Frequently Asked Questions

Yes.  Right now, we are in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Cigna, Oscar Health, Oxford, and United Healthcare.

Coming soon: Anthem Blue Cross, and Blue Shield Virginia, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia

No, we do not at this time.

No, we do not at this time.

No, we do not at this time.

A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients 24-hour access to personal health information from anywhere with an internet connection. This is also how you will access telehealth appointments, complete intake paperwork, update insurance, and complete assessments. Simple Practice is the portal where you will access your telehealth appointments and paperwork. Headway is the portal that bills your insurance, so you'll want to keep that one up to date.

The short answer is talk-therapy. The long answer is that it depends on what is needed. Marriage and Family Therapists use several different theoretical approaches to therapy, but the one thing they all have in common is that they approach every client problem from a systemic approach. If you want to know more about the therapeutic approaches therapists can use, keep a watch on our blog and search the blog archives.

All cancellations must be made no less than 24 hours in advance of the scheduled appointment.  All missed appointments and late cancellations result in a $75 missed appointment fee. If you have a recurring appointment and you miss three appointments you will lose your timeslot.

We have a Winchester, VA location at 149-B Creekside Ln, Winchester, VA 22602.  There is a map of the location on our Contact Us page.  We intend to open a West Virginia location soon.

Yes! Isn't telehealth great?  It's probably one of the best things that came from the COVID years.

Yes.  We can see in-person clients on Mondays at our Winchester, VA location.

We work with children aged 12+ in individual therapy.  For children younger than 12 years old, we suggest family therapy. We have found working with the whole family to be more effective.  At this time, we are not set up for play therapy for very young children. We do, however, offer parent support for families struggling with behavioral problems with children under the age of 12.

It depends.  Contact us to describe your situation, and click family therapy on the contact form.

Kelly Sheridan, M.S., LMFT is licensed in the state of Virginia and West Virginia.

The DSM-5-TR is the most recent Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders version.  It is the manual that mental health professionals use to diagnose and guide the conceptualization of a client's set of symptoms.  The DSM is produced by the American Psychiatric Association and regularly reviewed.  Sometimes, diagnoses names or criteria for the diagnoses change with each edition.  For example, in the DSM-IV, there was a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, which, with the new revision, is included in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Often, clinicians do not want to label clients but it is a requirement to bill insurance.

HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 which is a federal law that regulates how private health information (PHI) is protected.  Find out more at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

We primarily focus on trauma, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, intergenerational patterns of maladaptive behavior, acute stress, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and interpersonal relational issues.

We have worked with clients struggling with dissociative disorders, Bi-Polar, ADHD, ASD, and personality disorders.  If you aren't sure if we can help with the specific issues that are causing you to struggle, set up a free 15 minute tele-consultation.

We are certified in TF-CBT and EMDR.  We have experience working with Internal Family Systems and Attachment Theory.

If you are using insurance, then a mandatory part of billing includes a diagnosis code.  So your insurance company will know your diagnosis.  The HIPAA privacy rule requires employers to maintain the confidentiality of employee medical information that was derived directly from the group health plan. We suggest that you contact your company's Human Relations (HR) department if you have further questions.

In general, it has been our experience that being in therapy does not negatively impact your security clearance, provided that you honestly disclose that you are receiving treatment.  There are careers and levels of security clearance where diagnoses may negatively impact your ability to complete your job tasks.  We are not the experts on security clearances, so it might be best if you inquire with your employer.

No.  We cannot make guarantees in therapy.  Results will be influenced by your and your partner's effort and commitment to the process.  But even with couples who are doing everything they are asked in therapy, sometimes it doesn't work out.  Mention your concerns about this topic with your therapist.

Oh, we wish.  But that is not something that therapy can do.  We firmly believe all people can change.  The caveat is that they have to want to make the changes because that will give them a more genuine experience in their relationships.  If they change to make you happy, then they will be changing for you, not themselves, so the changes will not stick.  It will also run the risk of your spouse developing resentment toward you because they are accommodating you rather than doing what they need to be true to themselves.

Parents often request that in therapy, we help their adolescent get out from in front of a screen, come out of their room, argue less, or do their chores.  Those are parenting strategy conversations to have with the therapist.  Enrolling your teenager in therapy is not helpful to "fix" issues that will help with tweaking how they are parented. We would meet with them for an hour a week but you are with them all of the other hours in the week.

Also, it is developmentally appropriate for your teenager to push boundaries and test your limits.  This is part of the normal life cycle process.  Plus, if adolescents irritate you, then you will be more willing to let them leave the nest when it is time.  If we had a magic wand to "fix" people we would either be millionaires or out of a job.

Unfortunately, in the age of all too frequent school shootings and active shooter drills, schools have had to take a firm stance on how they handle "threat" situations.  We have worked with situations where, for example,  a 1st grader was suspended pending psych evaluation because they told a peer while waiting in line that they wished the teacher would get shot. It can seem ridiculous to some.  Yet, in 2023, a Virginia elementary school teacher was shot by a 6-year-old student. Schools do not want to take that risk.

We do not provide letters assuring your child's commitment to safe behaviors due to liability concerns.  In the past, we have provided psychoeducation to the school officials with the parents' consent.  That will not necessarily guarantee your child will go back to school. The school will have to decide.

Therapists are required to maintain your confidentiality, but what does that mean?  That means almost everything you say in session is kept between you and the therapist.

• To bill your insurance, the therapist is required to maintain a note about the session; however, this does not include a blow-by-blow of what happens in the session or everything you said. The notes are read if there is an insurance audit, but those people do not care whether you are arguing with your spouse or smoking marijuana on the weekends.  Their primary purpose is to save the insurance company money by making sure your treatment is medically necessary.  The therapist purposefully keeps notes vague enough to maintain your confidence.  You don't have to worry about that part because your therapist will take care of it.
• There are also circumstances in which a therapist is legally required to break your confidentiality.  These are spelled out in your state's statutes.  Virginia's statutes can be found here.  West Virginia's statutes can be found here.
  • When the therapist is court-ordered, or notes are subpoenaed related to a case you are involved in.
  • When you are an imminent danger to yourself, the therapist can legally break your confidentiality to help you get a higher level of care.
  • When you are an imminent danger to others, therapists have a "Duty to Warn," which means they are legally required to warn the person(s) that you are a danger to and/or law enforcement.
  • When you disclose abuse of a vulnerable population, therapists, doctors, nurses, teachers, and others are mandated reporters.  If you disclose abuse of the elderly or children, the therapist is legally required to make an adult protective services (APS) or child protective services (CPS) report.

Therapists do not disclose if you report illegal activity.  (e.g., If you killed someone in the past - your secret is safe.  If you plan on killing someone, we are required to warn).  Otherwise, even with something as simple as someone calling to confirm you are attending counseling sessions, therapists are not allowed to confirm or deny if they even know you unless the therapist has written informed consent from the client.

Great question!

Therapists are required to maintain your confidentiality, but what does that mean when you aren't an adult yet?  That means almost everything you say in session is kept between you and the therapist.

• In some circumstances, a therapist is legally required to break your confidentiality.  These are spelled out in your state's statutes.  Virginia's statutes can be found here.  West Virginia's statutes can be found here.
  • When the therapist is court-ordered, or notes are subpoenaed related to a case you are involved in.
  • When you are an imminent danger to yourself, the therapist can legally break your confidentiality to help you get a higher level of care.
  • When you are an imminent danger to others, therapists have a "Duty to Warn," which means they are legally required to warn the person(s) that you are a danger to and/or law enforcement.
  • When you disclose abuse of a vulnerable population, therapists, doctors, nurses, teachers, and others are mandated reporters.  If you disclose abuse of the elderly or children, the therapist is legally required to make an adult protective services (APS) or child protective services (CPS) report.

Therapists do not disclose to authorities if you report illegal activity.  (e.g., If you killed someone in the past - your secret is safe.  If you plan on killing someone, we are required to warn).

But what do you have to tell my parents?  Much of that depends on your age.  We will share more of what is going on with you if you are three years old than if you are seventeen.  We can talk about what you are comfortable sharing with your parents during your first session, and we can talk about hypothetical situations. We will also discuss with your parents the reasons for maintaining your confidentiality and why we do or do not share certain information.  Note to parents: This could be uncomfortable for you.  Parents often are used to thinking they know everything going on in their child's life.  But without maintaining your child's confidentiality, they are not likely to honestly share if they think they will get in trouble when you find out.