Sessions are offered in person or via telehealth, at your preference.

If you are private pay you can choose if you prefer video or phone. I use a secure and HIPAA compliant platform for video sessions. If you are using insurance you will need to verify that telehealth is covered - most insurance companies are covering it during these unusual circumstances, but some still aren’t. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have via text or call at 801.447.1392 or email at hello@aliviarirwin.com.

The process

If you have questions please call, I provide a free 15 minute consultation and we can start see if we’re a good fit for each other. When you’re ready to come in let me know via email or phone/text and I’ll send you a link to the secure client portal where you will complete the intake packet. I’ll also send you an invite to the secure phone app I use for calling, texting, and video called Spruce Health.

Our first visit will be adults only and is called an intake, unless there are safety issues, and will last about 90 minutes.  This allows us to talk freely without shaming your child and without them waiting in the lobby, bored and scared.  The intake is a good time for you to determine if I will be a good fit for you and your family. We'll talk about your child, go over basic information and history, the struggles your child is experiencing, and what to expect from therapy.  I will also start to provide you with information about what I think may be going on and strategies to start using.

If your child is a teenager, or a more mature pre-teen, and prefers to join you for the intake that is acceptable under most circumstances.  Your teenager can choose to join you for the entire intake or to see me one on one for half and you see me alone for half the time. 

Typically sessions are 50 minutes and start out once weekly, then decrease as your situation improves. You will attend with your child so that you can see what we are working on, hear how I talk about and address concerns, and help make plans for the week. There may be times that your child wants to have sessions alone and times that one on one sessions are indicated.

There will also be times when we meet again just as adults to continue with psychoeducation, discuss details that are of a sensitive nature, or problem solve situations that take more than several minutes of your child’s session. These can be scheduled any time you choose and there will be times I will request them as well. There is research that shows that when parents come in to therapy this is just as, if not more effective, than if children are coming for therapy.

The most important part of any therapy is the connection between the client and the therapist. If for some reason you or your child are simply not clicking with me, let me know. I will try to resolve this and if it can’t be resolved am happy to provide you with a reference to another therapist.

Life can get pretty hectic and there may be times that you are unable to come to the office because of an ill child or some other situation that has popped up. I am happy to help you keep the session by meeting with you securely online - teletherapy - or by phone. You can also request teletherapy in place of in-office therapy at any time. Phone or video sessions are for mature older teens and adults only, not children due to attention span.

MY STYLE

Having been working with children and families for 20 years I draw from a wide range of methods. I tailor treatment to each client’s needs and don’t follow a specific protocol. I work primarily from an attachment and neuroscience perspective and use some principles of a variety of therapies including CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and TEAM CBT (a newer, more powerful model of CBT), ERP (exposure and response prevention), the flash technique and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), IPNB (interpersonal neurobiology), play therapy, behavioral, bibliotherapy, DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), and others.

ADULT THERAPY

I work with anyone of any age who is experiencing anxiety. I focus this website on my work with children because it can be hard for parents to find children’s anxiety specialists. If you are an adult coming to therapy the process is similar. I will send you access to the client portal where you will complete the intake paperwork. We will meet to determine good fit, get to know you and your concerns and the things you want to see improve through therapy. As you feel things are improving you’ll come in less often. Sessions can be conducted in office or securely online (teletherapy).

FEES (due at time of service):

• New client intake: $180

• Session: $150

• Late cancellation or no show (including arriving to session 15 minutes late or later): full fee

Insurance: I am in network with many Select Health plans and EMI. If you use insurance keep in mind that they use a medical model which means your child or you will have to meet criteria for a diagnosis and the records may be audited and reviewed. Clients are responsible for verifying insurance benefits and understanding what is covered. If you prefer to use telehealth and are using insurance it is your responsibility to ensure that your plan continues to cover telehealth as the situation with COVID-19 evolves.

Be aware that each insurance plan varies in what it covers. For example, if symptoms meet criteria for Separation Anxiety, your plan may or may not cover services for that diagnosis. Additionally, each plan covers codes in various ways, some being covered with a co-pay and others being applied to the deductible. The following are the codes that will be used in our sessions together:

90791 - for the intake

90837 - sessions that are 53 minutes and above (each session starts on the hour in my practice)

90834 - sessions between 38 and 52 minutes

90846 - session with parent(s) without the child client present

With any insurance company other than EMI and SelectHealth I am out-of-network. Many plans offer out-of-network benefits which means you can be reimbursed for session fees. I am happy to provide you with a “superbill” that you then submit to your insurance for reimbursement of the allowed amount per your specific plan. It is your responsibility to work with your insurance company to determine this benefit and the process for your reimbursement.

I accept HSA cards as well as Bishop or ecclesiastical pay.

CANCELLATION POLICIES:

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand.  If you miss a session without canceling, or cancel with less than 24 hour notice, you will be required to pay a no-show fee of 100% your session fee. I will be happy to have your session via phone or secure video service during your scheduled slot if you are unable to make it due to inclement weather or sickness. For weather related cancellations I follow the Davis County School District school cancellation policy.

Arriving to the session 15 minutes late or later will result in a no show/late cancellation and the full fee will be charged. If there is a pattern of late cancellations and/or no shows therapy may be terminated.

In addition, you are responsible for coming to your session on time.  If you are late, your appointment will still end at the scheduled time and the fee will not be discounted.