Estes Therapy Counseling Policy Procedures
Psychotherapy is not easily described in general statements. It varies depending on the personalities of the psychotherapist and patient, and the particular problems you bring forward. There are many different methods the therapists at Estes Therapy may use to deal with the problems that you hope to address. Psychotherapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things you talk with your therapist about both during your sessions and at home.
Therapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience.
Estes Therapy is owned by Jennine Estes, MFT. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist MFT#47653.
Appointments scheduled online or over the telephone:
You can call or text us at 619-558-0001, email us at: EstesTherapyLeads@gmail.com, click the Book Now button on this website, fill out our contact form, DM us on Instagram, or message us through Google. Whichever option you choose, the credit card information is required to hold your therapy appointment. If you don’t want to use the card on file for your session, just let your therapist know. If you do not cancel your appointment before the 36-hour window you will be charged (see below).
Cancellation Policy:
At Estes Therapy, we have a strict 36-hour cancellation policy. If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, it must be done before 36 hours of your appointment. There are no refunds for any appointments canceled or rescheduled within 36 hours of the appointment.
Confidentiality
Here at Estes Therapy, we take your confidentiality seriously. We believe confidentiality is an essential element that makes therapy so productive and healing. The privacy of your communications with your therapist is protected by law, and your therapist can only release information about your work to others with your written permission. There are 6 expectations to this rule, as mandated by law.
At Estes Therapy, we abide by the laws and ethics for therapists and the BBS, which includes 6 exceptions to confidentiality:
- You are a danger to yourself
- You are a danger to others (ie threaten to hurt others)
- Risk of child abuse or neglect
- Risk of dependent adult abuse
- Risk of elder abuse
- If we are subpoenaed by a judge (subpoenas by attorneys do not count)
If you see an Associate Therapist at Estes Therapy, some of your information may be shared with their supervisor to ensure you are receiving a high level of care and to support them in their work. You get the brains of 2 therapists for the price of 1!
We have a no-secret policy with the couples we see in therapy, which means that the therapist will not keep secrets from one client or another in a couple – this helps the therapist remain neutral, and ensure you are receiving the highest level of care: which is a win-win.
Your intake paperwork, as well as your therapist, will go over confidentiality at the beginning of your first session – so don’t hesitate to ask them any questions you might have or ask for further clarification!
No Surprises Act of 2022-Good Faith Estimates of Total Costs of Service
Good Faith Estimate for Health Care Items and Services Under the No Surprises Act (Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act)
Practice Name: Estes Therapy, A Marriage and Family Private Practice PC
Practice NPI: 1275989758
Practice Tax ID: 815193197
Practice Address: 3333 Camino Del Rio S #215 San Diego, CA 92108
Phone Number: 619-558-0001
Service Codes: 90837, 90847
Diagnosis Code: TBD – this will be provided and input by your therapist
** Potential Fees:**
**-**Late Cancellation Fee: At Estes Therapy the late cancellation fee is the full fee of the session that you are scheduled for. We have a 36-hour late cancellation/no-show policy.
Explanation of Estimated Fees:
Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act, healthcare providers and healthcare facilities are required to provide a good faith estimate of standard charges for items and services to individuals who are not enrolled in a plan or coverage or a Federal health care program, or not seeking to file a claim with their plan or coverage both orally and in writing, upon request or at the time of scheduling health care items and services.
Estes Therapy, A Marriage and Family Practice PC specialize in Emotionally Focused Therapy which is a theoretical framework for individual, couples, and family therapy that uses around 12-18 sessions to work through the client’s presenting problems. We schedule clients one session at a time or for recurring sessions weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or based on the client’s preference. We do not force any client to use our services. Most clients see therapists for many more sessions outside of that range, with an average being at least 52 sessions in a year. The number of sessions a client voluntarily chooses to attend and pay for is based on multiple factors; emotional processing needed as more sessions are attended, financial budget, therapist recommendation, and the emotional progress that occurs within sessions. We are providing this estimation of costs to better inform our clients of the potential cost they will pay out of pocket in the long-term scale of therapy with our practice, if and only if insurance is not reimbursing the client. We are providing you, as the client, our highest fee range (however you may have something lower based on the therapist) multiplied by the expected/average 15 sessions you will potentially see a therapist for and the estimated cost of services at Estes Therapy depending on the therapist’s fee. Also included is the estimated total cost of services at 52 sessions per year. Most people tend to stay this length of time with their therapist longer for additional support.
If paying $230.00 per session for an average of 15 sessions yields an estimated total cost of $3,450, and $11,960 for 52 sessions a year.
Disclaimer: This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of items and services that are reasonably expected for your health care needs for an item or service. The estimate is based on information known at the time the estimate was created. The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur. If this happens, federal law allows you to dispute (appeal) the bill. If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill. You may contact the health care provider or facility listed to let them know the billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can ask them to update the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available. You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill. There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount. To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 1-877-696-6775. Keep a copy of your Good Faith Estimate in a safe place or take pictures of it. You may need it if you are billed a higher amount.