Our Process

There are five steps to becoming a patient at the Center Clinic. Our staff is available to support you throughout the process.

1. Call to Schedule

Call the intake line at 202-994-4937 to schedule an appointment.

Note: The Center Clinic has a 24-hour cancellation policy. Payment will be required for cancellations not made 24 hours in advance.

2. Prepare for Intake

The staff member you speak with during the initial phone interview will usually ask you specific questions about the nature of your call. In preparation for your intake, consider these questions:

With what specific difficulties am I currently struggling? Be as specific and descriptive about your symptoms as possible.
What recent event(s) led up to these difficulties?
Why have I chosen to seek help at this time? What makes this time different than previous times? For some, these concerns may have been an issue for a long time. You may even have sought help before. It’s still important to consider why you are choosing to seek help now.
What do I hope to get out of treatment?

Please arrive for your intake early. This will allow you to complete the necessary paperwork, leaving adequate time for the intake coordinator to meet with you and get a comprehensive understanding of your needs. Individuals who arrive after the scheduled time may be asked to return another day to complete the intake.

Please bring a personal check or exact change, which will be collected at the time of your intake evaluation. We cannot make change. Please make checks payable to The Center Clinic.

3. Complete Intake

Your intake evaluation will last approximately 65 minutes. The purpose of the intake is to gather information about what brings you into the clinic at this time and other pertinent information related to your current situation. As we are a training clinic, it is likely that your intake will be observed by a staff member or training clinician. Anyone observing your intake will be held to strict confidentiality standards, which will be explained to you when you come in.

4. Hear Recommended Treatment Options

Once the intake is completed, your intake clinician will consult with the clinic staff and a team to provide treatment recommendations. Depending on your needs, recommendations may include treatment here at the Center Clinic and/or another treatment center or provider that may be better suited to meet your specific needs. Recommendations in the clinic may include individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric consultation, case management and/or a psychological evaluation. Most new patients are referred for a comprehensive psychological evaluation so we can better understand your treatment needs.

Your intake coordinator will contact you in 5-7 days following the intake to provide recommendations. If the Center Clinic is not the most appropriate treatment option for you, your intake clinician will provide more appropriate recommendations to other agencies.

5. Receive Assignment or Referrals

If the Center Clinic is determined as the best place to meet your treatment needs, then your intake clinician will provide you with the clinic’s recommendations and the name of your therapist and/or evaluator. Your therapist and/or evaluator will contact you shortly to arrange a meeting time. All therapists and evaluators are assigned based on availability. While we are open to hearing your preferences for therapists, we may not be able to meet your request.

Patients may also be referred for a psychiatric consultation through a partnership with the GW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences or another of our partnership sites.

If you require further information or assistance, please call the intake line at 202-994-4937 and a staff member will return your call shortly.

A woman seated behind a desk at the Center Clinic working at a computer

Appointment Inquiry Form

Services and Fees

Confidentiality

Content discussed in psychotherapy sessions, as well as any testing data, is confidential and all staff members adhere to the guidelines of HIPPA and the laws of the District of Columbia. Patient records are maintained under strict security measures that are consistent with professional practices. Psychological treatment is most effective when you feel able to be direct and honest with your clinician without fear that personal information will be shared with unauthorized persons. We do not release information outside the clinic without your direct permission, except in legally required situations.

Legal Exceptions

The laws of the District of Columbia require certain exceptions to patient confidentiality:

If the therapist has knowledge of child, elder or a person with disability is being neglected or abused.
If the therapist has knowledge of intent to harm himself/herself.
If the therapist has knowledge of intent to harm others.
If the therapist receives a court order to release information.