FAQ
1) How does talking to a professional help? How is counseling different than talking to my friends and family, or working out problems on my own?
First of all, counseling isn’t about “fixing” you. You’re not broken. Dr. Hill typically sees adults, children, couples and families that are basically healthy, but whose lives have suddenly become much more stressful. My clients often experience a flare-up of depression or anxiety symptoms after a parenting impasse, marital distress, job changes/stress, a divorce, family illness or losses, or another type of crisis. Other clients feel themselves or a child is being held back in some area of their life by a chronic condition like ADHD, Bipolar Depression or past traumatic experiences, even if other aspects of life are going smoothly.
Whatever your personal concerns, a trained psychologist can often offer a more objective and knowledgeable perspective than can friends and family. A psychologist can help you see your situation more clearly, and offer options or suggestions you hadn’t thought of. Ultimately, counseling provides a safe and confidential environment to learn new skills, to make good decisions, to improve your confidence, and to eliminate unnecessary feelings of distress. The result is feeling more free, effective and happy– whether at home, school, work or in your personal relationships.
2) What will happen when I come to counseling? What should I expect from the first meetings?
My office is located upstairs at the end of a quiet hallway of a restored historic building. If my door is not already open for you, please relax in the waiting area at the end of the hall (with views of the Capitol and foothills) and I will be with you shortly. If you did not already fill out initial paperwork at home, I will set out a clipboard for you on one of the chairs. Once inside, please enjoy a coffee or tea before we sit down to talk. Dr. Hill will usually meet with you for 50-60 minutes at the first visit. At this first meeting you should already feel heard and understood—and this experience alone often provides some initial relief. It typically takes one or two meetings just to hear your story and to let us get to know each other. Afterwards, I will cooperatively develop a counseling plan with you. My goal is to choose together a direction or strategy that both feels comfortable to you and that is known to be effective. During our counseling I always encourage you to set your own pace and to feel fully supported, while still being challenged to grow from the right amount of objective feedback and from trying out new ideas.
3) What makes services with Dr. Hill unique?
Numerous family physician and pediatric group practices refer to me on a regular basis, while others are referred by school staff or word of mouth. I have earned this reputation through my long-standing working relationships with area professionals and by presenting locally and regionally on ADHD, Bipolar, Marriage and Family Therapy, Effective Parenting, Depression, Anxiety and Stress, and Divorce Management for Adults and Children. Some of these specialties are rare for the Treasure Valley and are under-served locally (especially by male therapists). Each of these specialties represents many years of professional training and experience. Licensed Psychologists complete 4 years of combined academic classes and supervised clinical experience, plus another year-long supervised internship and post-doctoral supervision.
Professionally, I am dedicated to continuing education though conferences, workshops and consultation with trusted colleagues. In this way you can take advantage of the most recent information and research available. Finally, you should know that I purposefully keep my caseload reasonable, so I can be responsive and give careful attention to everyone I see.
4) How long will I have to go to counseling?
This question largely depends on the extent and nature of the problems you wish to address, but generally my clients’ needs fall into three categories. Some clients come in with a single, straightforward concern like consulting on a parenting issue, brushing up on existing coping skills for mild depression or anxiety, or wanting a second opinion after meeting with another therapist or medical provider. These clients may find their needs met in as few as 4-6 sessions.
Other clients may have more than one concern to address, or need to create more extensive coping strategies truly from scratch. Research shows that developing completely new strategies or skills can take 12-16 meetings to reach lasting success. Thus, this type of counseling could last 3 to 6 months depending on how often you want to meet. Examples in this category include mastering healthy communication in a distressed marriage or family relationship, providing sufficient relief for more chronic anxiety or depression, or parenting through a more complex situation like alcohol/drug use or chronic, defiant behavior.
Finally, some of my clients find they are still gaining a tangible benefit from counseling after a year or more. Typically these longer-term clients are no longer coming in on a weekly basis, but they may continue to appreciate the periodic emotional support, structured time, or assistance in maintaining hard-fought gains.
5) What about confidentiality?
Dr. Hill is bound by both state law and national ethical standards to keep your information private and confidential. The only common exceptions to this confidentiality are if: 1) you explicitly give written permission to exchange information (e.g. with your family physician), 2) the therapist believes you are in immediate danger of committing suicide or otherwise seriously injuring yourself, or you are in immediate danger of physically assaulting another person, 3) you share information about the abuse or neglect of a minor or disabled person, and 4) if you give permission for occasional professional consultation. (Typically I can seek such consultation without using your name and this may benefit your experience by brainstorming additional ideas for our time together, but I can always refrain from this if you prefer). Extremely rare exceptions to confidentiality involve legal proceedings, including if a judge (not just an attorney) orders the therapist to disclose information.
6) What forms of payment do you accept?
Dr. Hill accepts cash, money orders, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Check/Debit Cards, and personal checks up to $150.
7) How do I set up an appointment?
Please call 495-4050 to make an appointment. Dr. Hill will return your call within 24 hours (and often within just a few hours). I will talk with you briefly about your concerns to be sure I feel like the right therapist for you. Afterwards, we’ll choose a convenient time to meet. Appointments are usually available within a couple of days to a week, depending on how much flexibility you have in your schedule. Please note that email is never a secure form of communication, so I do not communicate with clients by email. For the same reason, the only texting I do is for appointment reminders. To protect your confidentiality, please contact me only by telephone at (208) 495-4050. I regularly monitor messages at this number on business days.
8) Is your building handicap accessible?
Sadly, the one drawback of being in a historic building downtown is that elevators have never been installed. If you would have difficulty climbing one flight of stairs due to a disability, medical condition or temporary injury please contact me so we can make arrangements to meet in a colleague’s fully accessible office.