FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions about what we do at Forward Motion Counseling Services. If your questions remain unanswered, please feel free to contact us, or schedule a free consultation.
FMCS is in network with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ and Aetna. If you do not have either of these insurances, please reach out and we will provide information about a sliding scale option or utilizing your out of network benefits.
Yes! What this means is that you will be charged the full session fee and we will give you an invoice that you can give to your insurance carrier. Many carriers have OON benefits and will reimburse you for those services. Check with your individual insurance carrier to see if this is an option for you.
Sliding scale is a means by which people can pay for therapy without using insurance. For those who are in financial need, this can help reduce the costs of therapy. Specific rates vary based on income and need. If you request sliding scale, we will ask for household income and for a brief description of your life circumstances to determine what your rate will be.
This will be based on information you provide. FMCS has varying rates based on income, need, and the current needs of the organization. We strive to provide affordable counseling to our community while still remaining financially solvent. We appreciate those in the community that can take on the full rate as it allows for clients with less means to access therapy.
To get a sense of where you might fall here are some example scenarios
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We ask that clients inform their therapist through text, email, or call 24-hours before the start of the session in order not incur a cancellation fee. Cancelling after 24 hours may result in a $75 cancellation fee. The therapist has the final say in whether they will charge this fee.
We use SImple Practice for our telehealth platform and medical record keeping. This is a HIPAA compliant service that provides systems that maintain client confidentiality.
This depends on the initial assessment you have with your therapist. Early on, sessions will start weekly but could be increased to twice a week based on your psychological needs (trouble maintaining progress, high emotional reactivity, regular crisis) or current circumstances (ie. acute crisis). Over time your sessions may decrease to bi-weekly or monthly. If you are meeting monthly on a regular basis then your therapist will speak with you about your therapy goals to determine whether you are in need of continued services. If you are in need of more regular therapy services than twice a week, then your therapist will speak with you about attaining a higher level of care.
This will be decided between you and your therapist. We currently offer times in the morning, afternoon, evenings, and weekends. Each therapist has their own availability.
Yes! Most providers are telehealth at this time.
Yes! We get that life is busy or technology may not be cooperating. We will seek to meet you were you are at. However, your therapist may recommend meeting in person or via telehealth based on your psychological needs. If you are unable to accommodate, then we will refer you to a provider who can meet your request.
Please be aware that some insurances may require therapists to meet in person or via telehealth. Your therapist will speak with you about finding this out from your insurance before proceeding.
For the first session your therapist will speak with you for an 53+ minutes to attain basic assessment of your needs. This intake process may take 1-3 sessions. During this process the therapist will orient you to therapy and make recommendations for how to proceed. This is a negotiation with your therapist and may look different from one client to another.
Yes! We provide a 20 minute consultation with the practice manager to get an idea if FMCS therapists can help you with your concerns. At the end we will recommend a therapist or recommend other resources.
Yes! What you share with your therapist is confidential. The only exceptions are if you are a risk to yourself or others or showing abuse beahvior towards children or elderly people. Therapist and Social Workers are mandated reports so we will contact the appropriate agencies and services required to investigate these behaviors as they arise. Your provider will do their best to inform you about these circumstances during your initial appointment and will talk to you about the need to call services when they arise.
For your initial appointment you can visit our client portal, or email us. The practice manager will provide you information about clinician availability and time. For future sessions, you can contact your therapist directly via the phone number or email that they provide.
We do! FMCS seeks to help clients interested in gender affirming care and will write letters based on the WPATH standards of care. Please be aware that WPATH standards require two letters. One from the patient’s psychotherapist (a long term relationship) and one from a mental health professional who has an evaluative role. Please be aware that if you are using one of our providers as an evaluative therapist that we will need at least 2 assessment sessions to best assess your circumstances and psychological needs.
Yes, you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
- You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.
- Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.
- If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.
- Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises
Yes! Our email address, info@fm-counseling.com is a Protonmail address. If you are not yet a client of FMCS, you can email us using a Protonmail address to ensure that the contents of your email (aside from the subject line) will be end to end encrypted. If you are an existing client, we request that you utilize our HIPAA compliant client portal to contact us instead. If you’d like to use encryption with another email provider, please contact us to request a password protected email, or our PGP public key.