Family Forward Counseling Services – Frequently Asked Questions

Family Forward offers therapy for individuals, couples, and families navigating emotional and relational challenges. Areas of focus include anxiety and panic, depression, trauma and PTSD, life transitions, and relationship distress. Couples and family therapy are also available for those seeking to strengthen connection and communication.

I work with individuals, couples, and families — and my approach looks a little different depending on who I'm working with.

For Individuals, I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This often means our work together extends beyond the session itself — through reflection exercises, worksheets, or gradual exposure practices — so that change takes root in your everyday life.

For Couples and Families, I use attachment-based approaches, including Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT). Rather than analyzing the past from a distance, we work in the present moment together — exploring what's happening between you in real time, and gently creating space for the kinds of honest, vulnerable conversations that can feel too risky to have alone. The goal is to help you turn toward one another with greater understanding, so that relational wounds and unmet needs can begin to heal.

A few things to know about how I work:

It's not my role to determine who is right or wrong in a relationship, nor to tell you what decisions you should make — whether that's staying together, separating, or any other major life choice. I may help you explore your options with clarity and care, but those decisions belong to you. What I will do is help create the conditions where honest, compassionate conversations become possible, so that whatever you decide, you're deciding from a place of greater connection and self-awareness.

This may be a good fit if you are:

• An individual looking for structured, evidence-based support for anxiety, trauma, or other concerns

• A couple wanting to break out of painful cycles and rebuild safety and closeness

• A family hoping to repair disconnection and strengthen your bonds with one another

Family Forward serves a broad cross-section of clients across the lifespan — from children/adolescents, young adults, to adults and couples, to families. Family Forward specializes in helping people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma (including PTSD), and relational distress.

Treatment approaches we use
Below are some of the key therapeutic models used at Family Forward:

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT):
  EFT is an attachment-based and emotion-focused approach that helps partners or family members access and restructure their emotional responses, deepen connection, and change negative interaction cycles.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
  CBT is a structured, evidence-based treatment focusing on the interplay of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is widely used for anxiety, depression, panic disorder, and trauma-related symptoms.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy (to address PTSD or trauma-related symptoms):
  EMDR is an integrative psychotherapy approach often used to help people process traumatic memories and reduce distress associated with them.

• Trauma‑Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF‑CBT) (for children/adolescents and their caregivers to address trauma symptoms):
  TF-CBT is a specific adaptation of CBT designed for children, adolescents and their caregivers who have experienced trauma (including abuse, violence, loss).
  

• Parent‑Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) (for young children and caregivers):
  PCIT is a dyadic treatment model for young children (usually ages 2–7) and their caregivers, aimed at improving the parent-child relationship, increasing positive interactions and reducing disruptive behavior.
  

At this time, Family Forward Counseling Services operates as an in-network provider for Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Evernorth (formally Cigna), HealthChoice, and Optum Health (United Healthcare) members and as a private pay (self-pay) practice. We are actively pursuing credentialing with additional major and local insurance carriers. Updates will be provided as credentialing is finalized.

For clients who do not have one of our accepted insurances but would like to use their insurance benefits, Family Forward can provide a superbill upon request. Clients may submit this superbill to their insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement.

Please note: For clients attempting to submit superbills to their out-of-network insurance company, reimbursement is not guaranteed, as insurance companies determine eligibility, rates, and benefit coverage independently.

Payment is due at the time of service. Family Forward accepts major credit and debit cards, as well as Health Savings Account (HSA) cards.

Yes. Family Forward offers video-based therapy (telehealth) for clients located within Oklahoma, where the therapist is licensed to practice. Telehealth sessions are conducted through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform that protects your privacy and makes therapy more accessible.

For clients who prefer in-person connection, hybrid options are also available—allowing you to combine in-office and online sessions based on your needs and schedule.

To begin the process of becoming a client with Family Forward, you can start by completing our secure outreach form provided through Paubox. This form allows you to share basic information and your areas of interest for therapy so we can reach out to discuss next steps.

Click here to be taken to the secure, HIPAA-compliant webpage to provide us some information so we can contact you.

Your first session at Family Forward Counseling Services is designed to help you feel welcomed, informed, and supported as we begin our work together. We’ll start by reviewing your client rights and responsibilities—even though these are available for review on our secure platform, it’s important that we have a conversation about them in person.

We’ll discuss what you can expect from therapy, including how you should be treated—with dignity, respect, and care.

After we review these foundational topics, we’ll begin exploring what brings you to therapy, your goals, and what a supportive plan forward might look like. The goal for this first meeting is that you leave feeling informed, respected, and hopeful about the process we’ll build together.

All intake paperwork must be completed and submitted at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled first session.

This policy allows me time to:

• Review your information thoroughly

• Verify insurance benefits (if applicable)

• Confirm coverage details and eligibility

• Establish payment arrangements

• Ensure all required consent forms are completed before services begin

Because therapy sessions are reserved specifically for you, I am unable to hold intake appointments when required documentation has not been submitted in advance.

If intake forms are not completed at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time, the appointment will be canceled and will need to be rescheduled once paperwork is received.

What if I’m having trouble accessing the forms?

If you experience difficulty accessing or completing your paperwork, please contact my office as soon as possible. I am happy to assist you.

Yes. Confidentiality is one of the most important parts of therapy and something we take very seriously at Family Forward. We recognize that seeking therapy is a courageous step—one that involves deep vulnerability and openness. Protecting your privacy helps create a safe and trusting space where healing work can take place.

Your information, session notes, and communications are protected under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and state confidentiality laws. This means that, with few exceptions, what you share in therapy will not be disclosed to anyone without your written consent.

However, there are some specific legal and ethical limits to confidentiality. Therapists are required to break confidentiality in situations such as:

• If you express intent to harm yourself or someone else

• If there is suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elderly adult, or vulnerable person

• If a court orders the release of records through a valid subpoena

In these cases, we share only the information necessary to ensure safety and comply with the law.

Confidentiality and Minors:
When working with children or adolescents, confidentiality remains an essential part of the therapeutic process. While parents or legal guardians generally have certain rights to access their child’s treatment information, these rights are balanced with the young person’s need for privacy and trust in therapy.

Confidentiality boundaries are discussed at the start of therapy to ensure that both the child and caregivers understand what information may be shared. Caregivers are encouraged to focus on overall themes, progress, and goals rather than detailed session content, which helps preserve the child’s sense of safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship.

At Family Forward, maintaining confidentiality isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s a core ethical value and a foundation of compassionate care. Every client deserves to know that what they share will be treated with dignity, respect, and the highest level of professional responsibility.

At Family Forward Counseling Services, a parent or legal guardian is required to remain on the premises during therapy sessions for clients under the age of 18. “On the premises” includes remaining in the lobby, inside the building, or in the immediate parking area so that you are readily available if needed during the session.

Parents and guardians do not need to participate in every session, and many children and teens meet individually with the therapist while their caregiver waits nearby. However, having a caregiver available helps ensure the safety and well-being of minor clients and allows the therapist to quickly involve a parent or guardian if concerns arise during the session.

Caregiver involvement is also an important part of effective treatment for many children and adolescents. When clinically appropriate, therapists may recommend periodic parent check-ins, family sessions, or collaboration with caregivers to support progress.

In limited situations, exceptions to this policy may be considered when clinically appropriate and with written parent or guardian consent, and will be documented in the client’s treatment record.

Family Forward does not provide emergency or crisis intervention services. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, having thoughts of suicide, or has made a suicide attempt, please reach out for immediate help.

If you are in danger or need urgent support:

• Call 911 for immediate assistance or go to your nearest emergency room.

• Call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for 24/7 confidential support anywhere in the U.S.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  Local Line: (918) 743-5763 (Domestic Violence Intervention Services; DVIS) or National Line: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) | thehotline.org — They offer safety planning support even for situations that haven't crossed into physical violence yet.

Local Tulsa-area crisis resources:

• Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital
  Address: 6655 South Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74136
  Website: https://www.saintfrancis.com/laureate
  Phone: 918-481-4000

• Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic
  Inpatient and crisis assessment available 24/7
  Website: https://parksideinc.org/
  Phone: (918) 588-8888

• YES Tulsa (Youth Emergency Shelter)
  Short-term stabilization, emergency shelter, and crisis support for youth
  Website: https://crsok.org/yestulsa/
  Phone: (918) 779-4357

If you are unsure what to do, call 988 or go to a nearby emergency department. Your safety and well-being are always the top priority.

No — Family Forward does not provide specialized addiction treatment or primary substance-use disorder programs. We focus our clinical work on issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma (including PTSD), couples and family relational distress.

If you or a loved one are seeking assistance for addiction or substance use disorder, here are some trusted referral resources in the Tulsa area:

• Palmer Addiction and Recovery Services — Offers outpatient counseling for adolescents and adults, a school-based drug education program, and an in-patient residential program for women (including those with children) in Tulsa.
  Website: https://palmer-tulsa.org/‍ ‍

• Family & Children’s Services — Provides outpatient substance abuse and addiction services, including for co-occurring disorders and court diversion programs.
  Website: https://www.fcsok.org/‍ ‍

• Counseling & Recovery Services of Oklahoma — Offers substance abuse-related services as part of a broader behavioral health / crisis care agency, including for youth and families. Website: https://crsok.org/substance-abuse/‍ ‍

No. Family Forward does not provide forensic assessments or evaluations intended to determine whether abuse, neglect, or other harm has occurred to a child or vulnerable person. Likewise, the practice does not provide recommendations regarding visitation schedules or custody arrangements. These types of services fall outside the scope of therapeutic care and are best completed by professionals trained and designated in forensic or court-related evaluations.

If court-related involvement becomes necessary (such as requests for written documentation, collaboration with attorneys, or testimony), the following policies and fees apply:

• Written Letters or Documentation: $120 per hour

• Collaboration with Attorneys or Other Legal Professionals: $120 per hour

• Court Attendance: $150 per hour, which includes travel time and mileage reimbursement at $0.70 per mile (measured from the Family Forward Counseling Services office to the designated courthouse)

• Retainer Fee: $300 due prior to any court appearance. This covers up to the first two hours of court-related time. If court attendance exceeds two hours, additional time will be billed at the standard hourly rate.

Any unused portion of the retainer will be refunded to the paying party.

Notice and Documentation Requirements

To ensure adequate time for review, preparation, and coordination, all requests for court-related services must be submitted at least 14 days in advance. This includes requests for letters, reports, attorney communication, or court testimony.

A signed Release of Information (ROI) must be obtained before any communication or document is shared with attorneys, courts, or other legal parties, unless otherwise required by law.

Requests made without 14 days’ notice may not be able to be accommodated. In such circumstances, no guarantee can be made that Family Forward Counseling Services will be available to provide the requested services, even if fees are offered or paid.

Please note that involvement in court proceedings can impact the therapeutic relationship, and such participation will be discussed thoroughly prior to any engagement.