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Individual and Couples Counseling Inforamtion

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Find Your Answers Here

As a professional Marriage Counselor, asking the right questions is very important. Below you will find a compilation of the most common questions I’ve been asked about coaching, counseling and the services I provide. If you still have questions after reading through the FAQs, please give me a call or send me an email, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM COUNSELING?

Therapy is a team effort. If you take an active part in the session, you will find the counseling experience valuable. Here are some things you can do to make your sessions successful.

  • Be open. Therapists are trained to ask the right questions, but they are not mind readers. The therapist can do his job more effectively if you answer the questions openly and honestly.

  • Be prepared. Before you get to the session, know how to describe “what’s wrong,” and to describe your feelings about your problem. One way to prepare is to write down the reasons you’re seeking help. Make a list and then read it out loud. Hearing yourself say it a few times will help you describe things more clearly to the therapist.

  • Ask questions. The more you understand the counseling experience or how counseling works, the more comfortable you’ll be. Ask questions about the therapy process, and ask the therapist to repeat anything you don’t understand.

DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?

At this time, I am accepting only BCBS health insurance and private pay.  There is a sliding scale. 

Group sessions are private pay only. 

If you wish to file a claim with your insurance company, you will be given a receipt at the end of each session which can be submitted for reimbursement. Of course, you should contact your insurance company in advance to find out the details of the coverage that is offered to you. 

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All coaching workshops and sessions are private pay.  Insurance will not cover any coaching sessions or workshops

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HOW LONG ARE MY SESSIONS?

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Most sessions are 55 minutes. The first session can be 60 minutes long. 
If you are in crisis or feel that longer sessions would be beneficial, extended sessions are available.  This will need to be discussed between you and your counselor.

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Coaching sessions are 50 minutes long. 

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IS EVERYTHING IN MY SESSION CONFIDENTIAL?

In general, the law protects everything that is said in counseling sessions.  However, there are some limits to that confidentiality: 

  • If I am subpoenaed by a court, I have to testify.

  • If I feel you are a danger to yourself or others, I will take steps to make sure that does not happen, to make sure you get the help you need.

  • If I hear of any child, mentally disabled, or elder abuse, I must, by law, report it the appropriate authorities.  

  • If you tell me another therapist has abused you, I will report that.  In so doing, I may have to disclose some of what we have discussed in sessions.

  • If there is a pregnancy with drugs

  • If you would like me to talk to someone else, I can do that only if you sign a release of information form.

  • sessions is open for inclusion in your couples session.  I believe there should be no secrets in a healthy relationship, and part of my job is helping you bring everything into the open in as safe a way as possible.

HOW IS COACHING DIFFERENT FROM THERAPY?

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What is therapy? Therapy, also called counseling or psychotherapy, is a long-term process in which a client works with a healthcare professional to diagnose and resolve problematic beliefs, behaviors, relationship issues, feelings and sometimes physical responses. The idea behind therapy is to focus on past traumas and issues to change self-destructive habits, repair and improve relationships and work through painful feelings. In this sense, therapy focuses on the past and on introspection and analysis, with the hope of resolving past issues and creating a happier, more stable future. 

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What is life coaching? In life coaching, a client works with a coach who is not a healthcare professional to clarify goals and identify obstacles and problematic behaviors in order to create action plans to achieve desired results. The main way that a life coach vs. therapist works is that the life coach takes the client’s current starting point as an acceptable neutral ground and is more action-based from that point onward. A life coach enables the person receiving treatment to take control of their life and take action to steer it toward their goals.

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WHEN TO SEEK OUT A LIFE COACH VS. THERAPIST

Naturally, the decision to seek out a life coach vs. a therapist is a very personal one. Which one will be most helpful during your specific journey?

If you are dealing with past trauma, feeling depressed, have serious couples issues such as infidelity, abuse or major conflict, you may need to find a therapist. 

 However, if you’re healthy and just need someone to help you with direction, support to clarify your life vision, develop a personal life plan, and achieve your goals in all the important aspects of your life, a life/couples coach may be what you need.

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