At The Well Woman, we know making the call to initiate therapy services is monumental and has likely been in the making for months or even years. We are happy you decided to take this step, as we know it will be a life changing experience. We hope you are excited about this journey and we also understand you may feel nervous. Nerves are common and normal. Therapy is a very personal and vulnerable experience. Here, we’d like to share more about the process to provide some comfort.
Once you have decided to engage in therapy, you can call our office at 404-618-1040 ext. 1 to make an appointment. Callers are greeted by our administrative assistants. During the call, we want to know more about you. Many of the questions we ask are about demographics and insurance information, if you are using insurance. A referral from your primary care physician is not required to initiate services. Your appointment for an initial assessment is made during the call and once the call is completed, our office will verify insurance benefits, if the individual is using insurance. If you have an insurance plan where you pay a copay, then typically, you will only have to pay that copay for each session. If you have an insurance plan where you have to meet the deductible, then you will pay the full contracted rate of the session (varies by insurance) and it is applied towards your deductible.
If a brief phone consultation is requested by the individual, please inform our administrative team and provide your availability for a brief phone call. During the consultation, the individual has the opportunity to ask the clinician questions about the treatment process specifically related to their concerns. In most cases, a consultation is not needed and scheduling can proceed.
After scheduling your initial appointment, you will receive an email inviting you to sign up for the online portal. Here, you will find documents that need to be completed prior to your appointment. These documents include privacy policies, consent to treat forms, a client questionnaire, and multiple other forms regarding treatment. It is important to complete these forms prior to your appointment so that session time is not used on completing the forms.
We understand the women we work with are dealing with significant discomfort and need the discomfort to go away so that they can grow into the best version of themselves. We focus on the strengths of the individual and use these strengths to achieve the change our clients are wanting in their lives. We do a thorough assessment of each client so that we can gather relevant history and current symptoms of the problem. This assessment occurs during the first and second session. Progress is consistently measured during the course of treatment, after all, progress is the goal. Therefore, goals for treatment are developed by the third session. The goals are statements made by the client expressing what they want to accomplish. They are measurable and specific so that we are clear as to what we are trying to achieve and create a blueprint to do so.
After the assessment is completed and the goals are developed, it’s time to get to work. Sessions will involve identifying and talking through strong feelings and hurt, developing coping skills for the discomfort in your life, practicing mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, re- framing unhealthy thought patterns, and gaining acceptance of yourself and your new normal, as your life will transform during your therapeutic experience at The Well Woman. While session frequency depends on the needs of each client, it is standard for sessions to occur weekly or biweekly. As treatment progresses and significant progress is made towards the therapeutic goals, the frequency of sessions will decrease and eventually taper.
During the therapeutic process, many emotions are experienced. It is not an easy process, and it is one of the most important journeys that can be made: walking into wellness. Some sessions may be difficult, as past hurts may be explored. Our trained clinicians are skilled to support the clients we serve and “put the top back on” whatever we uncover during the session. Many wounds were thought to be healed, however, they are still painful and therefore not properly healed. We sometimes have to reopen poorly healed wounds, clean and treat them, and then stitch them back up. The cleaning and treating of the wound is uncomfortable and sometimes painful, however, by being properly cared for, the wound’s impact will now be minimal and eventually insignificant. This wound analogy describes the treatment process.
We look forward to hearing from you and walking alongside you on this journey.