How can I pay for my services?
Some insurances are accepted depending on your provider: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, Priority Health, ASR, Meridian, and Tricare. Some insurance plans provide out-of-network benefits also, like McLaren, Aetna, and United Health Care. If you don't have insurance coverage and wish to be seen, please contact us. We understand counseling can be a financial burden, but we don't want that to stand in the way of you receiving help. Let's talk about some options you may have.
What happens in counseling?
We will start off our first session by gathering information about you, your presenting concerns, and your history. Depending on the issues you are experiencing, we may take a few short assessments to get a better idea of what you are trying to describe. We will discuss some possible ideas about how we can best be of help and create our plan for therapy. (For even more info, check out our Intake page if you haven't already)
How long is a session and how often will I come?
A session is 45 - 50 minutes. We recommended meeting once a week for a few weeks in a row to start. Then after a few weeks, your provider will check in with you so we can decide what might work best for what you are hoping to gain from counseling and what counseling might look like for you.
What should I tell my child about coming to counseling?
We introduce myself to children as a "kid helper." They usually know many helpers so we tell them our job is to help them understand BIG feelings they may be having. These BIG feelings can be hard to understand and a helper might be needed in order to know what to do with them. If your teen is resistant, no problem. We would love to talk with your teen about why they are against counseling and meet them where they are at.
If my child needs counseling, who should come to the sessions?
For a child that is under 12, we prefer to meet with Parents first. This gives parents the opportunity to get to know the provider and go over the paperwork. This also gives your therapist a chance to understand any history and background that will be important for them to know when working with your child. At the child's first session, they will meet with the therapist alone while the parents wait in the waiting room, unless the child would prefer to have the parent along until they are comfortable. For children older than 12, I will bring both Parents and child/teen into my office for a few minutes to go over basic information. Then the child/teen will meet with me alone and the parents will wait in the waiting room.
Will I hear about what is going on during each session with my child?
We ask parents to give their child limited confidentiality. This allows your child to feel the freedom to tell the provider whatever they want without feeling like they will get in trouble. Limited confidentiality means that if anything of concern comes to our attention we will let you know about it immediately and we will work together to figure out the best path forward. We usually will give you the basics of what is being worked on in the therapy room as well. You are welcome to connect with your therapist by email with any questions in order for your child to maximize their time with the therapist at their appointment.
What if my child doesn't want to come to counseling?
It is common for kids to feel a bit nervous about meeting their therapist the first time. We have toys, games, and art supplies in my office, so usually younger children feel more at ease once they see this. Some teens feel resistant. That is okay! Let them share that with me. As for telehealth, we attempt to bring games or relatable activities to get them warmed up and increase comfort with their therapist. We can also help them understand how to turn their camera off so they don't need to look at themselves if they'd prefer not to. It's a great place to start!
If you still have questions, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help.