Nature and Types of Counseling
Do you work with minors (teens, kids)?
Yes. On telehealth, we only work with minors age 10 and above who have a private space for therapy. We also aim to work with as many family members as possible when a minor is the identified client, depending on the issues involved, because we consider change a systemic process that involves the whole family.
What is family therapy? Can we do couples and family therapy over telehealth?
Family therapy refers to working with all, or as many as possible, family members together. The “clients” are the relationships among and between family members. When we work with minors, we often work with all, or part, of the whole family system. Couples and family therapy also have some additional considerations which will be explained during the intake process. It is possible to conduct couples and family therapy on telehealth as long as each person has access to a computer with video and Internet. If you need help determining whether individual or family therapy may be the best for you, please include your question on our inquiry form.
Can you be my individual therapist, and also a couples therapist for my spouse and I at the same time?
No. Individual therapy and couples therapy are 2 distinct ways of working with clients. In certain situations, a spouse may be invited to join an individual session for specific goals and a specific time frame. Consent must be obtained from all parties. Sometimes, when a couple has been a client, one spouse may elect to continue with the therapist as an individual. If an individual client has ended therapy and would like to pursue couples therapy with the same therapist, this may be discussed with the therapist. Please reach out if you have questions about which form of therapy might be the best for you and your situation.
What is art therapy? Can we do it on telehealth?
Art therapy is a psychotherapy approach that incorporates art-making into the therapeutic process as an alternative way for you to express and process your feelings and experiences alongside talk therapy. The art-making is tailored to your specific needs to help you safely process the art expression done in the session.
We can conduct art therapy on telehealth with some limitations. To engage in art therapy, you don’t need to be artistically gifted or skilled; all you need is a willingness to explore the creative process and work toward healing!
To find out if art therapy is right for you, get in touch with Katherine Liaw, LCAT, ATR-BC.
Counseling Process at Dayspring
What does a 1st meeting with my therapist look like?
After reviewing your intake paperwork, your therapist will meet with you over telehealth. The 1st session is a time to get to know you and answer any questions you might have.
How many sessions should I expect to commit to?
During your 1st (intake) session, you can discuss this question with your therapist. Many factors influence the duration and nature of therapy. When we provide you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE), we will approximate the number of sessions you might have with us, leaving room for flexibility and collaboration along the way.
Do you have in-person therapy sessions?
All our sessions will be conducted on HIPAA-compliant telehealth via Google Meet until further notice.
Do you pray with your clients during sessions?
The answer can be yes, no, or maybe. Since we are committed to a client-centered approach, we follow our client’s needs and preferences in terms of how a therapy session is conducted. These preferences are usually discussed as part of our intake process.
Finance and Health Insurance Questions
I have health insurance. Can I use it?
Victoria Chiu is in-network with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (NY; Horizon in NJ), and Aetna (NY&NJ).
Katherine Liaw is in-network with Cigna (NY).
For all other insurances, we are out-of-network providers. Clients can ask their insurance if they reimburse for out-of-network services and we will offer a superbill which can be submitted by the client to their insurance.
I want to submit the superbill to my insurance for the out-of-network mental health services. What steps should I consider? How do I submit my superbill?
We recommend clients to contact their health insurance to verify if the out-of-network plan covers mental health services with the therapist’s licensure.
If needed, a monthly superbill will be generated for the client to submit to their insurance. It is the client’s responsibility to contact their health insurance provider and ask about how to submit superbills for reimbursement.
I would like therapy but cannot afford the fee. Do you offer a sliding scale?
Yes, we do offer an application for sliding scale and do our best to assess needs. Please indicate your interest when you submit the inquiry form.
Can you help provide a letter or report to other providers or entities?
Yes, we can. We can provide certain reports, letters, or phone calls to 3rd parties like employers, doctors, disability claims offices, health insurances, and other entities on your behalf. The fee schedule is $25 per 15 minutes ($100/hour), including, but not limited, to time on the phone and unsuccessful results. A separate bill will be provided to you.
Coordination of care with other providers such as your psychiatrist is provided free of charge. Please discuss your needs directly with your therapist if you are unsure.
Other
How will my private information be protected?
We use HIPAA-compliant practice management software and videoconferencing, including email, phone, and credit card processing. More information about how we protect your privacy is detailed in the Privacy Notice which is supplied to each client.
What is Sessions Health?
Sessions Health is our HIPAA-compliant practice management software (dayspring.sessionshealth.com). Each client will be able to set up their own password-protected account where documents can be viewed, signed, and uploaded, along with secure messaging. For more information about Sessions Health Privacy please visit https://trust.sessionshealth.com/
What is IvyPay and how does it protect my information?
IvyPay is our HIPAA-compliant card processing platform for clients who want to pay using credit, debit, FSA, or HSA cards. A one-time set-up is required during our intake process. An invitation link will be sent to you over text to your phone prior to the first session.
Use of IvyPay as HIPAA-secure is ensured by the Business Associate Agreement. Information is encrypted, stored and protected on secure servers. IvyPay uses industry standard SSL encryption on every part of the IvyPay system. This is the same encryption technology used by banks and brokerages to safeguard financial information.
IvyPay uses advanced security systems and data encryption to protect both clients and therapists, as well as safeguard against unauthorized transactions and access to personal or financial information. Administrative, technical and physical safeguards are in place to ensure data is protected in transit, at rest and when handled by IvyPay representatives.
I don’t live in New York. Can you still see me?
Victoria Chiu is licensed to work with clients who live in NY or NJ. If you are a NY or NJ resident, Victoria Chiu will be able to meet you via telehealth. You must be located in NY or NJ during the telehealth session.
Katherine Liaw is licensed to work with clients who live in NY and can meet with clients residing in NY. You must be located in NY during the telehealth session.