FAQ

If you are not feeling your regular self, of if life is just overwhelming at times, if you are having relationship issues or having trouble sleeping or concentrating, it is always helpful to talk to someone who can help you clarify your issues and give you some skills for handling them.

When you are in any type of conflict that you can’t seem to resolve or that might end up in a costly legal battle, or if you are just in need of some guidance, mediation is a great help.

It varies from person to person, from situation to situation, and your fit with a counselor. In the first place, you need to have a good feeling and fit with the counselor. If not, your progress may be slow. You should have a sense that the person you are seeing seems to be very interested in listening to you without judgment and doesn’t push you into making any decision, or is telling you too much about themselves. Most situations can be resolved in a few sessions where deeper issues such as abuse, developmental trauma, and other mental health issues may weeks or months. I good counselor will provide a brief inquiry, such as a temperament analysis, to get started.

While most of the counseling occurs during “business hours”, exceptions can be made for evenings and weekends.

Depending on the emergency, if you have not begun counseling and you are considering suicide, call the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or 911. If you do have a counselor, that should be something that should be talked about early on in your first visit.

If you have insurance of if your company has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), they may give you and list of people in your areas that has the skills and history of dealing with issues such are yours. If you don’t feel right at the first session in the first session, don’t hesitate to call back your insurance company or the EAP and telling them this was not a good fit for you.

It all depends on what you are struggling with. One modality doesn’t fit all problems, but it’s good to find a counselor who has a wide base of studies and a great deal of experience. This is something that will be determined in the first few sessions.

Yes.

Most of the time, if you or your partner has access to an EAP, there is no out-of-pocket expense, and no co-pay, but there may be limitations to what is offered. Most EAPs have a number of sessions such as 3 or 5 or 8 per issue you have throughout the year, so be careful how you describe your issue”. For example, anxiety or depression are big umbrellas. But under the umbrella are spokes, each of which is an issue that contributes to your anxiety or depression. Technically, EAP sessions could be endless, depending on how you represent your issue. Your counselor may be able to help you. before your therapy could cross over to your health insurance if behavioral health is provided. Call the number on the back of your health insurance and they will tell you what the cost or co-payment would be. If you have no insurance or EAP, talk to your counselor about a standard fee for a sliding scale.