Breaking traditions

Recently I have been realizing how much I have been breaking traditions with the typical counseling field.  One way I am doing that is that I am an exclusive Rapid Resolution Therapy™ therapist.  So what you say?  Well it is traditional to have a main therapeutic modality in counseling but usually counselors also pull from many other modalities as they see fit for their individual client. 
Another way I've broken tradition is I no longer offer one hour sessions.  Why?  Because Rapid Resolution Therapy™ doesn't lend it's self well to one hour sessions.  In fact when clearing traumas, which is what I do, it usually takes me 1-3 hours to complete my task at hand.  I now schedule everyone for appointments that may take up to 3 hours.  This also leads to another way I've veered off the beaten path...I charge per session versus per hour.
This change is fairly recent and I have had a lot of questions about it.  Let me try to explain.  When you go in to have a root canal (yeah who really wants one of those?) and you ask "How much will this cost me?"  what you don't hear is "Well I charge $150.00 per 15 minutes?"  Of course that would lead to another question of "How long will this take?"  Which is not followed by "Oh 2 maybe 3 15 minutes..."  No your are charged per root canal, right?  Same with any surgery or medical procedure.  You're charged per procedure.  As an RRT therapist it takes me 1-3 hours to clear any said trauma that is brought into my office.  When I've cleared that trauma, its done, finito.  Sometimes there may be another trauma someone wants cleared after the first session.  Guess what?! If you have to have another root canal done they charge you for that separately.  Different trauma, different session.  Honestly may times a client comes in with a few traumas they would like for me to take care of, and in those 3 hours I clear as much as I can.
The last tradition shattering step I have taken is I don't take insurance or EAP.  This has really rattled some.  Not just potential clients but friends as well.  Let me tell you why though.  One of my biggest beefs about being an insurance provider (and I was for many years) is I have to create a diagnosis for each client to justify the treatment I provide.  Doesn't sound too bad you think?  Well some insurances not only ask for a diagnosis they want some details about your treatment, others require that the client fill out surveys on a regular basis and I must fax those in.  Once faxed in then the insurance company looks at it and then dictates to me what I am supposed to do.  If I have not handled it the way they think I should then they call me up and want ALL details of the session so that I can justify even further as to why I managed the session(s) the way I did.  Now where's the client's confidentiality?  What happened to HIPAA??  No really?  I have to hand out to each person this HIPAA form that's like 2-3 pages long about the importance of their privacy but for the insurance companies I have to hand over ALL the client's information?  Yeah doesn't sit well with me.  Then add in the fact if a client is heaven forbid- HOSPITALIZED, upon their next session some insurance companies require that I speak to them for at least a half and hour about the client's return session.  And I have to do it on their time schedule, they don't care that I have other clients scheduled to see me, I must stop those sessions to take to them.  Lastly they don't want to pay for 1-3 hour sessions.  But like I said, you come in with a trauma, say violently mugged when you were 29, in 1-3 hours I've cleared that out and it will no longer haunt you.  The insurance company though would rather pay for you to see me one a week for the next 2 years in hopes that that type of counseling will ease the emotional charge of that traumatic event.  Hmmmm...get it completely done or chat about it for the next 2 years?  Me I vote overhaul the trauma and be done with it!
I'm not your typical mainstreamed therapist, but I am passionate and excited about the work I do.  I guess if being a Rapid Trauma Resolution™ therapist means I have to break traditions and blaze a new path then so be it!

Be well, Be happy- Tara S. Dickherber, M.Ed, CPC

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