Frequently Asked Questions

NorthPoint utilizes a 72-hr cancelation policy. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible. If there is a 72-hr notice, you will not be charged. Thank you for respecting our clinical boundary as our professional time for your appointments has been set aside especially for you.

Dealing with insurance plans can be challenging, especially when you are already stressed and worried about mental health issues you or a loved one are experiencing.

Reviewing Your Insurance Policy

The first thing to find out is what mental health benefits your insurance policy offers. Review your insurance policy so that you are clear about whether your policy includes coverage for mental health services (out-of-network), types of services that are covered and the amount paid for these services, and any steps you must take to have treatment covered. You should have received a copy of your insurance policy when you enrolled in your insurance coverage program, whether at work or independently. If you did not receive a copy of the policy or have lost yours, you can call your insurance company and ask for another one to be sent to you.

Employee Assistance Program

If your employer provides an Employee Assistance Program, you may be eligible for services. Please check with your employer for covered benefits and providers.

If NorthPoint is not currently a qualified service provider, we encourage you to ask your employer’s healthcare benefits manager to give us a call (248.773.8440) and we will do our best to help you benefit from our services.

Insurance Reimbursement

Due to changes in health insurances fees, patient/client self-billing has become a much more cost-effective way for you, the patient/client to get reimbursed for your mental health care. Self-billing allows us to keep our fees low so you can get the care you need without any added cost. Therefore, our policy is that all payment is due at the time of service and bills will not be sent to your insurance provider.

Statement of services (Superbills) will be provide to you at no charge on a monthly basis so you can submit to your insurance provider. According to your policy, your insurance provider will send payment reimbursement directly to you for services received through NorthPoint Professional Counseling, Inc. We accept cash, check, debit cards, H.S.A., F.S.A., as well as most major charge cards.

Out-of-Network Counseling Services

If you have questions/concern regarding your mental health coverage for out-of-network mental health services, please contact your insurance carrier.

Insurance

If you are paying for therapy with insurance, you must have a “covered” diagnosis. Additionally, insurance companies will limit the number of sessions they pay for in a calendar year so it is important to check with your insurance provider.

Your health records may limit your ability to qualify for health or life insurance or require that you pay substantially higher premiums in the future? The personal details of therapy are often entered into a database called the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) by your insurance company. The medical information on over 16 million people is currently housed in this database. Other providers, insurance companies and even non-medical services like personnel departments may have access to this information for the purposes of evaluating you.

You (not a managed care panel) are making decisions about your treatment. Many insurance companies provide payment only for certain approaches of therapy (short-term and problem-focused) and many others won't pay for family therapy, even when the client is a child and the parents are vital to the therapeutic process. Obviously, it is in the best interest of the insurance company to pay as little as possible for services, work only with the same group of providers rather than a broad range of specialists and to end therapy as quickly as possible. None of their motives address the best interest of the client.

Private Pay

Those who can afford to pay for their own mental health care usually have much better outcomes than those who rely on inadequate insurance or government services, simply because the level and quality of care they receive is so much better, and there is no insurance cutoff point at which their services stop being covered.

• You choose the therapist best suited to your needs rather than the insurance company telling you who to see.
• You have flexibility in the type of therapy, who to include in the therapy session and the length of services.
• You will have complete confidentiality. Your records will not be shared with anyone without your permission. In fact, no one else will know you are even in therapy unless you tell them!
• You won't have to worry that your health records will be included in the MIB and possibly create problems for you or your family in the future.
• You will be able to stay with your therapist even if your insurance plan coverage changes.

We offer online counseling sessions, also known as e-therapy, e-counseling, teletherapy or cyber-counseling, which is a relatively new development in mental health in which a therapist/counselor can provide services/care over the Internet via Video Counseling. This can also occur through phone.

Video Conferencing therefore, provides real time streaming video and audio in lieu of face-to-face interaction. Video conferencing maybe effective for you due to location, comfort level, and/or mobility. We believe Video Conferencing is making therapy a practical option for many.

Additionally, we believe providing our clients a Video Conferencing alternative works best for those who have worked with the same counselor/therapist for years but run the risk of having to start new with someone else due to relocation.

Sexual addiction is defined as any sexually-related compulsive behavior which interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one’s work environment. Like an alcoholic unable to stop drinking, sexual addicts are unable to stop their self-destructive sexual behavior.

Sex addicts come from all walks of life: male and female, all sexual orientations, ages from pre-teens to senior citizens, those employed as laborers or CEOs of major organizations. Sex addiction does not discriminate. Many addicts were abused as children – sexually, physically, and/or emotionally. Many grew up in families in which addiction already flourished, including alcoholism, drugs, gambling, and/or compulsive eating. Most grapple with other addictions in addition to sex addiction, but often find overcoming sexual addiction the most difficult.

A group of people who have similar experiences and concerns who meet regularly in order to provide emotional help, advocacy, and encouragement for one another- all within a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere. Our Support/Process Groups are therapist led. Currently, NorthPoint offers two (2) Support/Process Groups.

This group goal is help you heal and regain your peace of mind. Group topics include love addiction, codependency, grief and loss, betrayal, trauma healing, boundaries, and healthy self-care. Participants will receive clinical and peer group support to establish autonomy, while learning to enjoy rewarding lives.

These Groups will help break the stigma associated with sex addiction. In Group, you will experience that you are not alone. You can discuss experiences, share ideas, and provide emotional support for one another. NorthPoint Support/Process Groups are led by a licensed certified professional (CSAT/APSAT) who has extensive training in facilitating group discussions and process.

Men: This group is designed to help men find the necessary support in order to help them in their sex addiction recovery. It is a non-judgmental, supportive group helping men deepen their understanding about themselves, what fuels addictive living, how to regain integrity and learn to handle the many challenges of their lives responsibly. This group utilizes the “Recovery Start Kit” program.

Women: This group is designed to help women who have been betrayed by their partner’s sexual addiction. It is a non-judgmental, supportive group helping women deepen their understanding on how their partner’s addiction has impacted them. Group sessions assist partners and spouses to release obsessions and anxieties. the group will support your autonomy and integrity as you heal from betrayal.

Much like individual therapy, Couple’s Recovery Care is an integral part of couples healing and growth. During the couple’s therapy sessions, couples work towards healing utilizing The Gottman Method. The Gottman Method is built upon a research-based array of interventions and exercises which is structured and goal-oriented. The utilization of the Gottman intervention strategies are based upon empirical data from Dr. Gottman’s study of more than 3,000 couples. This research shows what actually works to help couples achieve a long-term healthy relationship. The Gottman Method is only available from our NorthPoint’s trained therapists.

We want everyone who is seeking recovery/support to have the best trained, resourced therapist not only for you but also for your partner (who has been affected too). Our Certified Sexual Addiction Therapists (CSATS) are IITAP trained (CSAT®, CMAT, and/or CSAT Candidates).

Additionally, many of our therapists are APSATS (CCPS) Certified Clinical Partner Specialist’s, and IACSAS (CCSAS) Certified Clinical Sexual Addiction Specialist’s trained. Thus, our professional, certified staff utilize the most effective recovery skill and tools available today ensuring a full recovery.

NorthPoint utilizes the exclusive Sexual Dependency Inventory (SDI) in order to help identify problematic sexual behaviors as well as creating a comprehensive recovery/treatment plan for each client. We believe there is no other recovery path available today that is as comprehensive as the IITAP, APSATS, and the CCSAS training programs. We are committed in providing you the best in your recovery and your partners.

All counseling services are confidential. This means that no information is released to individuals outside the Counseling Service without the client’s consent. However, there are certain exceptions to this rule, as permitted by law. For example, all health and mental healthcare workers are mandated by the state to disclose confidential information when they suspect there is a strong possibility of serious harm being inflicted by you on another person or on yourself.

Certified Sexual Addiction Therapists (CSATS) utilize several types of assessments that identify problematic sexual behaviors One of the most widely used is the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST), which has been used in at least eight published, peer-reviewed empirical studies, and is routinely used in inpatient residential treatment centers as well as outpatient treatment centers such as NorthPoint. NorthPoint’s CSATS utilizes the SAST along with the Sexual Dependence Inventory (SDI) to clearly identify any/all problematic sexual behaviors.