Therapy FAQ’s

Q:  What services does Life Within provide?

A: Intake Assessments, Individual Counseling, Marital/Family Counseling, Group Counseling, Crisis Intervention, Psychoeducation, Behavioral Assistance, Child and Youth Support, Supportive Life Skills Development, Treatment Planning,

Q:  How much will each session cost?

A: Self pay rates are $125 a session and $150 for the intake. For insurance, your copay
may vary and we encourage you to ask what our team has calculated based on your
plan prior to the first session. Sliding scale rates are available upon application at the
bottom of our website’s home page.

Q: How will you determine which therapist I will be assigned to?

We collect demographic information from you through our intake paperwork and initial intake session, including race/ethnicity, cultural/spiritual considerations, language, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status (indicated by referrals source, 3rd party payer, income-based sliding scale rates). Additional cultural information such as involvement with the military, juvenile/criminal justice system, child welfare system, and disability/accessibility issues are also collected/addressed. Every reasonable effort will be made to meet your request for a gender-specific or specialized area of training for a treating clinician before you are assigned to one.

Q:  What if I’m not comfortable with the therapist I am seeing?

Although we wish anyone could meet with everyone, sometimes personalities, schedules, or treatment methods clash with your approach to wellness. It would be best to communicate a change with your therapist so that they may be able to assist in a referral. Your wellbeing is first and foremost and we know treatment can be difficult. Therefore, a comfortable place to work through the sometimes challenging process of our present and past is our priority.

Q:  Do you take Medicaid?

Yes.  ARMedicaid, ARKids 1st, & Empower are all a part of Medicaid.   We also take BlueCross BlueShield, Ambetter, and QualChoice, Empower, Arkansas Total Care, Summit Community Care.   

Q:  Do we require a PCP referral for counseling?

Sometimes, this varies based on the insurance policy.  We participate with a few insurance companies who require a PCP referral for counseling services, such as Medicaid, and Health Advantage (Baptist Health policy).  

Q:  Do we have a waitlist?

Yes. We actively check in with those waiting to confirm they want to continue to wait as well as with our therapists to see when they’re ready to take on another client.  We also do our best to place you with the most qualified therapist for your particular needs.  

Q:  Can we see students at school?

Yes.  We are able to do sessions with students on school premises for the following districts.   Searcy Public Schools, Beebe Public Schools, Cabot Public Schools, and White County Central Public Schools.

Q:  My insurance won’t cover services and I can’t afford the cash rate.  What other options do I have?

We have a Sliding Fee Application which is based on your income and the size of your household that you can fill out to see if you qualify for a lower rate.  

Q:  Do you have someone who can manage medication?

We have a business agreement with Clarity Health and Wellness to offer medication management for our clients.  You will need to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician for Clarity Health and Wellness prior to scheduling an appointment with them.

Q:  Can younger children be seen for therapy?

We can't see kids under five for counseling services. 

Q:  How soon will I be contacted for an appointment after I complete the Intake Forms?

Upon the first time we either receive a referral from your doctor or you request services by filling out the Intake Forms, you should receive a call from our Client Care Coordinator within a couple of days to confirm your request and to go over your options.  

Q:  How is Marital Therapy billed?

This depends on what insurance you have. Please reach out to us to get more information.

Q: What is the standard for becoming a client and for being discharged.

We determine which persons we are qualified and able to serve based on age, ability to access an established service location, verification of funding, qualifying diagnosis, and medical necessity. Intake Assessments are available to all persons ages 4-65 who wish to be served in one of our established service locations and have a verified payer source (including a sliding fee schedule agreement). All other services will be provided so long as there is a qualifying diagnosis and medical necessity. When a qualifying diagnosis or medical necessity no longer exists, the services will no longer be offered. Entry into the program also depends on current staffing levels and the availability of trained staff to provide services to the persons requesting.

Psychological Testing FAQ’s

Q:  What is a psychological evaluation?

A psychological evaluation is a process that is typically conducted to help identify the most appropriate diagnoses for an individual and offer treatment recommendations.  The evaluation process is tailored to the specific needs of the client but often consists of a combination of detailed clinical interview, clinical observations, face-to-face administration of psychological assessments, completion of rating scales, and review of available records.  During the interview, the examiner will discuss with the client (or parent and client if the client is a minor) background information, symptoms, the reason for the referral, and what the client (or parent) would like to find out from the evaluation.  Based on the information discussed during the interview, the examiner then decides what assessment measures should be utilized to best address the client’s (or parent’s) concerns.

Q:  What ages can be assessed?

Individuals from birth through senior adults can receive psychological evaluations.  It is important to note that some mental health disorders are not typically diagnosed until a certain age.  Therefore, the examiner will make the final determination on the most appropriate assessments to administer during any psychological evaluation.  

Q:  What information is typically contained in the psychological evaluation report?

The evaluation report typically contains a list of the assessment measures utilized, a summary of background information, a summary of symptoms reported at the interview, clinical observations made by the examiner during the evaluation session/s, summary of the results of each assessment administered, one or more diagnoses resulting from the evaluation, and a list of recommendations that may include recommendations for treatment, areas that may require follow-up, resources, and suggestions and strategies to improve areas of concern.

Q:  How many sessions will it take to complete the evaluation and how long do the sessions last?

Evaluations are typically completed in 1-2 sessions.  Either session (although typically not both sessions) could last up to four hours depending on the assessment measures required to answer the referral question/s.

Q:  Where are the psychological evaluations conducted?

Unless otherwise indicated, evaluations must be conducted at a Life Within Counseling Group office.  

Q:  As a parent, do I need to stay at the office during the evaluation of my child?

Yes.  A legal guardian is required to accompany a minor child to an evaluation.  The parent will participate in the clinical interview and complete rating scales of the child’s functioning while the examiner conducts face-to-face assessments with the child.  For some children, especially very young children, it can be helpful for the parent to remain in the room during individual assessment with the child to help the child feel most comfortable and to encourage the child’s participation with assessment tasks.

Q:  How long does it take to get the psychological evaluation report after the evaluation has been completed?

The time that it takes to complete an evaluation report can vary, but the report is typically completed within 1-2 months of the last evaluation session or when all evaluation data has been received.  

Q:  How long is the wait for testing?

Due to the high demand for testing in our state and the lack of providers, a wait list exists among most all clinics.   A typical wait time for an appointment may be 1-2 years from the date of the referral.

Q:  How can I request a psychological evaluation?

Complete the online Intake Forms form indicating the request for testing and the area/s that you would like to have assessed.  If an insurance company will be covering the cost of the evaluation, then a medical necessity for testing must be present.  This means there must be an identifiable reason to conduct assessments in the specific area/s in question.  

Q:  Will I have an opportunity to ask questions about the evaluation results?

Yes.  Upon completion of the evaluation report, the examiner will contact you to schedule an evaluation feedback session in which assessment results, diagnoses, and recommendations will be discussed.  You will have an opportunity to ask questions about evaluation results at this session.  If you would prefer not to attend an evaluation session to go over the results with the examiner, the evaluation report can be mailed or emailed to you instead.

Q:  Can the evaluation results be shared with my primary care physician, therapist, child’s school, etc.?

Yes.  We can send a copy of the evaluation report to another party as long as the client (or legal guardian if applicable) signs a Release of Information giving us written permission to release the evaluation report to the third party.

Q:  My child has been tested previously.  Can my child be tested again?

Yes.  As long as there is a medical necessity to repeat the evaluation process.  Reasons to conduct additional evaluations may include a change in functioning from a previous state, assessing one or more areas that were not included in the original evaluation, and/or re-evaluation is required by a third party to continue services.  Although circumstances can vary, it is typically best to wait at least two years between evaluations.

Q:  What if I don’t have insurance to cover the cost of testing or if I would rather not bill assessment services to my insurance company?

Any client has the option to pay out-of-pocket for testing services.  The out-of-pocket costs typically consist of $150 for the intake interview and $125 for each additional hour of interview, evaluation, assessment scoring, and report writing.  A testing feedback session (if desired) would consist of an additional cost.  The number of hours required to complete the entire process will depend upon the complexity of the situation and the number and type of assessments required to answer the referral question/s.  During the interview, the examiner can discuss assessment options with you and the predicted costs for those options.  Life Within Counseling Group offers payment plans that can be discussed as well.  

Q:  What should I bring with me to an evaluation session?

It can be very helpful to bring the results of any previous psychological or educational evaluations that have been conducted.  These may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy evaluations, evaluations by other mental health providers, or evaluation conducted by the child’s school for the purpose of special education services.  If your child has an IEP or a 504 Plan at school, it can also be very helpful to bring that information to the session as well.  

Q:  Can I bring additional children to the session?

We ask that you not bring siblings or additional children to the evaluation session.  As a parent, your time and attention will be needed to answer questions during the interview and to complete rating scales while individual assessments are being conducted with your child.  Additional children attending the evaluation session can pose a distraction and negatively impact evaluation results.

Q:  I’m an adult receiving an evaluation.  Can I bring my child with me to the session?

As an adult receiving an evaluation, your full attention will be needed during the entire evaluation process.  We ask that you please not bring children with you to the sessions.

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