Lakeside
Counseling
(Satellite office of Hope Renewed Counseling)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Therapy?
Therapy is the process by which a licensed therapist engages in structured and consistent 1:1 conversation with a client. This process consists of many nuances, but in short, it is focused on compassionate and open discussion related to topics of the client’s choice. A therapist focuses on observing, asking questions, listening, and assisting clients in making life choices and changes that are consistent with the client’s values and goals.
What is a tLMHC?
LMHC means licensed mental health counselor. The T in tLMHC means temporary license. Until post graduate hours and supervision requirements are met, I operate under Jill Gronewald's license and that is why all the paperwork and online portal is through "Hope Renewed Counseling." Until I have met the required amount of hours under Jill's supervision, I have the t in front of TLMHC and operate within her agency.
What if I see my therapist in public?
This is okay. Most therapists will pretend they don’t know you if they see you in public. This is to respect your need and/or desire for privacy. If you want to come up to me and say hi, that is acceptable. If that happens, I will keep the conversation light and not broach that you are a client. Your therapist will never disclose in public that you are his/her client but will simply engage on an informal and social level. We live in a small world, so this can be very common. As always, feel free to bring this what-if up in session, so you and your therapist are on the same page about what to do, how to speak, or how to act.
What is a dual relationship?
A dual relationship is when a therapist engages in relationship with a client in any way other than that of a therapist. In a general sense, this is forbidden in the therapy space. Once a therapist becomes a therapist of a client, they are not able to be “friends” with a client outside of the session. There are many times when a therapist and client share some type of overlap in a social setting due to the small size of communities but even in that sense, it is important for the therapist to maintain a healthy and structured approach when outside of therapy.
What is confidentiality?
Confidentiality means that what you say in the therapy office stays in the therapy office. My supervisor and admin are the only people that can see anything confidential, and they are required to have the same confidentiality as me. As a blanket rule, a therapist is not allowed to share information that you share with others. There are a couple of exceptions to this:
1) If you sign a release of information allowing a therapist to do this with someone specific.
2) If a therapist is engaging in professional collaboration with another therapist they work with.
3) If a therapist is issued a HIPAA compliant subpoena.
4) If a therapist is required to break confidentiality due to specific content shared in session.
When can a therapist break confidentiality?
A therapist can typically break confidentiality under the following circumstances:
1) If required reportable information is disclosed that aligns with the mandatory reporter category.
2) If a therapist feels your life is in danger due to your plan or desire to seriously harm yourself.
3) If a therapist feels someone else’s life is in danger due to your plan related to seriously harming someone else.
Outside of these three categories, a therapist will not break confidentiality and what you say in session is completely private and confidential. Please be sure to ask your therapist to expand on this topic if you feel you need additional information or explanation.
What if I can't make it to my appointment?
We know things come up! If you let me know a few days in advance I can just cancel or move your appointment. If the cancelation is within 24 hours of your appointment, Lakeside counseling will bill for $40 to just cover the lost time since there is not time to get someone else into that time slot.
How does Lakeside Counseling bill for services?
Billing is done how Iowa requires it to be done as a tLMHC, which is under my supervisor Jill's NPI number and under her business "Hope Renewed Counseling."
What is a Co-pay
A co-pay varies based on insurance company and plan choice. In short, this is a client’s responsible payment for an office visit that occurs. This co-pay amount can change based on the insurance company the client has, the plan details of the client’s insurance policy, the provider type the client is seeing, and the specialty that a client is visiting.
What is a Deductible?
A deductible is the amount that a client is responsible for prior to insurance covering services received. This is very similar to how a deductible on an auto policy works. Let’s say someone has a $500 deductible on their car insurance policy. This deductible requires the individual to cover the cost of the first $500 of damage to their care. Translating to healthcare: If you have a $2,500 deductible on your health plan, you will be responsible for the first $2,500 of charges to your plan. Be sure to call your insurance company and ask further questions about this.
If I can't find a baby sitter, can I bring a child along while we have our session?
I know childcare can be super hard to find, but we cannot have extra people sit in on the sessions, so please plan to find childcare if you need to prior to the appointments.
How does onboarding typically look?
Normally I can only text during the daytime, and can sometimes call during the lunch hour. I'll send you a link to fill out paperwork and schedule a first session and then we go from there!