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RavenGirl1990
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Default Nov 22, 2020 at 09:45 PM
  #1
Hi,

So I have a quick question. I recently started therapy again last week. I had therapy earlier in the year with a different therapist and didn’t find it helpful.
Anyway I have a question about charges. I know some therapists may charge a cancellation fee if you cancel without 24 hours notice of your next appointment. And charge you still if you are late to their office late.
My very first therapist never had this before. But my current one and my last therapist did.

Is this the norm for therapists to have a cancellation fee within less than 24 hours and charge you when you arrive late? Have any of anyone else’s therapists had this kind of policy? If so what did you think?

I worry I could get charge a late fee, if I don’t, make it to an appointment on time, like if things came up at work. Almost all the time I am early to appointments though.
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nottrustin
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Default Nov 22, 2020 at 10:12 PM
  #2
I have never heard of them charging a large fee. Is this in addition to the session fee? Both the Ts I've seen have never charged a late fee. They know I see them at the end of mt work day so things may happen. Plus with current T I travel about 45 miles.

As far as charging for appointments cancelled at the last minute, that is very common. I do not know how many actually do it though. My Ts have that policy, however, neither of them actually do it. They have the policy but do bot charge unless it is a regular issue with a client. They know if I cancel last minute I am either really sick or something has happened to a family member

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LonesomeTonight
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Default Nov 23, 2020 at 07:40 AM
  #3
The charge for cancelling within 24 hours (for some, it's 48 hours) is quite common, but I've never heard of a late fee. The only thing I've seen (in paperwork) is that if I arrive late, then I wouldn't get extra time added to my session. That it would end at the same time. In other words, if I get there 15 minutes late, I lose 15 minutes of my session.


Now, if the T would still give a client a full session even if they arrive late, I could *maybe* see there being a small late fee, like, no more than $20, if that might require him rearranging his schedule or staying late, if you're the last session of the day. So if this T charges that, I'd ask him about it, why it's there. I'd also wonder if it's maybe only there for clients who are habitually late, not just they got stuck in a meeting or hit bad traffic on the way there. So he theoretically *could* charge someone but generally wouldn't.
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Default Nov 23, 2020 at 10:14 AM
  #4
The charge for a no show or late cancellation is common with 24 or 48 hours seeming to be the most common.

I have not heard of the late fee either; however, I can imagine it being there more for people that are later than what they can normally charge insurance given that they can only charge for face to face time. I could also see it in there more for someone that is habitually late than the random one offs.

For me, I've been seeing my T for 5 yrs and if I am late she'll make up the time if she can because in all that time I've only been late less than a handful of times.
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Default Nov 23, 2020 at 10:34 AM
  #5
Yes, it is the norm to have a cancellation policy. Usually 24h but some have 48h or more.

I've never heard of a late fee. Being late simply means (1) warning T and (2) you have less time but pay for the full hour/full session.
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Default Nov 23, 2020 at 11:23 AM
  #6
My therapists both have policies that they will charge for sessions canceled with less than a certain amount of notice (24 hours for one and 48 hours for the other). There is no fee for lateness; I would just get whatever amount of time is left in the session and be charged the usual rate.

In practice, my therapists are very flexible about this kind of thing. They understand that sometimes things happen, cars break down, people get sick, etc, and they mostly want the courtesy of knowing that I need to cancel or reschedule or that I will be late. If this is something that is worrying you, it's probably worth asking your therapist about. If you are usually punctual and conscientious, they may cut you some slack if something comes up. Even if they don't, it will probably be helpful for you to know for sure what will happen rather than be left wondering.
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Default Nov 23, 2020 at 11:23 AM
  #7
Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenGirl1990 View Post
Hi,

So I have a quick question. I recently started therapy again last week. I had therapy earlier in the year with a different therapist and didn’t find it helpful.
Anyway I have a question about charges. I know some therapists may charge a cancellation fee if you cancel without 24 hours notice of your next appointment. And charge you still if you are late to their office late.
My very first therapist never had this before. But my current one and my last therapist did.

Is this the norm for therapists to have a cancellation fee within less than 24 hours and charge you when you arrive late? Have any of anyone else’s therapists had this kind of policy? If so what did you think?

I worry I could get charge a late fee, if I don’t, make it to an appointment on time, like if things came up at work. Almost all the time I am early to appointments though.
Cancellation fee if cancelled with out 24 hours notice yes....standard thing here in the USA no matter what the service is where appointments and scheduling staff, and extra matters are involved like insurance and other problems that may arise. fact of the matter is my therapist knows the day before what her next days schedule is like and she also has cancellation waiting lists (people who may be having emergencies that really should be fit in quickly) when a client doesnt cancel wit 24 hour notices thats a wasted hour of my therapists work day and possibly the difference in someone elses life, because they could have had my time slot., think of it this way, you being extremely depressed and stressed out and your therapist tells you sorry cant see you for the next two weeks, and then someone else just doesnt s how up for t heir appointment, that time s lot could have made the difference between you having to continue being extremely depressed and stressed out for two weeks vs your therapist calling and saying "I had a cancellation for tomorrow would you like to come in?"

when my therapist explained it that way I thought about all the times with past therapists when I selfishly just didnt show up, wasting that precious hour of my therapists time where if I had called in she could have picked someone off her waiting for a cancellation list of people in danger or harming their self or others to come in before their next appointment.

I also thought about the times when I have needed to accept a cancellation appointment because I was not doing so well. I realized in order for my therapist to see me that day someone else was kind enough to call in giving my therapist notice that they could not be there for their appointment.

I know hold myself to reviewing my appointments calendar for the next day, and make my confirming or cancelling my appointment call to my therapists office by 5pm the day before that appointment.

as for late fee again yes my therapist charges a late fee. her time is important. while I may feel a few minutes doesnt matter or something may come up, thats time my therapist is sitting their worried about me and whether Im coming in. I think about all the times when I was waiting on someone else to take me somewhere, or do something with them and they kept me waiting, I didnt like constantly watching for them, worrying about whether they were going to pick me up, or t hey changed their minds or maybe got into an accident on the way over.. all kinds of thoughts. then when they get to picking me up or doing something with me they blow it off as not important as if I wasnt important enough to pick up the phone and say hey amanda Im going to be a few minutes late, be there soon.

my therapist charges late fee to those who are habitually late. So I make it a habit to be on time and not establish that "its ok to be late by a couple minutes" instead I make sure I follow my therapists and doctors check in 15 minutes early rule. most doctors offices have a check in 15 minutes early rule because it may take up to 15 minutes for the receptionist to do the check in process.
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