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Working with me

Initial contact & connection

When we first connect, I will set up a free phone consultation with you. During this call, we can speak briefly to find out how I can best help your child and family. This is a chance for you to ask any questions you might have, get a sense about whether we might be a good fit, and decide to move forward with scheduling our first session appointment.

Paperwork

I will ask you to fill out specific forms needed to start the therapy process. This will include providing me with some basic information and completing an informed consent form for the treatment of your child that will highlight policies/procedures, limits of confidentiality, and the process of therapy. I will send these forms to you before we meet for the first session.

Initial Session

During the first session I will begin to build rapport with your child, assess for the presenting problem, and gather information around your child’s special skills, strengths, and abilities. We will also begin to formulate a treatment plan together that will best address the needs of your child and family.

Rates

Please call to discuss rates. Fees for each session are due at the time the service is rendered.

Payment

All major credit cards are accepted for secure payment.

Cancellation policy

A 24-hour advance notice of cancellation is required or cost of session must be paid for in full.

Insurance

I am not in network with insurance. Please call to discuss.

First visit and working with me FAQs

I feel the best policy is to be honest about who I am and why it is important to come see me. I have found therapy works best when young people are engaged in the process and are motivated to participate and work towards goals. During the first session, I focus on their strengths and provide hope about solving what is troubling them. I let them know my job is to make things easier for everyone and that confidentiality and safety is my priority.

I customize the session to the individual and in support of current goals. A typical session involves a check in regarding mood and events of the past week, can consist of a combination of activities related to art therapy and play therapy, and can also involve practicing and reinforcing new skills through worksheets, books, role plays, and collaborative therapeutic games.

Typically therapy takes place once a week at the start. When problems and concerning symptoms begin to alleviate, we might decide together to have therapy every other week and work toward eventual termination.

Each session will be approximately 50 minutes. It is difficult to give a specified length of time to the therapy process until we begin to work together. Many factors are involved including the severity of the presenting problem, the nature of the concerns, the frequency of sessions, your collaboration with me, and the child or teen’s motivation to participate. Therapy usually ends when issues or challenges are resolved, and when there is increased confidence to utilize positive coping skills effectively. When I feel that your child no longer has problems to work on with me during sessions, I will begin to have discussions about "graduating" from therapy or decreasing/ending sessions.

You can contact me in any number of ways! Please feel free to email at jessica@jessicaplotin.com, or fill out the form found on the main contact page. If you would like to call, my phone number is 310-596-7222 and I will be happy to arrange a free consultation with you, where we can speak briefly to find out how I can best help your child and family. This is a chance for you to ask any questions you might have, get a sense about whether we might be a good fit, and decide to move forward with scheduling our first session appointment. I hope to hear from you soon!

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