How can counseling help me?
Research indicates that counseling and psychotherapy can be helpful for a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, job dissatisfaction, and relationship issues (American Counseling Association, 2015). Counseling can help you:
Develop greater self-awareness or understanding of life’s purpose and goals
Improve self-esteem
Understand and cope with overwhelming emotions
Develop new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
Improve social and relationship skills, including patterns of behavior and communication
Find support in making difficult decisions or resolving conflict
Cope with trauma, grief, and loss
Navigate life transitions, including early adulthood, parenthood, career change, and retirement
How do I schedule an appointment?
Please email me at shainecounseling@gmail.com to schedule a free initial phone consultation. Initial consultations typically last 10-15 minutes and cover your reasons for seeking counseling, your past experiences with counseling and psychotherapy, and any questions you may have about my approach and practice.
What is your fee, and do you accept insurance?
My fee is $210 per session. I am an out-of-network provider and do not participate directly with insurance companies. Many insurance plans, particularly PPOs, offer partial benefits for out-of-network mental health services. I will provide you with a monthly statement with all of the information necessary to submit for reimbursement. Please note, however, that payment is due directly to me at the time of session.
If you would like to inquire about coverage for our sessions, I suggest you ask your carrier the following questions:
Does my plan cover mental health services (e.g., individual psychotherapy)?
If so, what percentage of the cost is covered for out-of-network providers?
Is there a session limit? How many sessions are covered per calendar year?
Do you require precertification?
Do I have a deductible? How much is it? Has it been met?
How often will we meet?
Typically, sessions are 50 minutes long and scheduled weekly. Depending on your concerns, I may recommend meeting twice a week for a period of time. Some clients are interested in meeting every other week. I find this type of schedule, particularly at the start of counseling, tends to slow client progress--once we have been working together for a while, however, I am open to discussing scheduling options.
How long does treatment last?
It is difficult to estimate at the outset how long you will need to come to counseling. Sometimes a straightforward behavioral concern can be resolved in six weeks, but more often than not, that seemingly straightforward concern is linked to more complicated issues that warrant deeper exploration. I will continue to check in with you about your progress, in hopes of coming to a mutual agreement about the best time to end. My ultimate goal is for you to feel confident in your ability to move forward in your life on your own, though I often have clients who choose to continue in therapy on a biweekly or monthly basis for “maintenance” even after more acute concerns are resolved.
Do you prescribe medication?
As a licensed professional counselor, I am trained to identify situations in which medication may be a valuable or necessary complement to psychotherapy. In those situations, I can refer you a medical professional (psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, or primary care physician) in my professional network who will manage your medication needs. I can also provide helpful coaching on self-advocacy and questions to ask your prescriber and/or medical provider.