Office Policies
Office Hours
Wellsprings is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. If you have an emergency after these hours, please go to your nearest hospital or call 911.
New Clients
Wellsprings processes new clients through our referral process. We do not require a doctor’s referral. If you are a new client seeking services with us, please complete the referral form on our home page, by clicking on the Request for Services button. After we have received your form, we will call you with next steps in the process.
Making an Appointment
You may call 706-246-0733 during office hours to schedule an appointment. All counseling sessions are by appointment only.
Your First Visit
Please plan to arrive 30 minutes early on your first visit so that all paperwork can be completed. Bring your medical insurance card, pertinent medical records, prior psychological test reports, and any rating scales or questionnaires given to you during your initial scheduling visit.
Late Cancellation or Missed Appointment Policy
We at Wellsprings want your counseling experience to be positive and helpful in all ways. Because counseling is most effective when appointments are kept consistently, it is critical that both you and your therapist attend your scheduled appointments and to be on time. When you schedule your appointment, we have reserved this time in our schedule and we have placed it aside to meet with you.
If you or your therapist must cancel or change your appointment, we each agree to contact each other at least 24 hours in advance. This allows our staff to contact clients on our waiting list and to offer them this appointment time. If you do not keep your appointment and have not called to cancel or reschedule within the allotted time limits (before 24 hours), you will be assessed a $25 missed appointment fee with a second or succeeding missed appointment. (Note: The first missed appointment is allowed for a last-minute emergency beyond your control. More than one missed appointment will be assessed the $25 fee, except with documentation as noted below.)
The only exceptions to this policy are appointments missed due to last minute medical attention (with a doctor’s note, receipt, or other verification), funerals, and deaths in the family (with documentation). You should note that insurance companies do NOT reimburse members for such charges. Payment for missed appointments is due BEFORE your next scheduled appointment. PAYMENTS NOT RECEIVED PRIOR TO 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE WILL BE CANCELLED.
As a courtesy, our scheduling system sends out reminder emails, calls, and texts before your appointments to remind you of your appointment times. However, this is a courtesy only. You are still responsible for remembering your appointment and attending. Not receiving the call, email, or text does not excuse you of this responsibility.
Termination Policy
Termination of therapy can be initiated by either the client or the therapist. If you are dissatisfied with the therapeutic care you are receiving, we hope you will discuss it with your therapist, office staff, or Executive Director so that we can make any changes necessary.
Wellsprings reserves the right to terminate therapy if you have missed appointments without notifying us as outlined above in our Cancellation Policy. For newer clients, you will be contacted after the first missed appointment and given an opportunity to pay the missed appointment fee ($25) prior to making another appointment. Failure to do so will result in termination of therapy. For established clients with a good appointment history, two late cancellations or no shows may result in termination and will require you to pay the $25 missed appointment fee.
If you request further treatment, we may be able to provide you with a recommendation to other practitioners for follow-up care. Should you request further services from Wellsprings after you have been terminated for failure to follow the Cancellation Policy, you will be placed on a “Same Day Call Back” and we will call you whenever we have last minute appointment slots available.
Insurance Plans/Payment
Wellsprings works with various insurance plans to assist our clients. However, clients are responsible for any fees not covered by their insurance plan. All fees, including co-payments are payable at the time service is rendered. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, personal checks, and cash. We can arrange a payment schedule if needed. If you have billing questions, you may call our billing manager at (706) 246-0733. Note: if your insurance provider is not listed on this page, payment is due at the time the services are rendered, and you will be responsible for filing with your insurance company. We will be happy to provide you with a billing statement of services rendered.
The following is a list of insurance companies that our therapists are on panel with. While most of our therapists take all insurances, we cannot guarantee that the the therapist you will see is on panel with your insurance.
- Aetna
- Amerigroup
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Caresource (Medicaid only; not commercial)
- Cigna
- HealthOne Alliant
- Humana
- Medicare
- Peach State
- SSI Medicaid/Peachcare
- United Healthcare
- Sliding scale fees available for those who are not billing insurance
What Is Play Therapy?
“Play is a child’s natural language. Toys can be viewed as a child’s words and play is the child’s language (Landreth, 2002). Moreover, play is a fun, enjoyable activity that expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego (Landreth, 2002). Play allows us to practice skills and roles needed for success. The healing powers inherent in play are used to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings. Through this process, therapists help children learn adaptive behaviors so they can cope with emotional problems or deficits. The positive relationship that develops between therapist and child during play therapy is the basis for emotional healing. Play therapy differs from regular play in that the therapist helps children to address and resolve their own problems. Through play therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem-solving skills, and learn a variety of ways of relating to others.
How Will Play Therapy Benefit My Child?
“Play therapy is implemented as a treatment of choice in mental health, school, agency, developmental, hospital, residential, and recreational settings, with clients of all ages, but particularly with ages 3 to 12. It is used for anger management, grief and loss issues, divorce and family dissolution, crisis and trauma, for modification of behavioral disorders (anxiety, depression, ADHD), or pervasive developmental disorders, academic and social deficits, physical and learning disabilities, and conduct disorders. Moreover, it has been shown to be effective for emotional trauma related to hospitalization, chronic illness, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and natural disasters.
How Long Does Play Therapy Take?
“Each play therapy session varies in length but usually last about 30 to 50 minutes. Sessions are usually held weekly or bi-weekly. Research suggests that it takes an average of 20 play therapy sessions to resolve the problems of the typical child referred for treatment. Of course, some children may improve much faster while more serious or ongoing problems may take longer to resolve.
How Does Sandtray Therapy Work?
“Sandtray therapy uses an extensive collection of miniature objects, sand and water. The client is invited to create a world in the sandtray by making patterns in the sand or by placing objects into the sandtray in any configuration that he or she desires. Individuals are encouraged to play with the sand however they wish. Through the process of digging or building or creating geographies, or making worlds with objects and figures, the therapist is able to understand the conscious and unconscious dilemmas, fears, hopes, and dreams of the client. The outcome is often a feeling of revelation and truth for the client. “This is how it is. This is just what it is like for me.”
Why Use Sandtray Therapy?
“Just as a picture can say more than a thousand words, a figure or scene can express feelings, emotions and conflicts that previously had no verbal language. Without having to depend on words, clients can increase their capacity for expression through the sandtray. Self-awareness and communication are enhanced by this process because, once the scene is visible, the client is able to “see” and verbalize what he or she is internally experiencing.