Common Questions

Question: Are my therapy sessions confidential?

Answer: HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and AQuestion: Are my therapy sessions confidential? Answer: HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal law governing mental health and counseling information records. It sets a national standard for patients' rights to confidentiality. South Carolina's laws related to mental health treatment are even more restrictive than HIPAA. All records are governed by ethical codes and standards of psychologists in SC. No information can ever be released from a client's records without proper legal compulsion. As defined by South Carolina Law Section 19-11-95, proper legal compulsion would be either consent from a client or a court order -- but not a subpoena unless the subpoena is issued by a "duly constituted professional licensing or disciplinary board or panel." So, as a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Kilmann is under no obligation to respond to a regular subpoena from an attorney. In essence, everything in a session is confidential and will not be revealed to anyone without your written permission.

Question: How many sessions are needed to make positive changes?

Answer: Positive changes in thinking and feeling about a problem typically occur in the first session for most clients. Sometimes one session is all that you might need to reach your goal. The need for additional sessions depends upon the type of problem that you have and your desire to address it. Your progress depends upon the nature of your concerns, the specific changes you want to make, and your commitment toward making these changes. You will increase the likelihood of reaching your goals if you follow my suggestions outside of the sessions. In the first session, after I know more about your situation and the issues that you want to resolve, I can give you my opinion about what is needed for positive changes. Most clients in my practice reach their goals in less than 6 sessions.

Question: How long do positive changes last?

Answer: Once you become aware of more positive ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, you will have no desire to return to the former, less positive ways of coping that led you to see me in the first place.

Question: If I am having relationship problems, should I come in by myself or with my partner?

Answer: Although many partners come to therapy together in the first session, many people who have relationship problems come in for the first session on their own. Because men are not as comfortable as women in asking for help, women often make the initial contact and then ask their partner to come in with them. Some relationship problems can be addressed if a person comes in without their partner, although therapy typically is much more effective if both partners are involved in the process. Some relationship problems are maintained by unresolved individual issues in one or both partners. In those cases, it is also helpful for the individual to have separate sessions to resolve these issues.

Question: Will my treatment be covered by my insurance?

Answer: Our office policy is to be paid at the time of the appointment. We accept self-pay and TriCare Insurance.

Because we reserve time especially for you, payment in full will be charged for cancellations with less than 24 hour notice.