Frequently Asked Questions
Treatment
We hear this from many of our clients. There is no “bad enough” to benefit from having a non-judgmental, confidential ear. In fact, research has shown that some of the benefits of therapy are achieved simply by making the first appointment and acknowledging the desire to live a fuller, more peace-filled life.
Session length and duration of treatment is unique to each client. These are decisions that you will make with your therapist as you collaborate on developing a treatment plan and goals. We also know that life is busy, and we never want counseling to add to your stress. Many clients initially come to counseling weekly, eventually tapering down to biweekly, monthly, and as needed. Our goal is to help you find abundant life outside the therapy room while providing the reassurance that counseling is always available when challenges arise.
This also depends upon your arrangement with your therapist. Some insurance companies dictate session length. The freedom to establish session length based upon your schedule and goals is one of the benefits of not using insurance for counseling. Typically sessions are approximately 50 minutes.
We work with clients from all religious backgrounds. Some, but not all of our therapists are Christian by faith, from a variety of denominations. As professionals, we are client-centered meaning we honor the personal beliefs and convictions of our clients. We also adhere to our professional ethical guidelines and employ evidence-based interventions as learned through our education. Clients guide if and how much they incorporate their faith or spirituality into our sessions. Clients who are specifically seeking counseling from a Christian worldview can find counselors in our practice who will support them in their journey. Our goal is to help all clients feel welcome, comfortable, and supported in their pursuit of a full, meaningful life.
Insurance / Payment
Some of our providers are in network with most of the major insurance companies. Our pre-licensed clinicians and student interns are more limited in which insurance plans they can accept but offer services at a reduced rate. In many cases these self-pay rates are comparable to co-pays and may be more affordable for clients with high-deductible insurance plans. Our mission is to make mental health services as accessible as possible. Offering affordable, fee-based services is one of the ways we hope to provide services to clients who may not want to use insurance for a variety of reasons.
We strive to make counseling as affordable as possible. Out of pocket cost of counseling will depend upon whether or not you use insurance, your insurance plan, or for self-pay clients, which therapist you are seeing. Our therapists have a limited number of sliding scale spaces available, so please don’t let cost keep you from making an appointment. Our billing team will verify your insurance benefits or self pay rate and send you an email with an estimated cost generally before your first session.
We accept cash, check, HSA/FSA, and all major credit cards. In most cases, we will ask to keep a credit card/HSA/FSA card on file in our confidential, HIPAA compliant electronic health record system. We request that if you do not have a card on file, payments be made at the time of service unless another arrangement has been made with your therapist. You can pay online by going to your client portal where you will also be able to see past invoices.
Making and Keeping Appointments
We kindly request 24 hour notice for cancellations. Please contact your therapist directly to cancel or reschedule. You can find their direct extensions by clicking on their picture here. Alternatively you may call 757-603-4603 and either access the virtual directory or a member of our client care team would be happy to connect you.
You should receive the link in the reminder emails or texts. Please make sure reminders are enabled. If you haven’t received the appointment reminder containing your video appointment link, you can join the video call from your Client Portal. To do this:
- Log in to your clinician’s Client Portal.
- Navigate to the Appointments tab
- Click Join Video
Note: If you’re on an iPhone, you can join a Telehealth appointment directly from the SimplePractice Client Portal app. For more information on what to expect during telehealth sessions, please click here.
Please check your confirmation email or text for the office location. If you are still unsure, please contact your therapist or call our office.
Therapist extensions are listed on their profiles, and many therapists also provide their email address for scheduling and rescheduling appointments only.
For privacy reasons and in order to adhere to best practices, we do not conduct therapy via email. If you would like to speak to your therapist about a clinical concern, we encourage you to schedule an appointment so that they can provide you with the best possible care.