FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTED

In your first session, which is called an “intake”, you will be asked basic, informational questions and work with the counselor to establish goals for counseling.

What happens during the course of your counseling experience may differ over time, based on your situation, progress, or changes in your life. Your counselor will at times incorporate journaling, role-playing, talking with relevant individuals, reading assignments, relaxation strategies or “homework.” This will depend on your needs and goals.

In couples counseling you will have opportunities to work with your partner on issues that may be impacting your relationship. You may focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, or making decisions about your future together. I will help you work together to focus on and achieve specific goals for your relationship.

Your privacy is our priority as well as our ethical responsibility. NO information will be disclosed to anyone unless you sign a Release of Information giving permission to do so.

EXCEPTIONS to confidentiality are:

• Counselors have a duty to warn which means that if there is ‘imminent danger’ identified to yourself or others we are required to take any measures necessary to promote safety.
• Counselors are mandated reporters and legally obligated to report all instances of suspected child and/or elder abuse.
• If court ordered, counselors will release only that information which is pertinent to the matter before the Court.

The length of time in counseling varies depending on the nature of the reason for counseling. You and your counselor will work together to determine the number of sessions that will be most helpful to you. Some issues are specific and short term counseling is appropriate. Others are more complex and require more time. Frequency of sessions will be decided by the counselor and client together as well.

Individual sessions are approximately 50 minutes in length at a rate of $110 per session. Couples sessions are handled the same as individual sessions, the rate is $120. Clients may request an additional 30 minutes per session, in which case the rate is $160 (individual) or $175 (couple).

I do not take insurances. Any requests for exceptions to the standard rate will be considered on a case by case basis in the context of a ‘budget’ session, which is free of charge.

Counselors are not legally allowed to prescribe medications. It may be advisable to consult with a psychiatrist or family physician, depending on the severity and specific details of the client’s needs, to determine whether medication would be appropriate and helpful. In this case the counselor will also maintain a therapeutic team relationship with the psychiatrist or family physician to provide the best care possible.

You can still attend individual counseling. Each person in a couple has their own set of struggles that can be addressed. Keep in mind, though, that relationship counseling cannot be successfully done if only one partner is willing to move forward.

I do not believe separation lends itself to divorce with certainty. Counseling can be beneficial during this time when partners are living apart and somewhat removed from the unhealthy patterns of their relationship.

Asking for help is a sign of weakness.
Contrary to this belief, it takes a great deal of emotional strength to seek help for problems that may be too overwhelming to manage alone.

A counselor will fix my problems right away.
The goal of counseling is not for someone else to “fix” your problems. I am here to help you to identify those concerns and to set goals for yourself. Solving those problems may involve us working together to identify and understand  your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. In doing so, you can explore your options and make a decision for how to best achieve your goals. YOU are the best one to fix your problems!

A counselor can’t understand what I am going through, because they’re not going through it themselves.
I agree that each individual is unique, and to achieve a complete understanding of one’s situation is very difficult. My responsibility is to learn about, be sensitive to, and respect the unique experiences of each client.