Consultation Call FAQs
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What is a consultation call?
A consultation call is an initial 15-minute call between you and a clinician you are interested in seeing for therapy. This optional phone call usually takes place prior to the booking of any formal therapy sessions, but is not required to begin care.
What should I expect to discuss with my clinician during this consultation call?
This consultation call will be an opportunity for you and your chosen clinician to assess whether you might be a good fit for each other. Your clinician will ask you about what is bringing you to therapy, while providing more information about their unique approach to practice.
As the consultation call is only scheduled for 15 minutes, it will not be a deeper probe into these issues. Rather, it is a chance for you to have an informal, preliminary chat with a clinician to determine whether you would be interested in seeing them for therapy. Questions related to billing and scheduling are better addressed by our Intake Team, who you will be connected with after your call.
Is a consult call required before seeing a CICA clinician?
No. You are welcome to move forward with scheduling a full intake appointment as your first step. Some clinicians (such as our Clinical Interns) may, however, still require that a consult call take place first.
When are clinicians available for these calls?
All of our clinicians have an individualized Google Meet booking page, which displays their most current availability for consultation calls. By going to that page, you may book yourself for a 15-minute phone call at any open time.
Consult Call Availability Links: Clinical Staff ($$) | Clinical Interns ($)
If you do not see an option to schedule a consultation call with a specific clinician, please reach out to our team at intake@cic.associates for assistance with booking your call.
Can I meet with a clinician in-person for my consultation call?
Our initial consultations are only available remotely, either as a phone call or a video call via Google Meet. If your chosen clinician has openings, a member of our Intake Team can help to schedule you for in-person appointments after your call.
How much will the consultation call cost? What about the appointments after?
There is no cost for your initial consultation call. If you proceed with scheduling appointments afterward, you will be connected with our Intake Team, who will give you more information about session costs. If you have insurance and wish to use your benefits for appointments, our Intake Team will give you a thorough breakdown of your behavioral health benefits and what session costs would look like under your particular plan.
The clinicians at our practice are all in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, and are able to accept most other commercial insurance plans as out-of-network providers.
As our licensed clinicians are not government-contracted providers, they cannot accept MassHealth, Medicaid, or any other government-subsidized insurance. If you have one of these insurances and are looking for options within our practice, consider booking a consultation call with one of our Clinical Interns!
For a complete list of Billing FAQs, please click here
My consultation call went really well! What’s next?
After your consultation call, your chosen clinician will connect you with the Intake Team via email so that you may take the next steps.
First, you’ll be invited to complete our prospective client inquiry form (if you have not already done so). Once we’ve received your form submission, you’ll be connected with our Intake Team within the next 1-2 business days. They will discuss session costs and scheduling with you, and answer any outstanding questions you may have. After your questions have been answered and you’ve selected a time for your ongoing sessions, one of our practice assistants will book your appointments with your chosen clinician.
What is your cancellation policy?
Consultation calls scheduled via Google Meet can be canceled from the confirmation email sent upon scheduling. Consultation calls can then easily be rescheduled by returning to your chosen clinicians’ booking page and scheduling a new consultation call.
Consultation calls may be rescheduled twice. After a third missed consultation call, in an effort to protect and be mindful of our clinicians’ time, you would no longer be able to request a consult call with that clinician.
I’m still unsure and have other questions…
Please contact us with any additional questions you may have — we’re here to help!