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Frequently asked questions
A Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) has completed their Master's degree in Counseling, supervised residency, and passed their state licensing examination. They can specialize in several different fields including, Marriage & Family, Military & Veterans, Substance Abuse, etc.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) have similar educational and licensing requirements, but are required to have more hours working with couples and families.
Residents in Counseling have completed their Master's degree in Counseling and are completing hours towards their residency under supervision of a Licensed Counselor.
Student Interns are in their Master degree programs completing hours required for graduation.
Counselors complete a Master’s degree in Counseling and must pass a state licensing exam and complete a supervised residency. Afterward, they are able to diagnose and provide therapeutic services including talk therapy, group therapy, family therapy, art therapy, and play therapy. They can provide some screenings and assessments.
Psychologists complete a Doctoral degree in Psychology and must pass a state licensing exam and complete a supervised residency. Along with being trained in therapeutic services, they receive additional training in assessments and frequently are referred to for more in depth assessments.
Psychiatrists complete Medical school, a supervised residency, and pass their licensing exam. Afterward, they are able to diagnose, assess, prescribe medications, and provide medication management for mental health conditions.
The first session will be a review of challenges and what brought you into therapy. Your counselor may ask follow up questions related to current and/or past symptoms, current stressors, and coping strategies. From there they can diagnose and create a a treatment plan that supports goals outlined in the session.
Your experience in therapy will be unique to your needs and what you bring to it. Your therapist may ask questions to support you in challenging unhealthy thought patterns and perspectives. They may also provide insight into potential sources of your current challenges and strategies to manage symptoms. You may receive additional instructions to follow through on outside of session. This can vary based on each counselor’s approach and your own efforts in and out of session.
Choosing a counselor is one of the most important determining factors for success in therapy. Looking at areas of specialty, age, gender, and years of experience may help you in picking someone you think will be the best fit. Our scheduling coordinator, Barbara Stratton, can help match you with someone to help meet your needs.
Sometimes you may desire a counselor with a different approach. If you feel like your counselor isn't a good fit, Barbara can help match you with a different counselor to best meet your needs.
Services for children are dependent upon the child's age.
For younger children, clinicians may include games, toys, and art to address topics including emotion regulation, behavior management, or adjusting to changes.
For adolescents and older teens, the therapist may continue to utilize games and art to address additional topics including relationships, building coping skills, and navigating conflict.
New clients are encouraged to submit a request through our website or call our office at 757-345-5588.
Our scheduling coordinator, Barbara Stratton, will discuss your needs and set up an appointment with one of our clinicians. You will receive an email with instructions to set up your client portal where initial paperwork can be completed. All initial paperwork must be completed prior to the intake session.
It is hard to guarantee when a clinician will have openings available. Due to this, we may schedule you with a different provider who has more availability or provide referrals to other clinicians in order to ensure you receive care in a timely manner. If you can’t find another provider, we encourage you to follow up with our office periodically to check on availability.
In lieu of a sliding scale we offer pricing differences based on the level of experience of our clinicians. Licensed clinicians are $175.00/hour, residents are $80.00/hour, and students interns are $30.00/hour.
If you are using insurance, the amount you may owe will be determined by your insurance provider's allowed amount or the copay/coinsurance associated with your plan.
After being given your insurance information, we will look up your benefits and eligibility to inform you of costs before services. While we strive our best to provide accurate information, we cannot always guarantee the information provided to us. What you owe will be based on the type of plan you have. Some plans will have a copay or coinsurance while others will require you to pay the full allowed amount until your deductible is met.
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