Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Before you ever become a client, we talk. During your consultation, we will be able to learn a little bit more about each other and determine the course of action that would be the most beneficial for you. We want to know what your struggle is and how you see your life being different when our time together concludes. We need to meet you to know if we can help you and if we are a good fit to work together. We will be honest if we may not be the best therapist for you at this time and assist you in finding a professional who may be a better fit. 

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We can schedule a time for a 15 minute complimentary consultation by phone. LifePaths practice is open to individuals located within the state of Tennessee at the time of your appointment. This 15 minute consultation is NOT a therapeutic appointment and the topics discussed will remain focus on determining clinical fit and our ability to help you effectively.

Therapy sessions are about 55 minutes long. How long you stay in therapy, whether it is 6 weeks, or six months, or longer, is entirely your choice and varies based on your  needs. We will develop a plan together with you to determine the best course of treatment for you.

Please contact us via email or phone to schedule a free 15-minute consultation before we meet for the first time. After that, if we decided to continue, you will be emailed an invitation to sign up for TherapyNotes patient portal, where appointments will be booked. Appointments can be scheduled either in person or through Telehealth.

Since your appointment time has been reserved for you, we ask that if you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand. Otherwise, you may be charged up to the full rate of the session. We provide some flexibility in allowing one (1) late cancel or missed appointment per 6 months to account for an unexpected illness or emergency. Additionally, scheduled in person appointments can be changed to Telehealth in your patient portal to accommodate unanticipated changes. Reminders are sent prior to scheduled appointments via email to help you maintain your scheduled appointment.

Yes — what you say in our office stays in between you and your therapist, within the limits of the law. Clients are protected by privacy regulations set forth by HIPAA. You will be provided with a Notice of Privacy Practices in the patient portal once you decide to make an appointment.

This question may be particularly important if you are going to a counselor for the first time. Counseling sessions at LifePaths are typically 55 minutes long. Typically, we will review a treatment plan after your assessment has been completed to confirm specific goals you have for your therapy, to be sure that you understand what you want to achieve and how much time that is expected to take.   

It’s natural for clients to wonder about a therapist’s background, approach, or opinion. The short answer to the question is: Yes. If you have a question, feel free to ask. Your questions are valid and may be relevant to the therapeutic process.  While we may or may not answer the question, we will explore its significance with you.

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By nature we are relational and it is perfectly understandable why you may want to ask questions of someone with whom they’re going to be sharing their intimate self. In therapy, healing comes out of a real relationship built on trust. Your time in therapy is about you, not us, so the focus will be on you. We are willing to share our perfectly imperfect selves with you in situations when it is beneficial to help you.

There are a lot of behavioral health specialists to choose from in our area and it can also be hard to figure out how to find the best one for you. Frequently people in need are finding it hard to get an appointment scheduled with anyone.  We will do our best to help you find resources that can help get you to a counselor that is right for you, so you can get on the path towards healing and solutions as soon as possible.