How to start therapy?

A phone consultation can inform if now is a good time to start therapy. I provide an up to 15-minutes free phone consultation for new clients; a time to describe issues that will be the focus of therapy. You can ask me questions, describe what you want to work on in therapy sessions, request preferred treatment modalities, and learn more about my approach or expertise with psychological assessment and treatment modalities.

How to schedule appointments?

First contact can be by phone ([707] 908-0617) or email (drnorvalhickman@outlook.com). Please leave a good number and time to reach you and prepare for a 10-15 minute phone call. It helps to have a pen and paper nearby for additional information.

If you are experiencing a psychological crisis or need immediate assistance, it is better to call 911 or the Suicide Prevention Line (dial or text 988).

how does the onboarding process proceed with new clients?

First, a client portal account will be setup for you in Simple Practice, which is the online electronic health record used to manage appointments and online paperwork, as well as your digital form of payment for sessions. Second, you will be assigned a Consent Form and Office Policy Form to review and digitally sign, as well as brief survey questions that broadly assess mental health issues. Third, once paperwork has been completed (within 48 hours), I will contact you to schedule your first session. All therapy-related documents will be sent electronically through Simple Practice.

How are initial therapy sessions structured?

Therapy sessions can be in-person or by telehealth and are only available for California residents. The first therapy session is considered an initial psychological assessment and typically lasts 60-minutes. A typical therapy session lasts 50 minutes. Initial sessions provide time for you to describe (in as much detail as you feel comfortable) issues that bring you to therapy and goals that you want to focus on in therapy. I consider the first four therapy sessions as part of the initial discovery phase of therapy. Towards the end of the fourth session, there is a collaborative discussion. We can decide to continue the therapeutic work or to discontinue and refer to another provider or service. Subsequent sessions can vary in structure depending on the goals of therapy, readiness to engage in deeper psychological work, and may be informed by psychological assessments (if needed) or how the client applies new skills learned in therapy.

What are the costs of Psychotherapy Services? Forms of Payment? Do you accept insurance?

Please contact me for my rates (707-908-0617). I accept payment by credit card, check, or cash. My fee is charged shortly after provision of psychotherapy services. I am currently only accepting clients with Aetna mental health insurance and self-pay clients. Wellness Within is currently on empaneled with Aetna health insurance company for outpatient mental health services (psychotherapy). For self-pay clients, I routinely create a Superbill after 4 therapy sessions, which can be submitted to a health insurance company covering mental health care for consideration of a partial reimbursement.