FREQUENTLY ASKED

        QUESTIONS       

Photo By Kelsey Winnike © 2022 |

  • Simply complete our online request form for a free 15-minute consultation or call 707-200-8368. Initial consultations allow us to discuss what topics bring you to therapy and whether CIC would be a good fit for your support needs.

    -As an evidence-based practice, CIC has invested in technology to provide you with an enhanced treatment experience. We offer :

    - Paperless intakes and consent forms

    - Text and email session reminders

    - HIPAA-compliant video therapy and health records to protect your privacy

    - Secure, convenient billing and super-bills for insurance reimbursement

    All initial sessions are 60 minutes

  • Currently, CIC does not accept insurance and therefore is known as an “out-of-network provider”. Some insurance plans include benefits that may cover a part of the cost of therapy for out-of-network providers. CIC is more than happy to provide you with a monthly superbill or statement that you can submit to your insurance plan to seek reimbursement.

    Our decision not to join any health insurance panels was founded on the importance of maintaining our client’s rights to privacy and reducing barriers that may unfairly impact the work our therapists and you find necessary.

    Good Faith Estimate: Starting January 1st, 2022, You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your healthcare care will cost. Under the law, healthcare practitioners need to give patients who do not have insurance or who are not using their existing insurance to pay for and/or seek reimbursement for services an estimate of the expected charges for healthcare, including mental services, such as psychotherapy or a consultation/evaluation for third-party family building. You can request from your health care practitioner for a Good Faith Estimate prior to scheduling a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

  • Please contact us to discuss our current rates.

    We accept all major credit cards as forms of payment. In some cases, you might be able to use your HSA (Health Savings Account).  

  • If you are unable to attend your session, CIC kindly asks that you please cancel 48 hours in advance.

    CIC’s life happens policy- we know that life is busy and a little flexibility can make all the difference. If you need to cancel on short notice (anything less than 48 hours before your session), we have you covered. We allow each client one last-minute cancellation per year. No charge, no fuss, just life.

    Additional cancellations received in less than 48 hours will be charged the full rate of the session. Multiple late cancellations will result in termination of care.

  • Yes, all things discussed in therapy are confidential, however, there are a few caveats.

    -You provide written consent for information to be shared with your therapist. There are some cases that you may wish to provide your therapist with the ability to openly communicate with additional providers you may be working with. This could be a psychiatrist, a hospital social worker, or even a family member. The goal with this type of communication is to ensure you have the best support needs available to you.

    -There is an imminent risk of harm to you or another person(s) and it can not be prevented.

    -There is a concern for child, dependent adult or elder abuse for which all CIC therapists are mandated reporters. If a concern around abuse arises in session, your therapist will make every attempt to discuss this with you first, if it is safe to do so.

  • Established patients may reach out to their therapist anytime by leaving a voicemail at 707-200-8368 or by sending their therapist a secure message through the client portal.

    ​If you are experiencing a medical or mental health crisis, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room to get immediate help.

  • ​If you are having a medical or mental health crisis, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room to get immediate help.

    Do not wait for your next psychotherapy appointment. Do not leave a message on CIC’s voicemail or send a message to your therapist.

    Call the toll-free, 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) or 800-799-4TTY (800-799-4889).

  • It depends, but often the answer is yes.

    Active participation in the therapeutic process inside and outside of sessions will improve your outcome. Therapy is designed to provide you with the building blocks and scaffolding needed to assist you in reaching whatever your identified goals may be. Fully engaging in the therapeutic process includes practicing and using skills/techniques learned or discussed during sessions in your day-to-day life.

  • CIC has consciously chosen not to use social media in our marketing or business model. CIC therapists follow a strict professional code of ethics that does not align with the values that most social media companies endorse and encourage. CIC takes to heart the importance of social responsibility and the consequences of social media on the safety and mental health of all.

  • Palliative care and hospice share roots but have evolved over time into two distinct medical disciplines. Each one uses a multidisciplinary approach to support your physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. They focus on relieving the stress and symptoms of a serious illness, with the goal of improving the quality of life for patients and their loved ones.

    Palliative care patients have a serious or advanced illness but are not necessarily terminally ill. Palliative care is available at ANY stage of a serious illness, so aggressive treatments may be provided at the same time. One such example is a person who undergoes chemotherapy to treat cancer and also meets regularly with a palliative care physician to manage symptoms like nausea, pain, and neuropathy.

    Hospice is a form of specialized palliative care that is only available to terminally ill patients who may die within six months. When aggressive or curative therapies are no longer desired or beneficial, hospice focuses instead on comfort rather than active treatment of cancer or other serious illness. Hospice teams help with pain and symptom management and provide emotional and spiritual support. The hope is for the patient to live their remaining months, weeks, or days in comfort and peace.

  • Life-limiting illness is a term used to describe an incurable condition that will shorten a person’s life, though they may continue to live active lives for many years. There is a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, including heart failure, lung disease, neurological conditions, and cancer that is no longer responding to treatment intended to cure.

    Terminal illness is usually used to describe a life-limiting illness that is thought to have progressed to the final or terminal stage. It is not always easy to know when a person has reached this stage or how much more time they have.

    https://stclarehospice.org.uk/how-we-can-help-you/wellbeing-hub/information-support/what-does-that-mean/

  • CIC has limited sliding scale spots. Please inquire if any slots are currently open. If CIC’s sliding scale slots are full, below are some providers that offer lower cost therapy services.

    

Open Counseling.com https://www.opencounseling.com/

    
California Family Institute http://www.californiafamilyinstitute.org/counseling-center.html

    Women’s Cancer Resource Center https://www.wcrc.org/

    The Psychotherapy Institute  https://www.tpi-berkeley.org/clinic

    Wright Institute Counseling Center https://www.wi.edu/wi-clinical-services-wi-clinic