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Questions About Our Office

How do I make an appointment or get more information?

Please call (949) 322-2331. The answering service takes messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please leave your day and evening phone numbers with your message, and Anne MacDavid will return your call promptly.

Is what we talk about confidential?

All personal information and issues discussed in therapy are completely confidential and cannot be released to a third party without your written permission, except where disclosure is required by law.

Do you have late afternoon or early evening hours? I have to come in after work.

Yes in both Tustin and Rancho Santa Margarita every week day.

Will my insurance cover any of your services?

I do not accept managed care reimbursement for mental health services for the following reasons: Reason 1: Lack of confidentiality. All managed care plans (MCP’s) involve direct clinical management by the plan’s case managers. If you access therapy through your MCP, it makes it necessary for your therapist to disclose anything and everything related to your case to your MCP. This information is used by the MCP for determining benefits, which they allocate at their own discretion. This impacts your right of confidentiality, and it is possible that your information will be stored in a computer system which could be accessed by anyone. Reason 2: Difficulty getting treatment authorized: Due to the direct care management by MCP’s and their desire to keep costs to a minimum getting therapy sessions authorized often becomes cumbersome and time consuming. Every plan has different requirements and standards for authorizations. Usually they require many hours a week of paperwork and phone calls by the therapist to get authorizations. Some will deny therapy in lieu of taking prescription medications. Some will even dictate the specific treatment plan which is often very subjective and may be anti-therapeutic. Some plans will determine when it is time to terminate treatment, even when the client continues to be in distress, or their problem has not been sufficiently solved. Reason 3: Mis-diagnosing and/or over-diagnosing in order to get treatment authorized: Some MCP’s will not cover treatment unless it is a “medical necessity.” This may mean the client may have to “pretend” they are “sick” or worse off than they are, in order to receive their benefits. Most MCP’s do not cover marriage counseling, family counseling, or adjustment counseling, unless they are part of the treatment plan for a serious mental disorder or drug/alcohol problem. This situation puts both the therapist and client in a negative situation. Often the “assessment” sessions that are initially authorized are not sufficient to give an accurate diagnosis, yet the MCP will not authorize more visits without one. The therapist may be inclined to “guess at” a diagnosis which is not in the best interest of the client.

Are you convenient to major freeways?

Our office is centrally located in Old Town, Tustin, Orange County on First Street very close to the 5, 55 and 405 freeways. My Santa Margarita office is one block off the 241 toll road at Santa Margarita Parkway in the Arbours Campus of medical office buildings. Directions

Are you experienced? How long have you been doing this work?

I have practiced as a family therapist for eight years, including a six year internship in family and couples psychotherapy. I am highly experienced in helping both men and women, and see clients of all ages from children to seniors.


Questions About Therapy

Services and Specialties

Spousal abuse, traumatic incidents, grief, adoption counseling, stress, divorce, life coaching, parenting, couples counseling.

Are there risks in therapy?

Change involves risk. When changing something as complex as a human being tangled in an intricate web of relationships, there may be unexpected and, sometimes, negative consequences including: not getting better right away, having to deal with fears and anxieties, and the possibility of a temporary regression. Additionally, as you begin to change, your relationships will change. Significant others may not respond positively to these changes.

Sometimes, in successful psychotherapy, you may begin to feel worse for a time before feeling better. This tends to happen as you begin to confront the issues that might have been avoided for so long. I understand this is not an easy or pleasant task, but confronting these issues is worth the effort. You can work towards resolving the pain and the behaviors caused by these issues.

There is no absolute guarantee that any particular psychological treatment will be successful. If you do not experience some positive changes within approximately 6 weeks, please discuss this with me. I am here to help you with these changes if they should surface and I encourage you to share them with me.

Is everything we talk about confidential?

Communications between a therapist and client are considered "privileged," which means that the content may not be revealed to anyone else without the consent of the holder of the privilege, which is you: the client. However, there are several important limitations on that privilege including:

1. You sign an authorization waiving your rights to confidentiality.
2. The Courts order you for an evaluation, in which case I am required to furnish the Courts with information.
3. Your therapist is subpoenaed in a court proceeding, in which case I may be obliged to surrender clinical case notes. This rarely happens, and would not happen without your knowledge.
4. I am required by law to report any incident of suspected child abuse, molestation, or neglect to the authorities.
5. I am required by law to report any incident of suspected elder or dependent adult abuse or neglect or abandonment to the authorities.
6. You intend to commit suicide or homicide, in which case I am required by law to notify the authorities and any potential victims.
7. You are ordered by an agency for an evaluation or treatment that requires the therapist to furnish information back to the agency.

Is there a way my spouse and I can get along better?

While conflict is necessary for your relationship to grow, chronic bickering erodes a great marriage. If you can negotiate you don’t need to be afraid of conflict. I teach couples to communicate more easily through couple negotiation, a tool they will be able to use throughout their married lives. Therapy can help you learn how to listen and negotiate with your partner. You can learn how to listen to your partner in a calm way without defending yourself. You can also learn how to respond in an understanding manner, letting your partner know that you have some idea of what they are feeling, even though you might see the situation differently.

People have many other questions about living that can be helped through therapy, such as:

How do I set boundaries for my teenager who is constantly using the phone?
How do I cope with my spouse’s constant criticism?
How can I find an appropriate mate?
How do I deal with my critical boss?
How can I become a more interesting person?
How can we recapture the magic in our relationship?
I wonder if I am depressed. I do not look forward to things anymore?
What are the guidelines to being a stepparent?
I wonder if I am having panic attacks. Sometimes I feel if my heart is racing.
I cannot let go of a bad relationship that I am in.
How do you adjust to being an empty-nester.
How do we stop fighting about money?
I am in a dead-end job. How do I move on with my career?
How can I stop procrastinating so I get more done?

In your experience, do you feel there is any difference in seeing a male or female therapist?

Some people prefer a man and some people prefer a woman when they are looking for a therapist. Most people find that having a compatible personality with their therapist is more important than gender.



2007 © Anne W. MacDavid


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