Frequently Asked Questions

Please see these questions and answers from current and potential clients. Feel free to contact us with any additional questions!

• What are your rates for therapy?
• What are your rates for testing and evaluations?
• How can therapy help me and my family?
• What therapeutic framework do you use?
• How can your services help Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome?
• Is my child too young for testing? Am I too old for testing?
• Do you provide therapy for children?
• How do I schedule an appointment?
• What insurance do you take?
• What kind of testing and evaluations do you offer?
• Do you have any sliding scale or pro-bono therapy slots?
• Do you provide group therapy services?
• Do you provide any Dallas therapy services?

Often patterns of communication occur and lead to problematic emotions or behaviors that are disruptive to an individual or family.  Our expertise comes in with recognizing and shifting these patterns, establishing coping techniques, and reframing thoughts or behaviors for more positive interactions.  A therapist can help to offer a neutral, unbiased and objective framework, help to recognize and utilize coping resources within oneself, and offer a safe space to develop solutions.

Our team uses an integrated approach to best meet your needs in the therapy environment.  One aspect of the integrated approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is used to focus on present thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are contributing to the difficulty.  These CBT techniques are presented from a humanistic approach, focusing on acceptance, warmth, and positive encouragement. A systemic approach collaborates with family, school, and other providers to maximize your care.

An evaluation can provide either a first time diagnosis, which can help access services and resources to aid with behavior and social skills as well as language development.  Updated evaluations offer a more accurate view of functioning and progress made, as well as monitor needs as an individual progresses through development.  Some training, academic, and service providers require diagnosis reports.  A gold standard research based evaluation method is used to provide the most helpful recommendations and results.

While there is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder, therapy services can help an individual with ASD or Asperger’s work directly through social skills and social thinking techniques.  Autism therapy and Asperger’s therapy techniques can be somewhat different than conventional therapy, as the language impairment means that more interactive and visual supports are helpful. Coping techniques for associated symptoms like anxiety and depression are also addressed in individual therapy.  Parent therapy and parenting strategies can help communication and co-parenting techniques, as well as behavioral modification and self-care and coping for parents. Dr. Oppenheimer also works hard to facilitate conversation and treatment consistency between all providers in an effort to support the whole family.

The purpose of any testing or evaluation session is to determine current strengths and needs, The sooner needs are identified in a child, the sooner your child will have access to services and resources necessary to make gains and maximize developmental progress. A child suspected of ASD or a developmental disability can be evaluated as early as 18 months using reliable and research based evaluation methods.

Individuals who have aged out of public school services, or who are currently in the workforce and in relationships may wonder why they are struggling with aspects of life that seemingly come easier to everyone else. An evaluation can help identify strengths and areas of need for older individuals as well, and can help families establish futures planning and needs for guardianship and additional care. Upside Therapy and Evaluation Center is one of the few providers in the area that offers evaluation services throughout the entire lifespan.

Upside Therapy does provide child therapy. Our therapists have experience and expertise with toddlers, elementary school aged children, middle school aged children, teens, and young adults. To schedule an initial appointment (Diagnostic Interview), please contact us. For ongoing patients, call the office phone number to schedule an appointment or evaluation time.

First time appointments are typically longer sessions, to help gather all relevant information and to facilitate the collaborative goal setting process. To schedule an initial appointment (Diagnostic Interview), please contact us. For ongoing patients, call the office phone number to schedule an appointment or evaluation time.

At this time Upside Therapy and Evaluation Center does not accept insurance. However, we are happy to provide itemized receipts with the relevant CPT codes and ICD-10 diagnosis codes that can be submitted to your insurance for possible out of network benefits. Please contact your insurance carrier to determine what out of network benefits you may be eligible for. We do not accept insurance in an effort to provide the best possible care and attention to you and your needs. Insurance companies often mandate duration and frequency, as well require updated information on your progress and treatment goals – information that we strive to keep confidential. Working outside of insurance requirements means that 100% of our time and attention is on client care and communication.

We offer evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning disorders, developmental disorders, OCD, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, identity concerns, intellectual disabilities, mood disorders and more. To inquire further about our services, please contact us.

Our providers offer some sliding scale and pro-bono therapy services, as needed. Each provider has a set number of sliding scale and pro-bono spots, and these positions are typically income based. To inquire further about fee-reduction services, or for appropriate referrals, please contact us.

Group therapy is offered throughout the year with start dates typically in February, June, and September. Please contact us for more information.

All of our therapy services are performed at our Plano location. You can schedule Plano therapy services at our main location. Please contact us for more information.

Although we do not accept Medicare, we will print a receipt of service which you can submit for reimbursement. Here is a link to instructions and the Medicare Part B Claim Form: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS1490S-ENGLISH-Instructions-PartB.pdf

Upside Therapy providers are specially trained or have developed interests within a variety of populations across the lifespan. During the course of a normal lifespan many individuals experience physical and emotional stress. However, senior adults in particular may encounter a number of potential triggers that could result in mental illness. Some of these triggers include; physical disability, long-term illness (e.g., heart disease or cancer), loss of a loved one, social isolation, moving into assisted living, and dementia-causing illness (e.g., Alzheimer’s). A senior adult experiencing any of these triggers may not recognize the need to seek help. Awareness of unusual behavioral symptoms by the senior adult’s children, family, caregivers, and physician is critical in order to initiate action. It is important to make sure a senior adult’s mental health needs are being properly taken care of in order to encourage healthy aging.

Although our practice is not a Medicare provider, you may have access to out of network benefits. Please see our insurance guide for more.

That is up to you! Some clients would like a speedy resolution to a problem. Six sessions or less may be enough to understand the problem from the therapist’s objective perspective, collaborate with the therapist to uncover what solutions might be available to you, and then approach the problem with a trial and error strategy. Other clients prefer to take their time and explore/examine their lives past to present. Both of these approaches involve collaboration, communication, and a relationship between the therapist and the client, critical for optimal outcomes.

Therapy works best when the client and the therapist are a “good fit.” We are available for a 10-15 minute phone consultation where we encourage you to ask questions that are important for you to know about the therapy process, our style of therapy, and payment information. Once you decide whether we are a match for your particular needs you can make an appointment for the first session. If after the first session you do not feel comfortable in your choice of therapist, you can ask to make an appointment with a different therapist within this practice, or ask for a list of referrals for therapists in your area.