Frequently Asked Questions

It isn’t always easy to know if you are dependent on alcohol or drugs. In fact, many people don’t believe they’re addicted even after it’s clear to those around them, and there is no single factor. Addiction is a combination of factors, and only a trained counselor can determine if someone is alcohol- or drug-dependent.

Addiction counselors look for a pattern of behaviors that point to substance abuse. That pattern usually includes:

Negative consequences of alcohol or drug use. An inability to quit or control alcohol or drug use. Increasing amounts and/or frequency of use of alcohol or drugs

If you think someone has a problem, it’s important to approach that person in a non-confrontational way—at least at first. And it’s always a good idea to get the advice of a qualified professional counselor before talking with someone about their substance use.

We do not recommend talking with a loved one when you are upset as a result of their drinking or drug use. The best approach is to take a step back and wait until the next day.

When discussing the problem, it’s important to be calm. Express your concern without name-calling, blaming, or accusing. Simply say that you care about them and have noticed that their use is affecting their life. Say that you would like them to see if they can stop their use on their own. If they can’t, ask them to consider getting professional help.

It is normal for those who abuse alcohol or drugs to react angrily when they are approached — even when it’s done in a gentle, caring manner. Arguing with them or becoming angry and lashing out at them will cause them to focus on that instead of their own use.

If your first approach doesn’t work, consider asking close friends and family to help you speak to the person about their use. Again, involving a professional counselor can be very helpful.

Alcoholism and drug addiction are a brain disease, and they can be a lot like a physical disease. And, like many physical diseases, some people are more likely than others to be affected.

Like many other diseases, addiction is:

Progressive – It gets worse over time if not properly treated
Fatal – If not properly treated, it ultimately leads to death
Predictable – Addiction has predictable results, regardless of who it affects
It’s important to realize that, even though addiction is a disease, people need to take responsibility for their health. As with many physical diseases, there is a clear connection between people’s lifestyles and behaviors and their addiction.

You may have a disease called addiction, but you need to be responsible and do everything you can if you want to get healthy. You need to get proper medical care and follow your doctor’s advice about lifestyle and behavior.

Having a substance use disorder doesn’t mean outsiders get to judge you or your value. Just as with a physical disease, judging someone as a moral failure doesn’t help the problem.

If you have an addiction and have stopped that behavior, then you are in recovery. This means you recognize that you:

  • Will always be susceptible to alcohol or drugs even though you may not currently drink or use drugs
  • Need to make significant lifestyle changes in order to stay in recovery
  • Have been so deeply affected that, even when you no longer use or drink, your addiction has left a lasting impact on the way you view yourself and the world around you

So, while never “cured,” our loved one is in recovery and “no longer active” in alcohol or drug use.

All addiction counselors and treatment providers have to keep patient information confidential under federal regulations. No professional counselor can discuss or provide anyone’s health information without that person’s agreement.

Confidentiality is at the core of every counselor’s practice and any organization’s treatment program. That’s why no information about anyone in treatment can be given out by telephone or by any other means without the patient’s signed consent, unless there’s a court order.

Have additional questions about substance abuse or drug addiction? For more info, or to take the first step toward recovery, call River’s Bend PC Troy today at (248) 585-3239.

Practice Info

Troy: 9am – 9pm M-Th and Friday 9am – 5pm

We want to make sure that you get a prompt response from us when you reach out. We have found that sending an email to info@ email gets a faster response as multiple people can monitor this email so at this time, we are not accepting questions over text.

Our Troy location can be found at 550 Stephenson Hwy Suite 200 between 14 Mile and Maple on the East side of Stephenson.

Our West Bloomfield location can be found at 7125 Orchard Lake Road Suite 110 between 14 Mile and Maple on the East side of Orchard Lake Road

We always welcome your feedback. You many contact our business managers and owners by sending an email to info@riversbendpc.com.

Yes, we offer both in-person therapy and telehealth at both sites.  Depending on your therapist, it is possible that during your course of treatment, you could utilize both formats.  Some therapists are only telehealth, our team matches clients based on their known preferences.

River’s Bend treats a wide range of issues from adjustment challenges, depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, mood disorders, relationships, etc.  We are here to support most problematic area of a client’s life since we are both a mental and substance abuse clinic.

We gather information over the phone when we are registering you with our clinic. We then match clients based on the reason they are seeking therapy, time of day requests, and therapist specialties.

Finding the right match is important so that you feel comfortable and can openly share what is bringing you into therapy.  The environment, the therapist’s responses, and the plan you put together with your therapist should not feel forced; it should feel progressive.  If at any time you are unsure or would like to discuss changing therapists- we welcome those requests.  Each of our therapists is supportive of getting clients the correct match and can refer clients to another therapist within our practice or outside based on the requests of the client

Yes. Since we are accredited with The Joint Commission and are paneled with insurance companies, we do require all clients seeing psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners to be in the care of an active outpatient therapist.  Our prescribers agree with this practice since the best outcomes are often achieved with a combination of talk therapy and medication.

Our doctors and nurses will prescribe medications if their assessment indicates a need for medication.  The decision to take medication is ultimately yours to make.  We do not recommend medications to every client that is assessed, only when medication is indicated to improve the condition presented.

Our team of therapists are diverse and can offer many different types of therapy. These include but are not limited to:

  • CBT
  • Trauma-Informed
  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Strength-based Therapy
  • EMDR
  • DBT Informed
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Intensive Outpatient Therapy
  • Group
  • Individual
  • Family

Individual and family sessions are around 45-55 minutes based on how you are scheduled and your insurance coverage. The frequency of sessions is determined by your therapist and often increases and decreases as challenges intensify and improve throughout the course of treatment.

We love to work with those who are motivated for personal change!

Often our clients are people finding it hard to manage life’s stressors, those feeling low motivation and having difficulties improving their mood, those that have tried to stop drinking or using chemicals and have learned they can’t do it themselves, those struggling with life balance, those needing help communicating their needs in their lives and searching for a greater understanding of their experiences or the desire to heal.

Scheduling

We support strong work-life balance for our employees; thus we have morning, afternoon, and evening availability M-F

Currently, we do not offer weekend appointments.

We can complete assessments on an as-needed basis for weekends with limited providers and only in emergent situations.

The first appointment begins with a phone call to our office, and we can schedule your first appointment after some information is collected and the initial paperwork is completed.

Once you are active in therapy, you will schedule follow-up appointments or doctor appointments directly with your therapist or our administrative staff.

Please call the office 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to communicate the need to cancel an appointment. We require a 24-hour notice for the cancellation of all therapy sessions and IOP sessions, otherwise, the client is at risk of being charged the cancellation rate of the session.  We understand there are emergencies and appreciate clients reaching out to communicate if changes are needed.

The psychiatric staff requires a 72-hour notice for canceled appointments, or there will be a cancellation rate charged to the client. Please note, all cancellation fees must be paid before an additional session is scheduled. We hold our clients responsible for managing their appointments and communicating with our office and 24-hour voicemail.

Insurance & Payment Questions

Most insurance companies cover IOP treatment, however, there are few exceptions.  The best way to know if your benefits include this level of care is to call your insurance company or provide your information to our office, and we can verify your benefits.

We expect payments at the time of service. Our system does require your co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible to be paid at the time of session.  We have invested in a secure and easy-to-use online format that includes a client portal. 

We have clinic rates for those not using insurance that has been established compared to other local clinics.  We can make referrals to alternate clinics if needed that will develop a sliding scale for clients.

Credit card is preferred because of our integrated electronic health record system, but we can also accept cash and checks.

IOP General

IOP stands for Intensive Outpatient Program. It is a group therapy program that is one level of care higher than outpatient therapy. The sessions include 1.5 hours of didactic/interactive lecture and 1.5 hours of group processing. A therapist conducts the sessions and we have two tracks-one for mental health diagnoses or substance abuse diagnoses. It runs 3 days per week for 6-8 weeks.

Group times can vary by site, and or whether you’re looking for mental health or substance abuse treatment. There is always a morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon offering for our mental health IOP and there is always a daytime and nighttime section offered for our substance abuse IOP.

Once a client decides on their location and time, we prefer a client to stick with that track to allow for  cohesion between your group and your IOP group leaders.

Our program runs 3 times per week for 6-8 weeks depending on your clinical need.

To promote cohesion between group members and your IOP leaders, we don’t permit clients to switch between day/evening groups.  If there is a significant change in your schedule that occurs during your time in IOP, you may switch to a different section and stay in the changed section for the remainder of your time in IOP.  We do not allow changing schedules based on new or changing availability.

In our SUD IOP, we address early recovery, sobriety skills, outside supports, nutrition, communication, relapse prevention, self-esteem, etc.  This IOP is for a primary diagnosis of a Substance Use Disorder.

In Mental Health IOP, we address mood management, self-reflection, coping skills, communication, relationships, life strategies, self-identification and understanding, ect. This IOP is for a primary diagnosis of Mental Health Disorder.

We are an abstinence-based program and encourage outside/ community supports for all clients. If a client relapses, we strongly encourage them to contact their therapists since we can problem-solve and discuss sobriety.  All our therapists are assessment trained and can refer a client to a higher level of care if indicated.

Yes.  In office

Therapy General

Many people go to therapy for greater personal understanding and to seek help to manage something difficult in their life.  They have a desire to try life differently because they are uncomfortable currently.

Talking helps the body and brain release and understand what is going on in our lives better.  A therapist is a non-judgmental, professionally- trained person to help you reflect your challenges and uses skills to improve a client’s understanding.

If you are unable to manage your emotions, relationships or chemical use on your own, therapy could be helpful. If you find yourself experiencing the same negative feelings or a distressing experience keeps happening repeatedly, therapy could be right for you.

Mental Health is anything related to our emotions, moods, experiences, and thoughts.  Sometimes our mental health needs to be tended to because we don’t have the skills on our own to sort through, make sense of, and try a new approach to achieving better outcomes for ourselves.

You can tell that therapy is working when your experience of yourself and your mood or yourself and begin to shift in a positive direction. However, therapy is a journey, and there may be both a positive and a negative impact on your mood at times, the important part is to stick with therapy until new behaviors are developed and practiced. You should feel comfortable sharing with your therapist and have the willingness to be vulnerable.

It varies from person to person. Most people are in IOP for at least 6-8 weeks. The range of time a person is in outpatient therapy can fluctuate greatly between people. Some see a therapist for a few sessions, and some for a few months (or longer), depending on their needs.

The term Co-Occurring Disorder refers to any mental health diagnosis combined with a diagnosis of substance use disorder.

You could be diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder If you are experiencing more than one disorder at a time.  We treat any substance use disorder as primary until a person is in recovery while still addressing any mental health concerns or mood disorders at the same time.

An assessment with one of our licensed therapists is the way to know the most appropriate level of care for you. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to set up an appointment with you to help determine the best fit.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/

Individual: one on one therapy with a therapist

Group: at least 2 clients and a therapist to address several issues at once and learn from each other with direction and feedback

Family: identified client, the therapist, and any support/ family/ partner they would like in the session to address and work through specific topics

Not necessarily. Therapy leads clients to make their own decisions, through reflection, insight, and a development of a greater understanding of one’s self to make their own decisions.

EAP/HPRP Questions

Yes. Your therapy is protected health information. You will be required to sign a release of information and be informed of any information that would be shared in advance of that disclosure.

Due to licensing, insurance, and best practices, there are requirements for general record-keeping in a therapeutic setting. We document the times of sessions, duration, diagnosis, treatment plan, goals of treatment, objectives of treatment, and progress in each session. All records are destroyed after 10 years.