The Therapy Process

Benefits & Risks

Therapy can bring real benefits — better emotional awareness, coping skills, communication, and overall well-being — but it isn't guaranteed to resolve every concern. The process may also surface difficult emotions (sadness, anxiety, anger) or memories as part of healthy progress. Talk to your provider about any concerns that come up along the way.

How Treatment Works

Your first sessions focus on gathering background and current concerns. From there, you and your provider build an individualized treatment plan — goals, approach, and expected time commitment — which is reviewed and adjusted as you progress.

Ending Treatment

Treatment concludes when goals are sufficiently met, when continued treatment is no longer clinically indicated, or when you choose to stop. A final session is encouraged whenever possible to review progress and plan next steps, though you may discontinue at any time. Your provider may also recommend termination when clinically appropriate, and will help identify follow-up resources or a referral if needed.

Consultation, Coordination & Referrals

Your provider may consult with other qualified professionals, or coordinate with a physician, psychiatrist, or specialist, when it supports your care — identifying details are protected whenever consultation can occur without them. If your needs extend beyond what SKC provides (e.g., a psychiatric evaluation, medical evaluation, or higher level of care), your provider will discuss a referral with you and, where authorized, help arrange the transition and share relevant records with the receiving professional.

Telehealth

  • Available when clinically appropriate; you must be physically located in Virginia for every telehealth session.

  • Requires a private location and a reliable internet connection; sessions may not be recorded by either party without prior consent.

  • Technology can fail — connectivity issues, dropped calls, and security limits are possible even with a secure platform.

  • If telehealth isn't a good fit for your needs, your provider will discuss alternatives with you.

SMS / Text Messaging Privacy Policy

 

Confidentiality and its limits.

 

Minors and Parental Involvement

 

Records

 

Fees

 

Insurance and Payment

 

Cancellations and Late Arrivals

 

Court and Legal Matters

 

Communication

Sandcastle Kids Counseling ("SKC," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us, including when you opt in to receive text (SMS) communications from our practice.

Information We Collect

When you provide your mobile phone number to receive text messages from us — such as appointment reminders, scheduling updates, or account balance notifications — we collect:

  • Your name and mobile phone number

  • Appointment date, time, and provider information

  • Billing/account status necessary to send payment reminders

How You Opt In

Opt-in to SMS messaging is customer-initiated. You choose to opt in by providing your mobile number and checking the SMS consent box on our intake paperwork (paper or digital) or client portal at the start of care.

At the point of opt-in, you are shown the following disclosures directly next to the consent checkbox:

  • The types of messages you'll receive (appointment reminders, scheduling updates, account balance notifications)

  • That message and data rates may apply, and message frequency varies based on your appointment schedule and account activity

  • That SMS consent is not shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes

  • How to opt out (reply STOP) and how to get help (reply HELP or call our office)

  • A link to this privacy policy

You may decline SMS communication at any time without affecting your ability to receive care from SKC — phone and email remain available as alternatives.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected through SMS communications solely to:

  • Send appointment reminders and confirmations

  • Notify you of schedule changes

  • Send account balance and billing reminders

  • Respond to messages you send us regarding scheduling or billing

We do not use your phone number or SMS opt-in information for marketing purposes unless you have separately and explicitly consented to receive marketing messages.

Who We Share Your Information With

Your personal information, including your phone number, may be shared only with the service providers necessary to deliver our services, such as our electronic health record system (TherapyNotes) and our secure communications platform (RingCentral), both of which maintain a Business Associate Agreement with SKC in compliance with HIPAA.

SMS consent is not shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes. Your mobile opt-in and phone number will never be sold, rented, or shared with third parties for their own marketing use.

Opting Out

You may opt out of receiving text messages from Sandcastle Kids Counseling at any time by replying STOP to any message, or by contacting our office directly at (757) 403-4929. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies based on your appointment schedule and account activity.

What you share in therapy is confidential and protected by law — with important exceptions. Your provider may need to disclose information, without your authorization, in these situations:

  • You present a specific, imminent threat of serious harm to an identifiable person (duty to protect).

  • There is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect, or abuse/neglect/exploitation of a vulnerable adult (mandated reporting).

  • Certain findings involving prenatal exposure to controlled substances or alcohol may also trigger a mandated report — though a pregnancy alone, or prescribed medication for opioid recovery, does not by itself qualify.

  • A valid court order, subpoena, or other legal process requires disclosure — SKC will take reasonable steps to disclose only what's legally required.

  • Disclosure is needed to prevent a serious, imminent threat to health or safety.

  • Billing your insurance requires sharing information necessary to process the claim.

  • Consultation with a clinical supervisor or another treating professional is handled to protect your privacy whenever possible.

A report is not automatically triggered just because a client discusses suicidal thoughts or anger — your provider uses clinical judgment about immediacy and risk before taking action.

SKC balances a child's need for a trusting, private therapeutic space with parents' and guardians' rights and role in treatment.

  • Parents/guardians are kept informed on attendance, general goals, progress, safety concerns, and recommendations — not necessarily a session-by-session transcript.

  • Your provider will not keep secrets that compromise a child's safety, create a conflict of interest, or violate the law.

  • Virginia law generally gives parents access to a minor's health record, with narrow exceptions where a provider determines access would cause the child substantial harm.

  • In custody or divorce situations, SKC may request custody documentation; treating clinicians do not act as custody evaluators, make custody/visitation recommendations, or take sides in disputes.

  • A custody dispute does not automatically entitle either parent to information the therapist is otherwise prohibited from disclosing; SKC may request written legal documentation before releasing records or changing how treatment is provided.

  • Safety concerns (e.g., risk of suicide or serious harm) may require involving a parent/guardian and/or emergency services regardless of the above.

Clinical records are maintained electronically in TherapyNotes, a HIPAA-compliant EHR, with a signed Business Associate Agreement in place. Reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards — including encryption, access controls, and monitoring — protect your information, though no electronic system can be guaranteed 100% secure.

  • Access to your record is limited to workforce members with a legitimate need for treatment, payment, or operations purposes; all staff receive privacy/security training, and unauthorized access is prohibited.

  • TherapyNotes maintains electronic audit trails of record access, used to help protect the integrity and security of your information.

  • You may request a copy of your records in writing; processing fee $30.00 plus $0.50/page. SKC will not withhold records simply because they may be upsetting to review.

  • Psychotherapy notes (kept separately, per HIPAA) receive extra protection beyond the general clinical record.

  • Records are retained per Virginia/federal requirements and securely disposed of once the retention period expires — records are not kept indefinitely.

  • SKC generally does not participate in custody disputes or prepare litigation documents, but will respond to a valid subpoena or court order as legally required.

No one — client, parent, guardian, or clinician — may audio-record, video-record, photograph, screen-record, or use an AI transcription tool during a session (in person or telehealth) without prior, explicit consent from everyone being recorded. This includes phones, smartwatches, and AI note-taking apps.

  • The office waiting room uses a camera for the safety of clients, visitors, and staff, so personnel can see who is present. It does not record or store footage and is not used to monitor sessions.

  • A recording you make and store yourself (phone, cloud, etc.) falls outside SKC's control and security — and may become relevant to a legal proceeding; SKC can't advise on the legal use of a recording.

  • Recording without required consent may lead your clinician to determine continued treatment isn't appropriate, with reasonable efforts made to support a referral to another provider.

Session Fees

Licensed Professional Counselor (Dr. Crosby)

  • 60-minute session: $200.00

  • 45-minute session: $160.00

  • 30-minute session: $120.00

Residents in Counseling (Julie, Maurie, Ashley, Georgia)

  • 60-minute session: $85.00

  • 45-minute session: $75.00

  • 30-minute session: $55.00

Other Fees

  • Late cancellation / No-show: $75.00

  • Client email, 76–250 words: $40.00

  • Client email, 250+ words: $75.00

  • Emails under 75 words: No charge

  • Phone calls (5 min or less): No charge

  • Scheduled phone calls/consultations (non-court): Billed at session rate, in 15-minute increments

  • Letters/reports: $50.00 per page

  • Records request: $30.00 processing fee + $0.50 per page

Court & Legal Services

  • Court time (prep, travel, appearances): $350.00 per hour

  • 3-hour minimum for reserved court time: $1,050.00

  • Court reports: $350.00 per hour

Payment is due at time of service. SKC may bill participating insurance plans on your behalf, but verifying benefits is not a guarantee of payment. You're responsible for understanding your plan's deductibles, copays, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, covered/non-covered services, in- vs. out-of-network benefits, and any prior authorization or referral requirements — your policy is a contract between you and your insurer, and SKC can't control its coverage decisions. If you have an HMO, PPO, or other managed-care plan, your insurer's authorization requirements do not determine your provider's clinical recommendations.

Electronic payments (Square/TherapyNotes) may generate emailed or texted receipts naming the practice, sometimes automatically; SKC can't always control which address or number receives them. Credit/debit card charges will also appear on your statement as Sandcastle Kids Counseling. Consider who has access to that email, phone number, or statement before using a shared account. If you use an HSA or FSA card, an initially authorized payment can still later be denied by the plan administrator — you remain responsible for full payment if that happens.

If you prefer not to use insurance, private-pay is available — though choosing private pay doesn't eliminate the disclosure circumstances described in Confidentiality & Its Limits.

  • Please give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule.

  • Less than 24 hours' notice or a no-show may result in a $75 fee (not billable to insurance).

  • Arriving more than 15 minutes late may mean the session needs to be rescheduled.

  • Repeated no-shows may result in loss of a standing recurring appointment slot.

  • The parent/guardian or responsible party who schedules a minor's appointment is responsible for this policy.

SKC provides treatment, not forensic or custody evaluations. Your provider will not recommend a custody outcome and does not routinely participate in litigation, but will comply with valid subpoenas and court orders. Court-related services (record review, testimony prep, appearances, depositions) are billed separately at $350/hour, with a 3-hour minimum ($1,050) for reserved court time.

SKC uses RingCentral and Hushmail with appropriate safeguards, but electronic communication always carries some risk. Technology providers may have limited access as needed to maintain their services, and the security of a message also depends on the device or account used to read it.

Be cautious using an employer- or school-provided email or device — those organizations may be able to monitor or access communications sent to them.

Whenever possible, use a personal email address and personal device for communications related to your treatment. 

SKC uses RingCentral (phone/messaging) and Hushmail (encrypted email) to protect your privacy — please avoid sending clinical details over social media or unsecured email. Routine messages are generally answered within 48 business hours; response times may be longer on weekends, holidays, or during inclement weather.

Main Contacts

  • Main Office: (757) 403-4929

  • Practice Line: (757) 810-7555

  • Fax (secure): (757) 634-3926

Individual Clinicians

  • Dr. Crosby: (757) 409-7613

  • Julie Champagne, Resident in Counseling: (757) 439-6298

  • Maurie Burton, Resident in Counseling: (757) 805-5654

  • Ashley Seeley, Resident in Counseling: (757) 880-4720

  • Georgia Hronek, Resident in Counseling: (757) 403-4440

Local Emergency Behavioral Health Services (Community Services Boards)

  • Norfolk: (757) 664-7690

  • Virginia Beach: (757) 385-0888

  • Chesapeake: (757) 548-7000

  • Hampton/Newport News: (757) 788-0111

  • Portsmouth: (757) 393-8990

  • Western Tidewater: (757) 925-2484

Crisis Line

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text)