Frequently Asked Questions

If you are here, chances are you are ready to get help but are a tad overwhelmed from looking at a dozen different websites and trying to figure out this whole therapy thing!?

We want to make this process as easy as we can. Below you will find detailed answers to our most frequently asked questions about child counseling. If you have others, feel free to give us a call or shoot us a message. We will be happy to answer your questions.

To learn more about the therapy techniques we use, click here.

Payment Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take insurance?

YES! All of our fully licensed therapists take insurance. We accept Anthem BCBS, Aetna, Caresource Marketplace, IU Health, Lyra, Midwest Behavioral/New Avenues, and United Healthcare/Optum.

Unfortunately, we do not take any form of Medicaid, including HIP, HHW, or traditional. We do not take Cigna, Community/Prohealth, or Tricare.

If I have insurance, how will I know what I will be paying?

Indy Child Therapist will verify your benefits prior to your appointment. However, this is a courtesy and may not be 100% accurate. Unlike a doctor’s office that may have thousands of codes, we have about 5 that we use the most and know the contract rates for these. We will provide you with an estimated intake and session cost once you provide us with your insurance information. You can also ask us this on the phone.

However, you are responsible for verifying that your therapist is in network with your insurance and that mental health services are covered. Please be prepared to pay your co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible at the first and each subsequent visit.

What if we don't have insurance or don't want to use it?

You are always welcome to self pay. Our rates below do not reflect our contract rates with insurance, which are typically a little lower. We do not offer a sliding fee scale, but do have 2 reduced fee therapy offerings. Please check our staff page to see if we have any resident or student therapists.

Our current intake rates are:

$160/intake, licensed therapist
$110/intake, resident therapist
$50/intake, student therapist

Our current session rates are:

$140/session, licensed therapist
$90/session, resident therapist
$35/session, student therapist

What forms of payment do you accept?

We highly prefer credit card, but will take cash or check. You must provide payment at time of service.

Can you split payments if we have a custody arrangment?

Kinda. We can store as many credit cards on file as you wish and can alternate payments between those cards. You are also welcome to go online and split payments between cards as needed. However, the person who signs the child up for therapy is responsible for getting the credit card from the other parent. We will not do this.

Service Type Frequently Asked Questions

Do you do psychological testing?

No. We do not currently have any psychologists on staff to do testing, but do maintain relationships with several that we can reccomend as needed.

We do, however, complete a mental health assessment based on you and your child’s feedback to help us understand what is going on. As part of this, we assess for symptoms of mental health issues such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more. We utilize this information to develop an individualizzed treatment plan just for your child.

Do you provide recommendations in court regarding visitation & custody?

NO, as none of our therapists have training as a parenting time coordinator, mediator, visitation evaluation, etc.

Indy Child Therapist, LLC and its employees do not make recommendations as to parenting time, custody, or visitation arrangements. This is outside of the scope of our practice and training.

Furthermore, we view our role as therapists as a support to the child(ren) in accomplishing the goals identified in the treatment plan. This requires a therapeutic alliance in which the child(ren) feels safe to share openly and honestly with their therapist and without fear their statements might be used against their parent(s) or themselves in the future. We strongly feel that any potential request to testify in court or provide documentation in regards to content of sessions mars the therapeutic alliance and does not allow for the open and honest communication that is necessary for good clinical care. We request that parents understand and respect this assumption prior to engaging us in services. If parents may wish to utilize content of therapy in the course of legal proceedings, we would ask the parents to consider if we are the best fit for their family.

What about if my child needs or uses medication?

We do not have a psychiatrist or nurse practictioner on staff at this time and therefore cannot prescribe medication.

However, we do have relationships with several peditricians and psychiatrists that we can recommend as needed. We also request a release of information to any medical provider working with your child. This ensures we can provide them with any information they need so your child gets the best and most holistic care!

Therapy Process Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after we schedule our 1st session?

When scheduling, you will get an email from us to our client portal. You will need to use the one time link in that email within 48 hours to create an account for your child. As this is the CHILD’S medical record, you may only have one username and login, so please make sure to share this with any other parent/caregiver.

Once you login, you will be prompted to sign all of the required paperwork. This will take you 20-30 minutes. Part of the reason this takes a little bit longer than others’ paperwork is because there is a child intake form. This form allows you to share a current and historical data about what is going on with your child. Your therapist will read this prior to the intake session to make sure they have a good idea of what is going on before we meet your child for the first time.

Is there anything else we need to do before the 1st appointment?

Tell your child you are taking them and why. It is not fun for any of us for a child to be surprised by this upon entering the office.
FILL OUT ALL PAPERWORK in the client portal. You must complete all paperwork 48 hours prior to the appointment to give your therapist time to review it. We will reschedule your appointment if paperwork is not complete.
Talk with the other parent involved to see what insights, concerns, or information they would like relayed.
Write down any specific questions or concerns that you have.
Gather and bring the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any medical doctors, school, teachers, etc., that you may want your therapist to correspond with.
Make copies of any testing or evaluations done by a doctor, therapist, school, or other entity you wish the therapist to review, and bring them with you to the intake appointment.

What should we bring to the 1st appointment?

Please bring the following with you to the first appointment:

Legal guardian and child
- Any custody or legal paperwork if both biological parents are not married
State ID/Driver’s License
Insurance Card
Names, addresses, and phone numbers of anyone you will want your therapist to correspond with
Any testing or evaluations that have been completed on the child

Depending on your appointment time and child, you may also wish to bring a snack and drink with you. We ask that no electronics be used by the child (or parent) during the intake or subsequent appointments.

How often will we see our therapist?

Our mission is to ensure excellent and effective client care. Therefore, we manage our caseloads to make sure every client can be seen regularly and in a timely manner. Our therapists develop a treatment plan that is unique to each client’s needs. As such, sessions could be twice a week, once a month, or something in between!

TYPICALLY, we like to meet with new clients once a week for the first month to build rapport and consistency with your child. After this time, we do a check-in appointment with the family to ensure we are working on the right thing, determine progress, and make any adjustments needed.

We request parents meet with their child’s therapist every 3-4 sessions for the duration of treatment. We believe that parents are integral to the treatment process, and therefore we want them to know what it going throughout the time their child is in therapy.

How long will we be in therapy?

The intake appointment is up to 2 hours. Typical sessions are 45-55 minutes in length.

As far as the duration of the entire therapy process, this is something that is specific to each client. We typically will suggest tapering off of sessions once there has been a period of time where the identified goal is being met.

Indy Child Therapist likes to reduce the frequency of sessions to ensure the client is able to maintain progress before discharging the client.

Clients who successfully discharge from services and find the need for therapy in the future are more than welcome to come back for a booster or refresher. Likewise, they are also welcome to come back into therapy if there is a need for that as well.

What happens in a typical therapy session?

Our therapists try to structure each and every appointment based on the needs of that specific client, and as such, there is not really a “typical” session.

However, there are a few things that are generally the same.

The first appointment after the intake is almost always done with your therapist and the child alone, unless the child or parent requests otherwise. Although subsequent sessions are typically 1:1 with the child, we rarely will deter a parent from coming into the session if requested, and only if it is counter productive to the therapeutic process. (Clients who are doing ERP for OCD, parents will sit in on almost every session. There is a different process for these clients than others.)

Indy Child Therapist requests to meet with parents every 3-4 sessions to ensure everyone is on the same page and address any issues or concerns that arise. Parents may request to meet with their therapist at any time they feel they need to. Additionally, we take a WHOLE SYSTEMS approach to counseling, meaning we do not identify one singular person as the “problem” and therefore will treat the FAMILY in most instances. Be prepared to engage in the therapeutic process alongside your child!

Your therapist will also ask you upon coming out to get your child if there is anything that they should know about. You may come back with the child or by yourself to share this information. Likewise, you may also email or call your therapist prior to the appointment to discuss any concerns or issues that have arisen throughout the week. We encourage our clients to use the client portal to communicate at any time with their therapist.

Our therapists typically give “You-work”. This is something for you and the child to work on throughout the week, such as journaling, coping skills, or a specific activity/exercise. Coming and talking once a week is not the cure. In order to change or improve things, you will need to do some work outside of the therapy office.

What times will our appointments be?

When you schedule your intake, our staff will let you know if your therapist only has daytime appointments or if they have after school or weekend appointments available. As evening and weekend appointments are the most sought after, these times are frequently the first to get scheduled. We allow our clients to schedule out 75 days in advance to ensure they are able to see their therapist consistently. Furthermore, as the intake appointment is usually a bit longer, we only do these during daytime hours and not after school to allow for the most clients to be seen after school.

I don't really want my child to miss school...

We understand that it is important for children to be in school. We also understand the importance of ensuring the child who is in school is well, capable of learning, and safe. If a child is having tantrums in the classroom, panic attacks before getting on the bus, or thinking of killing themselves, their presence in school should not be the first priority. We prioritize helping your child be a student who can achieve their potential and work with schools to help facilitate their success.

What does our office look like?

Watch this short video for a tour of our office!

Have More Questions?

Email us anytime

Or call — 317-683-0031