoughts and feelings or it may be centered around skill-building and education. No matter what, the session is always centered around you feeling safe and building hope.
How long will therapy take?
Truthfully, much of that will depend on you and what difficulties you are bringing into the office. Some people are focused on short-term improvements while others are open to longer-term growth. Regardless of your initial thoughts, it is important to remember that change takes both work and time.
Your therapist's job is to help you achieve the goals you have. As we work together, we clarify what you are working towards and gauge your progress. When you are satisfied with the changes you've made, we're done.
Some clients come in and quickly address the goals they originally came in with. Others find that their goals evolve and change as we work. Whatever you come in to achieve, our aim is to work ourselves out of a job and help you to move forward in your life.
How will I know I'm done with therapy?
I see that you do sex therapy. Will there be sexual contact in the office?
No, there is never sexual contact in the office. In fact, sexual contact between a therapist and client is not only inappropriate, it is in violation of professional ethics.
Also, we do not have clients engage in sexual behavior in the office. Sex therapy is about exploring the issues and problems you are facing in your sexuality and gender and working towards a solution that will help you to find more peace and fulfillment in your sexual life. Implementing those changes in your sex life is "homework," not office work.
Do you accept my insurance?
We are not paneled with any insurance providers. There are a variety of reasons which you can read about here. For those clients who want to submit for out-of-network reimbursement, we are happy to discuss providing you with the necessary paperwork. As always, check with your carrier for specifics on your coverage.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, check, or credit card at the time of service. While a card is required to be on file and charged for the initial session, you are welcome to pay by cash or check thereafter if you would prefer.
Cancellations policies can be a very sensitive topic for some people so please let me explain the policy.
Your scheduled session is reserved for you. By the time we are within a few days of your session, your therapist's personal and professional schedules have been arranged around your session. They have also pushed other paying clients further out in their schedule, generally leaving them with no opportunities to refill your session time with another paying client at that point.
Consequently, we have to draw a firm cancellation line at 48 hours prior to your session. At that point, we consider you as having purchased that time even if you end up not being able to attend. We are happy to make arrangements to do tele-therapy by phone or online video-conference if that accommodation would allow you to not miss your session. Some special accommodations may be made in the event of a legitimate emergency.
One other note, some clients have asked about how this applies to sessions scheduled less than 48 hours in advance. In such cases, your therapist is making short notice changes to their personal and professional schedules to accommodate you. We are happy to do this but we do so with the understanding that you are firmly committed to attending the session. Therefore, the same policy applies in that we consider you as having purchased the session when it is booked.
What is your cancellation policy?
What happens if there is inclement weather?
We live in Colorado which means snow is expected. While we certainly don’t want you or our therapists in an accident due to unsafe roads, life can’t stop due to snow either.
If you or your therapist feels that roads are impassable, Pivotal Counseling policy is to reschedule at no charge all intake sessions. All non-intake sessions will be moved to tele-therapy by phone or online video-conference. If you have a concern with sessions being conducted by tele-therapy, please talk with your therapist about this concern prior to an inclement weather day. Whenever possible, your therapist will be at the office for any clients that are comfortable driving in the weather to meet in person.
