Do you take my insurance? We are contracted with most major carriers. Sometimes it is by the practice name, “The King’s Counseling Services”, sometimes under the therapists’ names. So when you call your insurance, try both if one or the other doesn’t come up. Going to your insurance and gathering a list of providers is the best way to determine if your therapist is in network with your insurance carrier and your specific plan. It is your responsibility to contact your insurance and to be aware of your policy’s coverage. You can always ask us to support you in this process, but we may not always know the answer when it comes to insurances (or other things for that matter).
How do I schedule my first session? If you would like to schedule a first time appointment, please leave a voice message for Kathryn Robertson (559) 713-6001 x2 and please send an email to Dr. Amy Tackett atackett@kingscounseling.org. Be patient, we CANNOT respond to emergencies, but we will get back to you. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian will have to do this for you. If you would like to schedule for a loved one, that person will have to reach out on their behalf, unless unable to do so without assistance.
Sometimes our availability is too far out to meet the needs. If this is the case, we will call you back and offer suggestions for seeking support. The most important thing is to get you plugged in with a therapist with whom you feel comfortable.
When do you have openings? Anyone can view Dr. Tackett’s availability on the online calendar, under the Getting Started page. Once you are an established client of Dr. Tackett, you can set up a log on and request appointments, make changes, or cancel appointments from this online calendar. Also, please be aware that not all open appointment are available for new clients and sometimes there is a delay in updating the calendar so appointments that appear open can sometimes already be booked. It is meant for an aid to scheduling, not a guarantee of appointment availability.
What do I need to bring on the first appointment? You need to bring yourself and your story. You will also need to bring your insurance information and card, if applicable. If possible, a list of your current medications is very helpful. The intake packet and the intake forms are on the Getting Started page next to the clinician.
If I’m already an established client, can I schedule, re-schedule, or cancel online? YES, for Dr. Tackett’s clients! Please ask an email with a link to set up a log on for the online calendar, accessed here on the Getting Started page.
Will it be unpleasant? Hopefully not! Sometimes in therapy we talk about things that do bring up intense emotion or are unpleasant to consider. Although this is difficult, we believe the positives that come from therapy outweigh the risks. However, if you have a strongly negative perception of your therapist, it will be difficult to do the hard work of therapy. We want you to have an effective experience, even if it means we help you find another therapist. So in other words, you may not always love therapy, but you should always feel loved by your therapist.
What can I expect? What is therapy like? The experience of therapy can be very different from one therapist to the next. However there are some generals that can be said with more or less accuracy. Therapy should have a purpose. The purpose should be developed between the therapist and the client. There should be a reasonably clear path toward the purpose. Once the purpose is met, treatment does not need to continue. At least not for that purpose. It may be determined that a new purpose would be helpful; it may be that further contact will be dependent on further need later in the future. Generally when we first have the honor of meeting someone new, we try to “get to know each other” and hear your story. Then we will work with you to “make a plan”.
What can I expect for my child? The same thing generally applies as above, with the exception of the confidentiality and privacy is for the under 18 year old. However, we have found it helpful to meet with all of the concerned and involved adults to work together to develop a plan. Also general information about how we think your child is doing, how often we feel we should meet to get to our purpose, and if there are any concerns that warrant violating the under 18 year old’s privacy will all be discussed with all concerned and involved adults (legally allowed to have this private information).
Additionally, it should be said that therapy is truly a gift and a tool that everyone can use from time to time in the course of life. It is a high priority when meeting with anyone under 18 (or over) that the person has a good experience with therapy. Sometimes the focus on the purpose may be secondary to the positive experience a young person has with therapy. It would be a loss to force therapy and a treatment agenda at the loss of the person learning that therapy is a gift and can be used when needed. In other words, everyone’s autonomy is carefully respected.
Can I pay my bill online? Yes! For your security and convenience there is a link to a secure payment portal to make payments. Go to the Online Payments page.
Authenticity! That’s not a question! Yes, I know. But it is very important to us at The King’s Counseling Services. We strive to be real, it’s not always graceful or pretty, it doesn’t always happen, but we strive. We believe in authenticity because that is where real healing happens. No one lives up to the expectations, values, aspirations, and other stuff we consider “me”. Being able to talk about this allows us to get closer to the “me” we want to “be”. So come as you are and expect to see us as we are. We will give you grace, hopefully you can give it back. We want this to be a safe place.