To set up an initial consultation, please call Dr. Gutkin at 1.925.276.2002. Here is what to expect from the first consultation.
Please make sure to fill out these forms prior to your visit, so we could spend more time on the important issues that brought you to my office. Fees and payments.
Emergencies
Please note that Dr. Gutkin does NOT provide any emergency services. If you are in the state of a medical or a psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Forms for Your First Visit
Please arrive at least a few minutes early. I will pick you up from the waiting room promptly at your appointment time.
Please fill out all of the following forms and bring them to your first appointment. If you are a couple, each person should fill out his/her own HIPPA and Client Information Form.
- Notice of Privacy Practices (full version)
This notice describes how medical information about you and/or your minor maybe used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. - Notice of Privacy Practices (brief version)
Meets minimal legal requirements. Please review this version if you are unable to get through the full version above. Briefly describes how medical information about you and/or your minor maybe used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. - Consent to Use and Disclose Your Health Information
Please sign this form after reviewing one of the Notices of Privacy Practices above (either a full or a brief version). - Office Polices, Procedures & Consent to Treatment
Please review, complete and sign. - Agreement to Pay for Professional Services
Please review, complete and sign.
What to Expect
During the initial free phone consultation, we will briefly discuss the issues that triggered your phone call and together will decide if scheduling a therapy appointment would be appropriate at this time.
In your first therapy session, we are going to focus in more detail on your current concerns, relevant history, and goals that you would like to reach in therapy. The first psychotherapy session tends to be the most anxiety provoking and it is also packed with legally mandated discussions related to confidentiality, insurance issues, and review of relevant office policies and procedures. Since this will be the first time we meet and I will know almost nothing about you, it will be crucial for me to thoroughly discuss your background history and issues that you have been struggling with. Most of the time, this conversation will spill over into our second session, and therefore, it is often not until the third session that you get a true sense of what my therapy sessions are like. Keeping that in mind, I ask you to come in for at least 2-3 sessions before you start thinking about whether you would like to continue our therapeutic relationship.
Towards the end of your first appointment, we will determine an appropriate course of action and formulate an initial treatment plan. This plan might include subsequent therapy sessions, participation in a therapy related class, or a referral to another provider who can better meet your needs.”
Fees & Payments
Fees
- Individual Psychotherapy Sessions for Adults, Children, and Teens:
The very first time we meet, we will need to exchange a significant amount of information. Since this will be the first time we meet and I will know almost nothing about you/your child, it will be crucial for me to thoroughly discuss the background history and issues that you/your child have been struggling with. For this reason, I usually schedule 1 hour to 1:30 for this first meeting and my fee for the initial consultation will be based on my hourly rate. Following the initial consultation session, we will usually meet for a 45-50 minute individual therapy session once a week, then less often. Please call for the current hourly rate. - Family Therapy:
Family therapy involves participation of several family members which makes these sessions last an hour to an hour and a half. - Sliding Scale: I offer sliding scale rates with limited availability for those who are unable to pay full rates due to the current financial situation.
Payments
I accept all major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover), HAS (Health Saving Account) cards, checks, and cash. Payments are due before each session.
Insurance
Now accepting Magellan, Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna and ValueOptions (AKA: Beacon Health Options).
For other clients, I will provide an invoice for you to submit to your PPO or other plan for your own reimbursement. If your insurance offers that option, the reimbursements will be made by the insurance company directly to you, so you are responsible for payments to me at the time of service.
Cancellation Policy
Please notify me at least 72 hours prior to your scheduled appointment if you are not able to make it and need to reschedule or cancel it.
