- Are you currently seeing patients in person?
- Yes, I am seeing patients in-person for testing. For therapy, as well as intake and feedback appointments for testing cases, I may have some limited availability for in-person appointments. I am still doing a lot of Telehealth appointments.
- Are you taking new patients?
- I am taking new patients for testing in NC only, though there may be a wait for testing appointments of a few weeks to a few months depending upon the time of year. My availability for therapy (currently in NC only) varies. If I do not have availability, you may have the option of being added to my waitlist. North Carolina patients may have the option to be seen in person depending upon availability. Please Note: Due to lack of administrative support, my availability to return phone calls is very limited, so it is best to inquire about services and schedule phone consultations via email.
- Can all therapy be done via Telehealth?
- I conduct Telehealth through Theranest which is a HIPAA compliant platform that can be used in your regular web browser or on your phone. Many cases are appropriate for Telehealth, and I prefer patients who are directly engaging in Telehealth be 10 years old or older unless there is evidence that a younger child can engage with me over Telehealth for at least 30 minutes. For younger children who cannot engage over Telehealth, it is often more appropriate for me to provide therapy to parents to help them manage their child’s behavior and teach their child emotion regulation strategies rather than see the child directly. Sometimes either environmental circumstances in the home or the circumstances of the case/level of patient care needed are not appropriate for Telehealth. I can work with you to determine appropriateness during our first appointment or during a brief initial consultation call. I monitor the situation and reserve the right to end Teletherapy sessions should the situation change or worsen in a way that makes Teletherapy inappropriate for a patient. See my Telehealth consent form regarding specific policies for Telehealth services. Also, if you plan to file out-of-network insurance claims, keep in mind that some insurance companies are no longer covering Telehealth services.
- How long are your typical appointments?
- The first appointment (called the Intake appointment) and feedback sessions for evaluations are one hour. Follow up therapy sessions are typically 45 minutes.
- Can testing be done via Telehealth?
- Some aspects of testing can be done via Telehealth including the initial appointment, interviews, and the feedback session. Questionnaires can be completed online and automatically delivered to me via an online system, so no contact is needed. However, most psychoeducational and cognitive tests must be conducted in-person to ensure reliability and validity.
- Do you see adults?
- I provide testing for adults for ADHD/ADD. I also test adults to provide documentation for accommodations in college or on standardized tests (e.g., MCAT, LSAT, SAT/ACT, GRE, etc.) due to ADHD/ADD, anxiety, and/or learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia). I provide executive functioning coaching/organizational skills support for adults. I also work with parents to help them manage their children’s behavior at home. I typically do not see adults for other kinds of therapy unless they are a long term patient I have seen since childhood or adolescence. I do not conduct couples therapy or traditional family therapy.
- What is your lower age limit for seeing children?
- I conduct evaluations for children ages 4 and up. Most of my child therapy clients are at least 6 or 7 years-old, but at young ages, therapy includes a significant parenting component.
- Do you take insurance or Medicaid?
- No, I am considered out-of-network with insurance companies, but I can provide receipts for you to file claims for out-of-network benefits if you have them. Legal restrictions prevent me from seeing Medicaid patients out-of-network.
- Do you take credit cards and HSA/FSA cards?
- Yes, I take all major credit cards and HSA/FSA cards as long as they are through a major credit card company. I require that a credit card be kept on file regardless of chosen payment method, and if you use an HSA or FSA card, another card must be kept on file in addition to that card. I also take checks and cash.
- Do you have any groups available?
- Periodically, I run an organizational skills group for middle and high school students called TOPS (Teen Organization, Planning, and Study Skills). Check back or contact me for upcoming dates!
- What is the process for testing?
- Testing begins with an initial appointment for parents (and also older teens) to discuss the reasons for testing and gather background information. Testing time and cost varies depends on the type of evaluation being conducted and the needs of the patient. Most full psychoeducational evaluations take 4 to 6 hours to complete, and I often do this over the course of two appointments. Online links to questionnaires are sent to parents and teachers. Once all data is collected, a one hour feedback session is help with parents (and possibly older teens) to review results and recommendations. Some insurance companies provide out-of-network benefits for psychological testing, so I recommend contacting your insurance company to verify your benefits and determine if a pre-authorization is needed ahead of time. Please note that insurance companies often will not cover testing that primarily for a learning disability. Learn more…
- Do you provide testing in order to qualify for accommodations on standardized tests (like the SAT/ACT/MCAT, etc.)?
- Yes! If you are applying for testing accommodations or a particular disability accommodations program (like at your college, for example), I work with you to make sure your evaluation and report include all of the information required by the that program. Please note, however, that I cannot guarantee that the data gathered during the evaluation or the presentation of the data in my report will result in a successful application.
- Do you prescribe medication?
- No, I have a Ph.D. and am not a medical doctor. However, I have been working with children and adults with ADHD and other psychological disorders for 20 years. I use the research-based knowledge and clinical experience I have gained over the course of that time to provide information about treatment options. I can provide referrals to medical providers who can prescribe medication if that option seems to be the right one for you and/or your child.
Call or Email for more information: admin.ahern@trianglecbh.com or 919-808-5137