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We realize that getting help is a significant commitment and investment in
your future. Thank you for choosing Russell Associates to help you on this
part of your journey. As the newest member of your team, we will do whatever
it takes to allow you to move forward in your life. We look forward to
working with you.
Thank you for choosing Dr.
Russell to be your
psychologist. Together, the two of you will do whatever it takes to allow you to move
forward in your life. He looks forward to working with you.
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Topics listed alphabetically - click on any topic to view:
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Contacting Dr Russell
- Call-in period.
During call in times, we answer the phone directly. If you get the
voicemail, it means that we are on the line with someone else. Try again
in a few minutes and you should get through. This period is free of charge
for all current and past clients.
First appointments.
We usually schedule new
clients within 2-6 weeks depending on urgency and the flexibility of your
schedule. Ex-clients and new clients referred by previous clients get
priority scheduling (usually within 1-2 weeks).
- Emergencies
.
Please call the main number at any time to get the current emergency
number. If we don’t answer immediately it means that we may be in the
middle of a presentation, on the highway, involved in an urgent issue, or
temporarily out of range. We will return the call as soon as possible,
usually within an hour. If you are experiencing a critical emergency (for
example. if you are considering hurting yourself), call 911 or contact
your nearest hospital emergency room and have them call us when you get
there. Please note that most insurance policies do not cover emergency
phone calls.
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Please Ask
About Confidentiality And Know Your Rights
- Legal limits
.
Except as required by law, the information provided by and to you
during therapy sessions is legally confidential, including the fact that
you are our client. Exceptions to confidentiality include threat of
serious harm to self or others and child abuse.
- Written records
.
As professional
therapists, we are required to keep written records of each session. We
will review these with you at any time and will write them at the end of
the session with your input if you wish. In order to insure your privacy,
all written records that leave our office (including insurance forms) will
be sent to you so that you can send them out yourself.
- Family members.
We will not share things that your child or spouse tells us with you unless
they give us permission. If they tell us something that we think you
should know, we do reserve the right to try to convince them to tell you
themselves.
- Abuse by past therapists.
We believe that it is not only
unethical but also extremely damaging for a therapist to have any sort of
sexual relationship with a client. If you have been abused in this way we
will do our best to convince you to report that therapist to the
appropriate licensing board and professional organization. Reporting such
abuse will not only help prevent the therapist from abusing other people,
but will also help him or her to get the help that they need.
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Fees
- Rates
.
Our fees are higher than many, if not most, therapists. This is because we
offer a very specialized form of treatment. If you are looking for
standard therapy we will be happy to refer you to the many good therapists
that offer general treatment. If, however, you need and are ready for a
very fast-paced, concentrated therapy that focuses on resolving root
causes, then we will look forward to work with you to achieve the greatest
possible change in the shortest possible time. Payment by cash, check or
charge is expected at time of service for all professional services
including sessions, phone consultations, travel, school meetings, report
or letter writing. My associates use the same techniques as I do and are
directly supervised by me. Their fees usually range from 1/3 to 2/3 of my
fees.
Any unpaid balances are subject to a 1.25 % per month interest charge.
There is a $20 fee for returned checks. We usually adjust fees in October
or April for new clients and those fees then become effective 3 months
later in January or July for ongoing clients.
- Missed Appointments.
You will be charged for missed appointments if you fail to give a 24-hour
(72-hour for Monday appointments) notice. We will forgive one missed
appointment for each client. If you fail to give 24 hours notice for long
sessions you will only be charged for the first 45 minutes. If you are not
sure if you can make a session (for instance if you are feeling sick or
you may have to attend a meeting) call and let us know that the session is
tentative. You can then cancel the session even at the last minute.
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Insurance.
We do not contract with any insurance company since
this would require us to agree to their philosophy of treatment, give them
counseling information and accept their fee schedules. We will give you an
insurance readable form at the end of each session that you can send in to
get reimbursed.
Some policies allow you to see out-of-network providers as long as you
are willing to pay a higher deductible or co-pay. Please contact your
insurance company for details.
If your policy does not allow you to go out of network we may be able to
help you get an exception called a ‘single-case agreement’ based on your
need for specialized counseling.
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The
business tithing program allows clients to offset the cost of counseling
by donating time at a church or church-related charity. All donated time
must be above and beyond what you usually do and must be in an area of
service where both you and a pastor feel you have a gift. To learn
more about business tithing,
click here.
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Sessions
We see people anywhere from 2-3 times a week to 2-3
times a year. Sessions can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours. We will
decide together what length and frequency is best for you based on your
issues, schedule, etc. If you are unable to make it into the office, but
still want to have a counseling session, we can have a session over the
phone.
Sessions usually begin with a review of the
progress you have made since the last session. We then spend the bulk of the
session working on one or more issues. Towards the end of the session we
will review the work we just did, discuss how it relates to issues in your
life and discuss any homework. We spend the final few minutes dealing with
payment, insurance forms and scheduling.
The following table outlines typical
45- and 90-minute sessions.
|
Task |
45-minute session |
90-minute session |
|
Review/Update |
5-10 |
5-10 |
|
Work/Processing |
20-30 |
60-75 |
|
Review/Homework |
5-10 |
5-15 |
|
Payment/Next
Appointment |
5 |
5 |
We will do our best to start and
stop on time, however, there will be times when we run over with the client
before you. This occurs when we have an emergency during the day or when we
run into an unexpectedly difficult issue with a client near the end of a
session. We will call you to let you know if we are running late if at all
possible. If we do run late please be assured that we will give you your
full allotted time.
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Length of Treatment
We are committed to help you achieve the greatest possible change in the
shortest possible time. We have found that the severity of symptoms or the
number of problems has little to do with the time it takes to resolve an
issue. Factors that seem to predict how long it takes to resolve a problem
include the length of time you have had the problem, how well you were
functioning before your problem began, the amount of social support that you
have, your ability to trust, and finally your ability to tolerate strong
emotions. The list below gives a rough estimate of the number of sessions it
may take to resolve an issue. These are broad estimates; we will be able to
give you a better idea of the length of treatment after meeting with you.
|
Treatment
Category
|
Average Number of Sessions |
Typical Profile |
|
Simple |
4-6 |
Problems
began within last year with good prior adjustment. Good current social
support. No difficulty with trust or tolerating emotions. |
|
Routine |
6-12 |
Problems
began within the last few years with good prior adjustment. Good current
social support. No difficulty with trust or tolerating emotions. |
|
Involved |
12-25 |
Problems
began many years ago but there is clearly a time when problems did not
exist. Good current social support. No difficulty with trust or
tolerating emotions. |
|
Complex |
25-75 |
Problems
have waxed and waned for as long as you can remember. Limited social
support but able to trust therapist and tolerate emotions. |
|
Extended |
50-??? |
Limited
social support. Difficulty trusting therapist and/or tolerating
emotions. |
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To print our
brochure, click here:
BROCHURE
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