Frequently Asked Questions

All therapists need to be licensed by the NY State Office of Professions in order to legally practice psychotherapy.  There are several different types of licenses that represent different educational backgrounds and training experiences.  Insurance companies reimburse therapy sessions at different rates depending on therapist licensure, so the cost of a session will depend on your particular therapist’s licensure.  Please keep in mind that the following definitions outline the minimum educational and experience requirements for licensure.  Many therapists of each licensure will have substantially more experience and training than described.

• PhD.  A PhD means your therapist has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology.  They typically attended graduate school for 5-7 years. Their education and experience likely involved a significant focus on research.  They have already finished their supervised clinical experience and can practice independently.
• PsyD.  A PsyD is a Doctor of Psychology.  Therapists with this degree typically attended 4-6 years of graduate school.  The PsyD. is a doctoral degree similar to a PhD., but focused more on clinical practice than on research.  They have already finished their supervised clinical experience and can practice independently.
• LCSW.  LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  LCSWs typically attended a 2 year Master of Social Work program.  Social work programs include education about mental health and other aspects of social work such as case management, policy, and advocacy. They worked under supervision for at least 3 years, conducting at least 2000 psychotherapy sessions, as an LMSW before obtaining their LCSW license and being allowed to practice independently.
• LMHC.  LMHC stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor.  LMHCs typically attended a 2 year graduate Masters in Mental Health Counseling program.  Their education is heavily focused on mental health and individual and group counseling.  After completion of their graduate program, they needed to work as a Mental Health Counselor under supervision for at least 3,000 hours, with 1,500 hours of direct psychotherapy before being licensed as an LMHC and allowed to practice independently.
• LMFT.  LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  LMFTs typically attended a 2 year Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy program.  Their education focused specifically on intervening with couples and families to promote the mental health of individuals or the couple/family as a unit.  After graduation, they needed to work as a Marriage and Family Therapist under supervision for at least 1,500 psychotherapy sessions before being licensed as an LMFT to practice therapy independently.
• LCAT. LCAT stands for Licensed Creative Arts Therapist.  LCATs typically attended a 2 year graduate program in some form of art therapy (art, music, dance, drama, poetry, etc).  Their education focused on using art to support the mental health, development, and wellbeing of individuals and groups.  After graduation, they needed to work as a Creative Arts Therapist under supervision for at least 1,500 hours with at least 1,000 hours of sessions before being licensed as an LCAT to practice therapy independently.
• LMSW.  LMSW stands for Licensed Master Social Worker.  LMSWs typically attended a 2 year Master of Social Work program.  Social work programs include education about mental health and other aspects of social work such as case management, policy, and advocacy.   They have graduated from their degree program and are currently working under supervision in the process of obtaining their independent LCSW license.  If you are seeing an LMSW therapist, they meet with a clinical supervisor once per week to review the care of all their clients.  The clinical supervisor also reads and signs all clinical documentation.  The clinical supervisor is legally responsible for all care provided by a LMSW.

All therapists and staff at Renew Hope and Healing strive to treat all clients and visitors with compassion and respect.  To ensure a therapeutic healing space for you and for other clients, we ask that you agree to the following code of conduct.

We expect that you will:

• Treat your therapist, other Renew Hope and Healing staff members, and other clients respectfully. 
• Refrain from making loud sounds (voice, music, videogames) that disrupt sessions.
• Stay in the waiting room and will not enter any therapy offices or private areas without permission.
• Supervise young children in the waiting room, prevent them from damaging property, and clean up any messes that they create.
• Arrive for sessions on time and ready to participate in therapy: this includes being awake, sober, and prepared to minimize digital distractions/interruptions.
• If participating in a telehealth session, you will also join on time and ready to participate in therapy:  this includes being in NY state, dressed, sober, in a private location with good internet connection, and not doing other tasks (ex: driving).
• Seek support from Renew Hope and Healings management team by contacting us at 585-398-8835 or filling out our feedback form. If you have a negative experience with your therapist you will get in touch with the Renew team at 585-398-8835. 

Renew Hope and Healing’s electronic medical record is Simple Practice.  We are not affiliated with the University of Rochester or Rochester Regional Health and do not use MyChart. Your Simple Practice portal will allow you to complete intake questionnaires, message securely with your therapist, view invoices and pay your bill, and view, schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments.

Yes.  Some of the forms, like the Informed Consent for Psychotherapy and Consent for Telehealth, are required by law.  Others orient you to our practice policies so that you understand how therapy works at Renew Hope and Healing and don’t need to spend as much time in your intake reviewing practice policies.  Finally, the intake questionnaire allows you to provide your therapist with information about you and your reasons for seeking therapy before your first session.  Providing more details on the intake questionnaire will allow your therapist to let you lead more of the conversation and spend less time asking you direct questions for the initial assessment.  Many therapists within Renew Hope and Healing will cancel your intake session if you have not completed the intake paperwork you were sent via the portal.

Unless your child or teen has no second parent/guardian or that second parent/guardian has lost legal or medical custody, the professional licensing boards hold therapists to the expectation that they will involve both parents/guardians in the care of a minor.  This means that at minimum, the therapist is responsible for both parents/guardians knowing that the child or teen is in therapy, having the opportunity to say “yes” or “no” to therapy, and having the ability to contact the therapist to discuss the child/teen’s treatment and progress. 

Your first therapy session is called a Psychiatric Diagnostic Assessment.  The purpose of this session is for your therapist to learn enough about your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and life experiences to determine a preliminary diagnosis and assess whether they are able to provide effective care for you.  It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions of the therapist to determine whether you want to work with them.  Intake sessions often feel very different than a typical therapy session.  The therapist often asks many more questions, takes notes on their computer, and reviews policies in a way that they often don’t in regular therapy sessions when the goal is to provide treatment rather than doing an assessment.

It depends on the reason you are dissatisfied.  If your therapist has behaved unprofessionally, for example by missing your sessions, we will support you in changing therapists.  If you are dissatisfied due to your therapists general availability, it is less likely that we can support you with a transfer.  Many, many, many clients want the same appointment times and we may not be able to find an appropriately matched therapist with the availability that you would like.  If you are dissatisfied for another reason, such as feeling that you aren’t making enough progress or that your therapist is not responding in the way you would like, we encourage you to speak with your therapist about your concerns so that you can problem solve together.  If your therapist feels that the problem cannot be solved and that your needs can be met by another therapist at Renew Hope and Healing, they can request a transfer on your behalf.

Telehealth Client Code of Conduct

Purpose:
This Code of Conduct outlines the expectations for clients participating in telehealth sessions to ensure a safe, respectful, and effective therapeutic environment.

1. Respect and Professionalism

• Treat your therapist and the session with the same respect as an in-person appointment.
• Avoid using offensive, discriminatory, or abusive language or behavior.
• Refrain from multitasking (e.g., driving, cooking) during the session.

2. Privacy and Confidentiality

• Choose a private, quiet location for your session where you will not be overheard or interrupted.
• Do not record, screenshot, or share any part of the session without written consent from your therapist.
• Protect your own device with a password and keep your telehealth platform login secure.

3. Technology and Preparedness

• Ensure your device, internet connection, camera, and microphone are working before the session.
• Log in a few minutes early to address any technical issues.
• Have a backup plan (e.g., phone call) in case of technical failure.

4. Attendance and Punctuality

• Attend all scheduled sessions on time.
• Provide at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or rescheduling, unless there is an emergency.
• Understand that repeated no-shows or late arrivals may affect your ability to continue telehealth services.

5. Safety

• Do not attend sessions while under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs.
• If you are in crisis or feeling unsafe, inform your therapist immediately and call emergency services (e.g., 911 in the U.S.).
• Keep emergency contact information up to date.

6. Boundaries

• Use the agreed-upon communication channels for contacting your therapist between sessions.
• Respect your therapist’s professional boundaries and working hours.

7. Compliance

• Acknowledge that your therapist may terminate or reschedule a session if these guidelines are not followed.

Please view this article on our website for an explanation.