What is the cost for therapy?
The rates for therapy services at the ICFE depend on the education and experience levels of the specific therapist providing services. The rates for a standard 50-minute psychotherapy session range from $30-$225. If you are eligible for a military discount, please ask about this when scheduling your first appointment. Depending on the nature of the therapy you request, we may agree to meet for a longer period of time depending on your needs. We will negotiate a specific fee in these circumstances.
ICFE Rates and Fees 2024
Do you offer any reduced fee or free services?
Reduced fee services ($30-$110) per session depending on financial need and availability of therapists) are available on a limited basis and provided by LMFT-Associates or Student Interns working under the supervision of Dr. Davenport. If your financial circumstances currently make it difficult or impossible to afford the rates above, you may request information about qualifying for a reduced rate.
What are the payment options?
Cash, check and credit cards (except American Express) are accepted for payment. Payment for all services is due at the time services are rendered. Because appointments are made in advance and reserved specifically for you, we also require either a billing agreement to be left on file with your therapist (including credit card information) or an advance deposit on your account to cover any no show charges. Payments are also accepted from Health Savings Accounts (HSA), if the card can be processed through MasterCard or Visa.
What is your Cancellation and No Show Policy?
Session cancellations or reschedules made less than 24 hours in advance will be charged. No-shows will be charged as well. Your therapist reserved your time slot just for you, please notify them ASAP if something comes up that will affect you attending your session.
How do I request a copy of a therapy record?
In order to request a copy of your individual therapy record, please submit a WRITTEN request to ICFE Custodian of Records, 21015 Market Ridge, San Antonio, TX 78258. The request can be mailed, delivered in person, or emailed to the treating therapist or the office manager at [email protected] if the treating therapist is no longer part of ICFE.
The request needs to include your full name, date of birth, signature and copy of your photo identification in order to confirm your identity. Please also include instructions regarding how you wishes to receive the record (ie, pick up from office, mailed to specific address), and contact information in the event the Custodian of Records has questions pertaining to the request. It is also helpful if the request can include the approximately time frame the services were received.
If you are requesting records of a minor, please include in the WRITTEN request the child’s name and date of birth, your name and relationship to the child, and your signature, along with instructions regarding how you wish to receive the record. Please also provide a copy of any legal documents confirming that the requestor is legally entitled to receive medical records for the child (may send electronically to therapist who provided the service or to [email protected]).
In order to request a copy of a couple or family therapy record, please include all of the above in addition to a HIPAA release form signed by other parties in the therapy record explicitly giving the requestor permission to receive the full record (or specific parts if only partial request). A group record (such as from couples therapy or family therapy) cannot be released to an individual party without consent from all parties or legal guardians of minor who are involved in therapy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD RECORD REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS
How do I select a therapist/counselor who will be a good fit for me/my relationship?
Fortunately, there are many mental health professionals in our city and surrounding areas to serve people with a wide variety of needs. However, the volume of available professionals can be overwhelming for someone trying to find help. If you are reading this page, it is likely because you are trying to find a professional for your specific needs. Our hope for potential clients reviewing this website is that they are able to get a sense of who we are as individuals and clinicians so that you can predict if we are a good fit for you.
First and foremost, potential clients are encouraged to consider what their goals are for the therapeutic process and find a clinician with expertise and experience in that area. Many psychotherapists (counselors, social workers, psychologists, couple and family therapists) are in practice settings that lead them to operate as 'generalists' who attempt to work with almost all clients who call for assistance. However, finding a clinician who specializes in working with clients like you can significantly increase the likelihood that you will be satisfied with the outcome of therapy. At the ICFE, we specialize in working with couples, children, and families, as well as individual clients who are wishing to improve their experiences in relationships (with family members, coworkers, etc.). We invite you to call and speak with us about your specific circumstances to determine if one of our therapists has experience and expertise that can benefit you.
Secondly, it is vital that all family members who are participating in therapy be comfortable with the selected therapist. Therapists, like all people, have different personalities and styles of working with clients. Some clients report meeting with several different psychotherapists prior to finding a good 'fit'. Research examining what predicts positive outcomes for psychotherapy clients has repeatedly demonstrated that the quality of the relationship between the client and therapist is the most important part of the process. When engaging in psychotherapy with multiple individuals present, such as in couple and family therapy, maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship for each client is even more essential. ICFE therapists will regularly seek feedback from clients to ensure that these therapeutic relationships are strong.
I'm not familiar with what MFT means- what is a Marriage and Family Therapist? Do you only see couples and families?
Marriage and Family Therapy is one of the five major core mental health professions recognized by the US Federal government (others are psychiatry, psychology, social work, and psychiatric nursing). The inclusion of "marriage and family" in the title of our profession is somewhat misleading- MFTs are fully qualified to provide assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for individuals, couples (engaged, married, or otherwise committed) and families.
Click here for more information about qualifications of MFTs published by our professional association, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
What sets us apart, however, is primarily the approaches we use when working with clients, whether the 'client' is an individual, a couple, or a family. We recognize and value the powerful significance of relationships in human life. We recognize that "individual" problems (such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, attention deficit...) both are affected by and have an effect on significant relationships. Therefore, we seek to consider one's context, significant relationships, and family history even in the treatment of individual issues in psychotherapy.
When working with couples and families, MFTs are uniquely trained and qualified to balance the complex relationships and needs present simultaneously within the therapeutic process. We are also uniquely trained and qualified to understand how the interactions within a couple or family are shaping and shaped by the problems that are being brought to therapy.
When should we seek help for our relationship? When should I seek help for myself or my child?
Putting it very briefly- if you are researching this topic, it likely means that something has occurred to prompt this question. If conversations and personal attempts at solving the problem or addressing the need are proving ineffective, or are even making things worse, then it can be very helpful to utilize the help of an objective professional to move you and your family in a different direction.
What should we expect from therapy?
Please review the information and brief descriptions in the tabs discussing specific types of therapy (individual, couple, child and family) for an overview of the process based on the needs you are bringing. After the first 1-2 sessions, your therapist will also be able to offer a general description of his/her recommendations for the therapeutic process to give you a 'road map' for future sessions. We will also often ask you to do some 'homework' between sessions, as well, to facilitate your progress toward your goals.
Do you accept insurance? How does insurance work for psychotherapy?
There are two ways that you may be able to use your insurance benefits for therapy services- with an 'in-network provider' or an 'out-of-network provider'. Most therapists at the ICFE are not in-network providers with insurance carriers and, therefore, do not bill your insurance company or accept co-payments as fees for services. If you must see an in-network provider, please notify the ICFE Intake Associate when calling or emailing to schedule an appointment. If no one at the ICFE accepts your plan, we will provide a referral for other potential options. If no ICFE therapist has a contract with your company, then you may also be able to utilize 'out-of-network' benefits with an LMFT clinician. Utilizing out-of-network benefits means that you as the client pay the session fees at the time services are rendered. We then provide you with a receipt that includes necessary information for your insurance company to reimburse you for expenses based on the details of your health plan. Your insurance company may have additional documentation that is required for processing out-of-network benefits claims; we will complete documents provided by clients. There is generally no charge for the completion of these documents unless the company's paperwork requires a substantial amount of time.
Please be aware, though, that all insurance companies will require a mental health diagnosis be assigned to you or someone in the family unit seeking help (couple or family) in order to pay for psychotherapy services. We often hear from clients that they do not want to have a diagnosis assigned to them; these clients then often opt to pay for therapy with cash or credit and not to submit the claim to their insurance company.
To determine if you have mental health coverage, the first thing you should do is check with your insurance carrier. Check your coverage carefully and find the answers to the following questions:
- What are my mental health benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider? What forms need to be completed to obtain reimbursement for psychotherapy with an out-of-network provider?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
- Does my health plan cover couple and family psychotherapy sessions (Procedure Code 90847 is specifically what you should ask about if you are seeking couples or family therapy)?
Is therapy confidential?
In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and psychotherapist.
There are several specific exceptions to confidentiality within individual, couple, or family therapy. Your therapist may be required to break confidentiality in the following situations:
- Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist may act to ensure the safety of both the client and any potential victims.
- If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.
- If ordered by a judge, a therapist may have to disclose information obtained in the therapeutic context. Therapy is not considered a legally protected context if a client admits to criminal acts- the therapist can be forced to testify to what they have been told.
- If a client brings a legal or ethical complaint against a therapist, the therapist may break confidentiality to the extent necessary to adequately defend him or herself against the complaint.
- A therapist may disclose clients' identifying information in order to collect unpaid fees for services delivered.
Confidentiality and privacy become more complex, though, when working in a couple of family therapy context. Your ICFE therapist will review this information with you in the first session; however, it is important that clients understand that confidentiality for couples therapy is considered to be held within the couple, not with each individual. This stance is intentionally taken in order for the therapist to avoid being asked to keep harmful secrets from one partner or the other. A similar stance is taken in the family therapy process- if a member of the couple or family shares information with the therapist individually that is important for another family member to know (incident of infidelity, substance abuse problems, 'teen secrets', etc.), the therapist will work with the individual to determine the best way for the information to be shared. The ICFE Notice of Privacy Practices covers these issues in detail.