Frequently Asked Questions

The counseling services provided through BCA include Individual, Couples, Family, and Child Counseling.  Sometimes, more than one mode of counseling may be utilized during the counseling process. For example, couples counseling may also involve several individual sessions with each partner, or family sessions may be recommended during the counseling process with a child or adolescent. Your counselor will discuss each step of the process with you.

It is helpful at the time of the phone intake to provide some information about the presenting problem so that the most appropriate counselor can be selected to help you and/or your family.

Some counselors at BCA offer telehealth therapy as well.

Consent for treatment of children is a complicated issue in Pennsylvania. For those parents not presently in marital separation or divorce either parent or a child aged 14 or older may grant consent for treatment. In cases of marital separation or divorce, BCA requests the consent of both parents whenever possible. The consent of both parents is required when there is a court order of joint legal custody and the child is 13 or younger.

The BCA main office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Friday from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. During these hours, our administrative staff can answer your questions related to:

• Billings
• Payments
• Insurance reimbursement
• Scheduling appointments

Please note that each therapist has their own regularly scheduled office hours.

Yes!  BCA’s psychiatric nurse can treat people who receive therapy outside of BCA as long as:

• You are 16 years of age or older
• You have an already established therapist that you’ve met with at least three times
• You sign consent forms allowing your therapist to exchange certain treatment information with our nurse
• You agree to abide by BCA’s scheduling and missed appointment fee guidelines

A typical counseling session is 53-55 minutes long. However, under certain circumstances, you might only require a 30 or 45 minute session .

Please keep the following in mind regarding payment:

• BCA’s financial policy includes the belief that the commitment to your treatment will be improved by understanding fee requirements prior to the first session.
• Please note, the use of direct insurance reimbursement for payment must be verified by the administrative staff prior to the first appointment.
  BCA expects payment in full or payment of the co-pay at the start of each session.
• Checks are made payable to Bethlehem Counseling Associates. BCA accepts credit card payments of VISA, MasterCard, Discover & American Express.
  Any NSF (non-sufficient funds) checks will be assessed a $30 processing fee.
• Each Clinician at BCA reserves the right to charge a missed appointment fee of $100 for any appointments canceled with less than 24-hours notice.
• A fee is assessed whenever there is a request for processing forms, preparing reports, or copying office materials or records.
• Special arrangements for sharing payments between parents involved in a marital separation or divorce may be worked out between the parents, however BCA requires that the parent who brings the child to the session is responsible for the payment in full or the co-pay at the time of the session.
• Any missed appointment fees will be charged to the parent holding the insurance, or the parent who made the initial referral.
• Clients or their responsible parties have the ultimate responsibility for payment if there is a problem with insurance reimbursement or if incorrect information is provided during the insurance verification process.