How do I make an appointment?
First appointments are set up by our intake coordinator. You may call our main number at (401) 349-3131 or send an email to intake@gershonpsych.com. The coordinator will ask you for basic demographic and insurance information. You will be connected with the appropriate clinician and your first meeting will be scheduled. The intake coordinator will also check your insurance benefits to find out if you have a copay or a deductible.
What can I expect at the first meeting?
Your first meeting (or intake appointment) will consist primarily of information gathering about the concerns that led to you scheduling the appointment. Typical information that is gathered will be current symptoms, past symptoms, previous treatments, medical history, family history, social history, and a review of any previous evaluations or other documentation. Based on the information that is gathered with the clinicians conducting your intake appointment, we will work with you to develop a treatment plan.
Should I bring anything with me to the first appointment?
Yes. Please bring a copy of your insurance card and your photo identification. You will be completing some forms at your first appointment or you can complete this ahead of time from our forms section of the website. We may also send you forms to complete electronically through our patient portal.
Please arrive at the first appointment at least 20 minutes ahead of time to allow for the check-in process. It will be helpful to have your medication list and any other paperwork that would be helpful for us to have (e.g. referral letters, previous evaluations, 504 plans, IEPs, etc.).
How much will this cost and is it covered by insurance?
The cost of the appointments vary considerably depending on which service is provided. Most therapy and evaluations are covered by insurance, but there is a lot of variability in different insurance plans. Our intake coordinator will work with you to find out exactly what the appointment will cost. We do offer some services that would not be covered by insurance.
We recognize that some treatments are not fully covered by insurance or fall under a patient’s deductible. If you need a payment plan, we can usually accommodate that as well.
What insurances do you accept?
Most of our clinicians are providers for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of RI, United Health, MHN/Tricare, and Tufts Insurance. If you have an insurance that we do not accept, you may have out-of-network benefits that allow you to see providers not in your network. You can call your insurance company about this or we can assist you in determining your insurance benefits.
What types of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, check, or charge (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express). Payments are expected at the time of the appointment. You are also welcome to leave a card on file with us. We do not keep copies of your card, but the information can be stored securely through our electronic records system.
What if I cannot afford to pay for the service I need?
We have several options available. First, you can work with our billing coordinator to set up a payment plan. Please contact our billing coordinator if you need this service. Second, we are a training facility and sometimes have graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are able to provide treatment, with supervision by a licensed clinician, at a reduced cost.
What types of symptoms do you treat?
We treat a wide range of symptoms including behavioral concerns, inattention, hyperactivity, oppositionality, anxiety, mood, obsessions, compulsions, fears, anger, irritability, grief, trauma, stress, life changes, coping with divorce, parenting difficulties, and many others.We also conduct presurgical evaluations for bariatric surgery.
What types of treatments do you offer?
We offer many types of treatment including individual, family, couples, and group therapy. We also have evaluation and assessment services. See our services section for more information.
Do you prescribe medication?
We do not prescribe medication. If you need medication as a component of your treatment, we will work with your current provider or refer you to an appropriate physician.
How do I choose a therapist?
You may be referred to a specific clinician or you may be set up with the person best suited to address your concerns. We have descriptions on this site about the types of treatments that our clinicians provide as well as their areas of expertise.
What is the process for a psychological evaluation?
- Step 1 includes an initial meeting (intake) in order to gather a detailed history and assess current concerns. During the intake, the examiner will discuss the evaluation process for you or your child and will let you know what additional information will be needed to complete testing. Sometimes, insurance authorization is needed following the first appointment. If you have prior evaluation materials, school reports, report cards, notes from a physician, medical records, IEPs, 504 Plans, etc. please bring this documentation with you to the first appointment. This intake/clinical interview is typically one-hour. Consultation may also take place with other treating professionals (e.g., neurologists, primary care physicians, and/or psychiatrists).
- Step 2 is the evaluation itself. One or more testing sessions are scheduled. The first session typically lasts 3 hours and additional testing sessions may last 1-3 hours. Testing involves administration of various psychological and neuropsychological tests. Some of the tests are paper and pencil. Others are done on a tablet or computer. In addition, parents, teachers, and/or significant others will be asked to complete questionnaires to further assess functioning and concerns. Breaks will be provided during testing. Patients are encouraged to bring drinks and snacks to have during breaks.
- Step 3 is the feedback meeting to review the results of the evaluation. This step usually occurs 2-3 weeks following the end of testing. The feedback meeting will be held to discuss evaluation results, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations. A written report will also be provided at the conclusion of the assessment process or shortly thereafter. This feedback meeting is usually 1 hour or so.
What do I tell my child about coming in for the first meeting?
It is important to be honest about why you are coming in and not to surprise a child with the information. The information will come up at the first meeting anyway. It is better to prepare for it and it may help facilitate the discussion. Let your child know that he/she will have an opportunity to talk without a parent in the room as well.
Here is some other useful information you may want to include when you talk about coming in. First, it is important to explain that we will only be talking. There will be no physical examinations, shots, or blood. Second, talk to your child about some of the concerns you may have. This will help the discussion when you get to the office. You can talk about some of the concerns as family matters, rather than putting blame on any one individual. Third, you can mention that sometimes it is helpful to get advice from someone who is a neutral party. The goal is for the therapist to help the situation and improve whatever is going on.
It has been our experience that adolescents are particularly challenging on this issue. Often an adolescent will say something like “I will go, but I am not talking”. Typically, once a parent has left the room, the teenager feels empowered to talk and does so willingly.
Are there any opportunities in employment?
We are often looking for skilled clinicians to join our team. Qualified individuals will have either a PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology, an LICSW in social work, LMHC or LMFT. The clinician needs to be licensed in the state of RI and preference is given to providers who are already members of insurance panels (e.g., Blue Cross, United Health). Interested individuals should send a cover letter and CV to info@gershonpsych.com.
We also have a postdoctoral fellow training program. Postdoctoral fellows in clinical psychology are asked to provide a cover letter and CV as well to info@gershonpsych.com. A RI temporary license in psychology will be a requirement as well.
We are also looking for a psychiatric provider, either a Child Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. If you have an interest, please send a cover letter and CV to info@gershonpsych.com.