FAQs

Only crazy people go to therapy, right? Unfortunately, this is a common view. Seeking help can be a difficult task, and you may feel uncertain about what therapy will be like. People come to therapy for many reasons; you may have recently experienced a major change in life, such as the death of a loved one, a move, or a work transition. You may be dealing with a long-standing psychological or relational issue. Regardless of what brings you, an important part of healing is walking through difficulty with a caring and compassionate person who can offer a different viewpoint about your concerns. With therapy, you can gain long-lasting support that will help you change unhealthy patterns and learn tools to help you manage the challenges you face. Therapy is right for anyone who is looking to improve their life by taking responsibility and working toward change.

If you are a new client, call our office at 601-362-7020, and our Client Care Coordinator will create a client profile and schedule your appointment. If you are a returning client, you may schedule appointments by logging into your client portal and self-scheduling or by calling the office.

Our Client Care Coordinator is available to assist you Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 12:30 PM. If you call outside of those hours, please leave a voice message, and she will return your call during her scheduled hours.

Each therapist has their own, individual schedule. You may contact your therapist by sending them a message through the client portal or by sending them a message via our contact page. You may also leave a voicemail at 601-362-7020.

Each session lasts 55 minutes, and it is usually most helpful to have one session per week. Brief therapy lasts between 8 and 10 sessions. Some problems take longer to address, and some can be remedied in a shorter period of time. Frequency of visits and number of sessions can be discussed during your initial assessment with your therapist.

Yes. Your therapist or Watershed Counseling will not disclose any information about you without your written consent. Being ethical and discreet are important components to growth, and your therapist is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards to facilitate that growth. To request that your therapist or Watershed release your records, you must first sign a “release of records” form. Signing the release form is a prerequisite for your therapist to talk about you, your child, or your records with anyone else.

The law requires a few exceptions to this rule, which include:

Suspected child abuse, dependent adult, or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

If a client threatens serious bodily harm to another person, then the therapist is required to notify the police.

If a client intends to harm themselves, the therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may be taken to ensure the safety of anyone at risk.

During the initial meeting, you and your therapist will get to know each other and discern what you want to get out of therapy, including goals and expectations.

When you make your first appointment, our Client Care Coordinator will direct you in how to fill out our online intake forms before your first session. If you choose to fill out paper versions of the forms, you must arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of your session to do so.

Depending on the services provided, rates set by your insurance provider, and/or your therapist’s licensure designation, fees for a 55-minute session may range from $100 to $250. If your therapist is in-network with your insurance provider, your fee at the time of your visit may be adjusted to your co-pay or co-insurance amount upon verification of benefits.

You are responsible for paying at the time of your session unless prior arrangements have been made. We accept cash, checks, most major credit cards, and some HSA cards.

For ease of payment, we require all clients to keep a credit card on file. The information is stored within our HIPAA compliant electronic records management system, and once the credit card information is input into the system, Watershed personnel cannot see the credit card number.

We require that you give at least 24-hours’ notice if you need to cancel your appointment. If you do not show up for a session or if you give less than a 24-hour notice, you will be required to pay the full, self-pay fee for your missed session. We cannot bill insurance for late cancellations or no-shows. Watershed enforces this policy as a courtesy to other clients waiting for appointments.

As a courtesy, we send out text message reminders for appointments. These reminders do not serve as a way to confirm or cancel an appointment. If you need to cancel your appointment, you may do so via the client portal (if it is more than 24 hours in advance of your session), or you may call our office, 601-362-7020.

Therapists are in-network with the following insurance providers:

Russ Schulte:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Aetna

• Mississippi Physician’s Choice Network (MPCN)

• Fox-Everett

Caty Coffey:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Aetna

• Mississippi Physician’s Choice Network (MPCN)

• Fox-Everett

Michelle Buckner:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Aetna

• Fox-Everett

Jennifer Harris:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Aetna

Jay Roberson:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Aetna

Your therapist will file in-network claims. If you have an insurance provider that is not on this list, your therapist is considered to be out-of-network. If this is the case, our Client Care Coordinator can give you a superbill to submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement.

Please be aware that you will be responsible for paying the full, self-pay fee for your initial session until insurance benefits are established.

If your insurance company denies reimbursement for services for any reason, you are responsible for paying your counseling fees.

Before your first appointment, please check with your insurance provider and ask the following questions:

• Do I have mental health benefits with my plan?

• Are there some diagnoses my plan does not cover?

• What is my deductible and has it been met?

• How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?

• Do I need pre-authorization?

The therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist is a partnership. Your therapist is trained to come alongside you wherever you are and ask questions, offer support, and provide feedback. In order to fully benefit from therapy, you will need to be open, honest, and willing to share your concerns. Ask questions if you need clarification or if you have reservations. Please be on time to your sessions, and, to avoid interruptions, silence any communication devices. If you will be unable to keep your appointment, please call to cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours prior to your appointment.

A P-LPC is a clinician who has completed all of the state’s educational requirements for licensure as a counselor and has been provisionally licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (MS LPC Board). All P-LPCs are required to practice under a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) throughout the completion of the designated amount of face-to-face clinical hours. Once these designated hours are completed, the P-LPC must pass a national exam and be approved by the MS LPC Board before gaining full licensure status.

P-LPCs cannot accept insurance, so our P-LPC clinicians offer a reduced self-pay rate for session fees.

Some of our counselors are independent contractors of Watershed, and some have their own independent practices affiliated with Watershed. For the latter, this means that they share office space and collaborate with and utilize the services of our Client Care Coordinator, but they are responsible for their own billing, scheduling, and records.