Question 1

What are your hours?

Accepted Answer

We are available for appointments Monday - Thursday from 9 am - 5:30 pm. The latest available start time for scheduling a session each day is 4:30 pm.

While we only take appointments Monday - Thursday, we are in the office each week day working hard behind the scenes and can be reached by phone or email.

Question 2

Do I have to be a Christian to be a client here?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. Whether you are a professing Christian or not, our dedication to serving you stays the same. Think of us more as excellent therapy provided by Christians rather than therapists who exclusively provide Christian Counseling. See our "Services" page for more information about Christian Counseling.

Question 3

How long will treatment take?

Accepted Answer

Rest assured, our intention is to talk ourselves out of a job. The duration of therapy can vary depending on your specific needs and goals. We want you to be able to utilize our services to fit your needs whenever you need, whether that means one session, or one year of working together.

Question 4

Do you provide therapy online or in person?

Accepted Answer

We are pleased to provide sessions both in person and virtually, however this may vary depending on your clinician.

Question 5

What is EMDR?

Accepted Answer

Developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapeutic modality designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR is itself a very eclectic and dynamic approach to therapy, allowing each therapist who implements it to make it very much their own. During EMDR sessions, the therapist guides the client to recall distressing memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as following the therapist's fingers with their eyes or tapping on alternate sides of the body. There are many theories about the role that bilateral stimulation plays in this modality, but what is certain is that it has become a proven treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and many other mental health diagnoses and stressors.

EMDR may be a particularly helpful for you if you have not found traditional talk therapy helpful in the past, have experienced significant distressing events in your life, or if you are interested in a way of doing therapy that doesn't involve that much talking. This approach is typically considered to be a much faster form of treatment. This benefit can be maximized by taking advantage of our EMDR Intensives program.

Question 6

How can therapy help me?

Accepted Answer

Your problem is not that you are incapable of change. We believe that you will be successful when you have the clearest picture of what exactly has been standing in your way and what life will look like on the other side of it. People come to therapy with a wide variety of needs, desires, and stories. Some folks find themselves experiencing debilitating effects of a mental health disorder. Others may be skeptical that therapy could be helpful at all because things aren't that bad. Whether you fall into one of those categories or somewhere else, once you are done with therapy you will be equipped with what you need to seize the opportunities that you refuse to miss again.

Question 7

Am I going to be given a mental health diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

It depends.

If you are planning to have a superbill submitted to your insurance company then a mental health diagnosis is required.

If you would prefer not to submit a superbill to your insurance company for any reason then a mental health diagnosis is not required.

Clients may choose to not receive a mental health diagnosis for a number of other reasons. You may already know what this means for you, but if you are curious what kinds of situations this may involve you can ask your therapist prior to receiving a diagnosis. Some clients want to know what kind of diagnosis they have received and others do not. Either way, understanding what it means to receive a diagnosis or not falls under the realm of informed consent and will always be discussed with you as part of your treatment.

Question 8

How can I tell if a therapist is a good match for me?

Accepted Answer

Therapy happens within the context of a relationship. This therapeutic relationship is both necessary and sufficient for change. This means that not every therapist is great fit for every client and vice versa. Our primary concern is that you get the help that you need. If at any point you feel that you and your therapist are not a good fit you are always free to switch to someone else. We are also more than happy to help you find a good fit somewhere else if we cannot provide a therapist for you that you feel comfortable with.

To prevent this from happening we are happy to offer free 45 minute consultations so that you and your therapist can spend a little bit of time finding out if it will be a promising working relationship, answering questions, and learning more about what treatment might look like.

Question 9

Notice of Privacy Practices

Accepted Answer

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

White Stone Counseling Center (the “Practice”) is committed to protecting your privacy. The Practice is required by federal law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (“PHI”), which is information that identifies or could be used to identify you. The Practice is required to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (this “Notice”), which explains the Practice's legal duties and privacy practices and your rights regarding PHI that we collect and maintain.

YOUR RIGHTS
Your rights regarding PHI are explained below. To exercise these rights, please submit a written request to the Practice at the address noted below.

To inspect and copy PHI.
• You can ask for an electronic or paper copy of PHI. The Practice may charge you a reasonable fee.
• The Practice may deny your request if it believes the disclosure will endanger your life or another person's life. You may have a right to have this decision reviewed.

To amend PHI.
• You can ask to correct PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete. The Practice may require you to make your request in writing and provide a reason for the request.
• The Practice may deny your request. The Practice will send a written explanation for the denial and allow you to submit a written statement of disagreement.

To request confidential communications.
• You can ask the Practice to contact you in a specific way. The Practice will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

To limit what is used or shared.
• You can ask the Practice not to use or share PHI for treatment, payment, or business operations. The Practice is not required to agree if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask the Practice not to share PHI with your health insurer.
• You can ask for the Practice not to share your PHI with family members or friends by stating the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

To obtain a list of those with whom your PHI has been shared.
• You can ask for a list, called an accounting, of the times your health information has been shared. You can receive one accounting every 12 months at no charge, but you may be charged a reasonable fee if you ask for one more frequently.

To receive a copy of this Notice.
• You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive the Notice electronically.

To choose someone to act for you.
• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights.

To file a complaint if you feel your rights are violated.
• You can file a complaint by contacting the Practice using the following information:
White Stone Counseling Center
Seth Criner
(804) 510-0936
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

To opt out of receiving fundraising communications.
• The Practice may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can ask not to be contacted again.

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES
1. Routine Uses and Disclosures of PHI
The Practice is permitted under federal law to use and disclose PHI, without your written authorization, for certain routine uses and disclosures, such as those made for treatment, payment, and the operation of our business. The Practice typically uses or shares your health information in the following ways:

To treat you.
• The Practice can use and share PHI with other professionals who are treating you.
• Example: Your primary care doctor asks about your mental health treatment.

To run the health care operations.
• The Practice can use and share PHI to run the business, improve your care, and contact you.
• Example: The Practice uses PHI to send you appointment reminders if you choose.

To bill for your services.
• The Practice can use and share PHI to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
• Example: The Practice gives PHI to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

2. Uses and Disclosures of PHI That May Be Made Without Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object
The Practice may use or disclose PHI without your authorization or an opportunity for you to object, including:

To help with public health and safety issues
• Public health: To prevent the spread of disease, assist in product recalls, and report adverse reactions to medication.
• Required by the Secretary of Health and Human Services: We may be required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of the final rule on Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information.
• Health oversight: For audits, investigations, and inspections by government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs, and civil rights laws.
• Serious threat to health or safety: To prevent a serious and imminent threat.
• Abuse or Neglect: To report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

To comply with law, law enforcement, or other government requests
• Required by law: If required by federal, state or local law.
• Judicial and administrative proceedings: To respond to a court order, subpoena, or discovery request.
• Law enforcement: For law locate and identify you or disclose information about a victim of a crime.
• Specialized Government Functions: For military or national security concerns, including intelligence, protective services for heads of state, or your security clearance.
• National security and intelligence activities: For intelligence, counterintelligence, protection of the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, for purpose of determining your own security clearance and other national security activities authorized by law.
• Workers' Compensation: To comply with workers' compensation laws or support claims.

To comply with other requests
• Coroners and Funeral Directors: To perform their legally authorized duties.
• Organ Donation: For organ donation or transplantation.
• Research: For research that has been approved by an institutional review board.
• Inmates: The Practice created or received your PHI in the course of providing care.
• Business Associates: To organizations that perform functions, activities or services on our behalf.

3. Uses and Disclosures of PHI That May Be Made With Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object
Unless you object, the Practice may disclose PHI:

To your family, friends, or others if PHI directly relates to that person's involvement in your care.

If it is in your best interest because you are unable to state your preference.

4. Uses and Disclosures of PHI Based Upon Your Written Authorization
The Practice must obtain your written authorization to use and/or disclose PHI for the following purposes:

Marketing, sale of PHI, and psychotherapy notes.

You may revoke your authorization, at any time, by contacting the Practice in writing, using the information above. The Practice will not use or share PHI other than as described in Notice unless you give your permission in writing.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
• The Practice is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of PHI.
• The Practice is required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect. Where more stringent state or federal law governs PHI, the Practice will abide by the more stringent law.
• The Practice reserves the right to amend Notice. All changes are applicable to PHI collected and maintained by the Practice. Should the Practice make changes, you may obtain a revised Notice by requesting a copy from the Practice, using the information above, or by viewing a copy on the website www.whitestonerva.com.
• The Practice will inform you if PHI is compromised in a breach.

This Notice is effective on 01/01/2024.

Helpful answers to important questions