FAQs
How to initiate services?
Thank you for your interest in my services! Please call or send me an email to schedule either an initial phone consultation or intake appointment.
What ages do you work with?
I see children ages 5+, adolescents, adults, and parents struggling with various concerns.
What do the letters behind your name mean?
The MA stands for Master of Arts which I received from LeTourneau University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor. To obtain an LPC, I had to pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) following graduate school and completed the required 3000 hours of supervision and direct client hours from Texas state licensing boards (BHEC). Certified CCPT stands for Certified Child Centered Play Therapist.
Do you accept insurance?
At this time, Megan is not directly in network with any insurance carriers. Instead, Megan partners with Headway to see clients with various insurance plans. You can find the list of insurance, Megan can see through Headway under the cost page. If you have another insurance carrier, Megan Hoffman Counseling, PLLC can offer documentation if you want to file for out-of-network (OON) benefits.
If insurance is not an option, how much do your services cost?
My initial intake appointment is $135. For all follow up 45-60 minutes sessions, including parent consultations for minor clients my fee is $125.
How do I pay for sessions?
For those that are not using insurance, when filling out the intake paperwork you will be asked to put card on file to pay for appointments. The card on file will be run after the scheduled appointment. There is other acceptable form of payments such as cash or check. These will be noted in the final agreement form.
What is a Good Faith Estimate?
The No Surprises Act, Effective January 1st, 2021, requires health care providers to provide patients who do not have insurance, or who are not using their insurance, with an estimate for services. This is not a contract hold you to services or cost, but rather what you could expect to pay for certain services. A Good Faith Estimated does not include unexpected costs, such as legal fees. You will be provided with the estimate before your first appointment via my client portal.
How often are sessions scheduled?
To help build a strong therapeutic relationship and help create change, I highly encourage scheduling recurring weekly appointment at the same day and time. However, depending on your needs, we can discuss scheduling what would work best for your child and family.
How long are each session?
Depending on the concern, the therapist schedule, and the client, length of session can go longer, but for the most part you can expect each session to range between 45 to 60 minutes.
How long can I expect therapy to last?
Everyone heals and grows at their own pace. There is no exact timeline for treatment, that can be ethically given prior to the start of services. Each client varies depending on their concerns and needs. Clients/parents are encouraged to first meet with their therapist, discuss their concerns and goals for treatment, develop a strong therapeutic relationship, and collaborate on developing a treatment plan. From there, both you and your therapist openly discuss and estimate for a timeline of services.
Does therapy work?
While the benefits to therapy have been widely explored through research and client testimonies. Ethically, mental health professionals cannot “guarantee” results. Every client is different in regard to what they are needing and their concerns. The relationship, trust and open communication you build with your therapist can assist in the results you are experiencing. Clients are encouraged to explore with their therapist when they are feeling any regression or stall in the therapeutic process.
What can I expect in an intake session?
An intake appointment, is the first appointment scheduled to meet your or child’s therapist, go over the therapy process, and gather history relevant to the presenting concerns. During this time, we will discuss goals and how I best serve you and your family.
Prior to the intake appointment, I will send you intake paperwork through my secure client portal: SimplePractice.
For minor clients, the intake appointment is for parent(s)/guardians. In some cases, for older adolescent minors, the teen can be present for the intake appointment should they wish to be included in the initial appointment. During the initial phone consultation, the therapist will discuss this option with the parent initiating services.
Do you require both parents to consent and participate in services?
Yes. My practice policy requires both parents regardless of marital status to sign my consent paperwork prior to child beginning therapy. Parent involvement in services although highly encouraged, will be reviewed at the intake process.
How often do you meet or reach out to parents?
Should any risk concerns arise, I will reach out to parents immediately. Otherwise, I typically meet with parents every four to six sessions with the minor client. Parents are encouraged to reach out to me with any concerns or updates they feel is important for me to be aware of between client session and parent consultations.
Do you provide school excuse notes?
Should your child need a school excuse note, I am more than happy to provide them with the note at the time of their session, so they are not penalized. Most schools are flexible and understanding of the counseling process and have accepted the school excuse notes.
What do I tell my child about therapy?
I encourage parents to prepare the child for their first visit. Depending on the age of the child/teen, your therapist can provide you with somethings to say to prepare them before their first visit. It is normal for there to be some pushback, as trying new things, going to a new place and meeting with a stranger can be scary! It’s okay to offer them comfort and share your desire for them to have their own space play and in the case of teens talk.
It is also okay to show them some of the photos from my website for them to get a feel of what my space looks like.
What should I do after my child’s session? Is it okay to ask them about how it went?
It is natural to be curious about your child’s therapy, but please refrain from asking your child about their session time. Just like adults, a child/teen might not want to talk about their session. Instead, I highly encourage parents to let their child choose if they want to and what they want to share about their session. If you ever have a question or concerns about a topic, please reach out to your child therapist.
Sometimes a child may bring home something they created in session. I encourage parent to avoid labeling the creation and instead allow the client to share what they want about the creation.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule my appointment?
I understand that life happens and sometimes things pop up. I am happy to reschedule an appointment with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you need to reschedule/cancel your appointment, please reach out to me by either email or phone/text message. If an appointment is cancelled less 24 hours’ notice or if a client fails to show up, a late fee will be charged for the missed appointment.