Tele-therapy
Getting started with your therapy virtually.
What to expect on your first
tele-therapy visit.
Using teletherapy you will be able to discuss your concerns, challenges and goals with Ms. Settle. Please read and sign the Tele-therapy form for instructions in how to create a comfortable, confidential and efficient environment for teletherapy.
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Don’t forget to fill out and sign online your Intake and Registration Forms for review before your first session.
After you discuss your areas of concern, Ms. Settle will work with you to define specific, measurable goals so you both will know when treatment has been completed. This is a good time to ask Ms. Settle questions about the therapeutic process and her thoughts on the estimated length of treatment. Ms. Settle will also answer any questions you may have about herself and her areas of expertise. Don’t be surprised when Ms. Settle asks you questions about your interests, community and activities. She is a strength-based therapist and will want to use your resources throughout therapy.
There are two verbal agreements Ms. Settle requests from all clients: 1) You see yourself and Ms. Settle as a team. And you work and collaborate together on your treatment goals, and 2) You understand your appointment time has been reserved just for you. If you need to cancel your appointment a 24 hours’ notice is required or a fee for the full session will be charged.
A pre-authorized charge to your credit card will be made after your session. You will need to fill out the Pre-Authorized Credit Card charge form prior to you first session. Finally, you will review when your next appointment is and discuss further scheduling. Scheduling is generally done over the phone with Ms. Settle’s assistant for efficiency of time within the session or you can schedule with Ms. Settle in the session.
Fees are: $180 for 45-minute sessions; $270 for a 75-minute session.
For Child and Adolescent Clients
Parents scheduling treatment for their child or adolescent are asked to discuss the presenting problem(s) and history with the child/teen in the room. This provides Ms. Settle information in front of the child/teen so she may ask them questions later and the child/teen then knows what information has been shared. Occasionally, it may be determined by the parents that the concerning issue(s) and/or history is too distressing to the child/teen and it may be better to not have them in the room when sensitive information is shared. This can be discussed with Ms. Settle by phone prior to the session to decide how to proceed.
Once a child or teen feels comfortable with Ms. Settle in the session, she will meet with them for about 20 minutes alone. It is common for child and adolescent therapists to ask parents to abide by a confidentiality agreement between the therapist and the child/teen. Legally, parents have the right to know everything that occurs within a therapy session however, most children and teenagers won’t share as much if they think the therapist is going to “rat them out” with everything they say. Ms. Settle is quick to reassure parents that if a child or teen is being harmed or is a danger to themselves or another person, she will inform them. At the end of the session, Ms. Settle brings the parent/s back into teletherapy to share any information the child/teen agrees to and to answer questions. Ms. Settle is a long-time child and adolescent therapist and a parent herself so she understands the importance of keeping the parents involved in the therapeutic process.
In subsequent sessions, Ms. Settle has the parents join in at the beginning of every session for about 5-10 minutes to get an update. She will ask each the child/teen and parent/s in front of each other, “Name one thing that went well since I saw you and name one thing you think we should focus on today.” Ms. Settle is a strength-based therapist and believes that is important to note positive behavior in addition to focusing on problem areas. After the parents and child’s report of the week occurs, Ms. Settle then works with the child/teen on the issues that were presented or will continue working on areas from the previous session. Ms. Settle uses a variety of methods to work with children and teenagers including art, technology, talking and games. It is important for her to gain the child/teens trust and to understand their interests, issues and perspectives to be attuned to their needs in order to facilitate therapy.
Divorced parents are required to provide written permission from both parents to give permission for treatment. It is important for both parents to provide information to the therapist about the child/teen and their history.