Frequently Asked Questions About Counseling

This is a great question about discovering if counseling is right for you.

Life can feel overwhelming and leave you feeling drained. Even if the people around you think you're doing ok because outwardly you're managing to keep it all together, you might find it harder and harder to quiet your mind and find peace in the chaos of everyday life.

If you're ready to stop feeling overwhelmed by life and have a chance to catch your breath and start feeling better, counseling can help. Contact me today for a free 15-minute consultation. I want to help you find the balance and joy you're looking for in life.

My counseling sessions are weekly for 50 minutes. From tracking client outcomes and research, I know weekly counseling sessions improve my clients' progress toward their goals. We'll find a time that works for you to meet each week, and this will be your reoccurring weekly counseling session time.

Weekly counseling sessions allow us to gain momentum in our work together and more effectively focus on the work we need to do to move you toward your goals. When we meet every week, we can better see what tools and strategies are working for you and what is not working, monitor your progress, and make changes to get you the best results. I have seen my clients make the most progress and have the best results from weekly counseling sessions.

For my clients, meeting less than weekly for counseling can feel like taking two steps forward and one step back because it slows the momentum of our work together and takes longer for clients to feel better. And isn't that the whole purpose of counseling, to feel better? Weekly counseling sessions help my clients feel better faster and with fewer sessions.

You may be wondering how long counseling will take because you're looking for fast relief. Or maybe you're worried it'll be hard to talk about some tough subjects. Or you're wondering how to fit counseling sessions into your schedule. I can understand that.

Some people come to counseling because they’re looking for some help or support with a specific issue or concern and can get the help they need in six to eight counseling sessions. Other folks come to counseling for support with larger issues that take more time to work through. These clients often decide to come to counseling sessions for several months or years. Most people need an average of 15-20 counseling sessions to reach their counseling goals.

My clients often start feeling better and like they're making progress after our first few counseling sessions. They start to feel less overwhelmed by daily life, they can breathe a little easier, and the noise in their head begins to quiet. They can see a way forward where they can easily manage life's challenges and embrace a more fulfilling life.

Typically, my clients see the most lasting benefit from counseling when we meet weekly for a minimum of 12 counseling sessions. We'll regularly check in to see what is working and what needs to change for you to benefit most from our time together.

When you've made substantial progress towards your counseling goals, we'll discuss wrapping up our work together or explore setting new counseling goals. Although it can take time, clients who make the investment and commitment towards change get better faster and can sustain the positive changes they're looking for in life.

Many factors contribute to the length of counseling for clients, and it's hard to predict how long it'll take a client to reach their counseling goals until we begin working together. The length of counseling is different for everyone based on a client's individual needs and counseling goals. We'll work together to find the number of counseling sessions that work best for you.

During the first one to three counseling sessions, I'll learn more about you and your life story, and we'll explore your specific goals for counseling.

From here, we'll work together to help you better understand yourself, your life, and how your mind works so you can clear the confusion and start to change how you view yourself. Together we'll build the tools you need to feel more confident and energized and to take control of your life. We'll help you find your genuine smile and be able to breathe again.

During our first counseling session, it is important to notice how you feel during our time together to make sure working with me is a good fit. If you feel safe, supported, and comfortable during your counseling session and you'd like to continue working with me, we'll schedule your next session.

The average cost of counseling in Houston, TX, can be anywhere between $50-$300 per single counseling session depending on the type of counseling, the counselor’s experience, and other factors. My fee for counseling sessions is $200 for a 55-min session and $300 for an 85-minute session.

Most Texas health insurance providers offer mental health benefits that cover counseling sessions. The exact amount of coverage for counseling will depend on your insurance plan and if the counselor you work with is an in-network or out-of-network provider with your insurance company.

I'm an out-of-network insurance provider, which means I don't submit directly to insurance. If you'd like to use your insurance benefits for our counseling sessions, you can submit a claim directly with your insurance company for full or partial reimbursement of the session fee based on your out-of-network benefits plan. Most PPO insurance plans offer out-of-network provider benefits for counseling.

Because all insurance plans are different, it's best to contact your insurance company directly before seeing me to learn about your out-of-network coverage benefits. Your insurance provider can tell you if your counseling sessions will be covered, what percentage will be covered, and their process for reimbursement.

Most insurance plans in Houston, TX, provide coverage for counseling sessions, and most PPO plans offer coverage for out-of-network providers. Click here to learn how you can find out your insurance plan’s coverage for counseling sessions and how you can get reimbursed for the counseling session fee.

I offer counseling sessions from Monday to Friday at various times to best accommodate busy schedules. So you won't have to worry about scheduling your counseling session at a different time each week, I'll set aside a weekly appointment time that's protected for you. To find out what counseling session times are currently available, please schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation.

During our counseling sessions, we'll meet through video call on a secure HIPAA-compliant online platform. This allows you to be in the comfort and privacy of your own space without worrying about traffic or commuting to your counseling session.

Counseling is an investment, and of course you want to know if it’s working. To get the most out of your counseling sessions, it's important to work with a counselor who is a good fit for you and helps you reach your counseling goals. It often takes a few sessions with a new counselor to establish a level of comfort and understanding needed to work towards these goals.

What a good fit and successful counseling look like will be different for different people, so it's important to regularly check in with yourself and see how you're feeling. Some questions you can ask yourself include:

• Are you meeting the goals you set for counseling or making significant progress toward reaching those goals?
• Do you feel like your quality of life has improved while in counseling? Are you using what you've learned in counseling outside of your sessions, and is it helping?
• Do you "click" with your counselor?
• Do you feel safe and comfortable with your counselor? Do you feel like you can trust them?
• Do you feel like your counselor understands you or tries to understand you?
• Do you see counseling as a safe space?

After the first few counseling sessions, you’ll have a better sense of how you feel working with your counselor and if your counseling sessions are helping you to feel better overall.

Typically, my clients start to feel better and make progress after our first few counseling sessions together, sometimes even after the first session. I regularly check in with my clients at the end of our sessions about our work together, what is working well for them, and what needs to change to improve our work together.

At any point, if it feels like you're not making progress toward your counseling goals or that we're not a good fit for each other, I'll help you with referrals and connecting to another counselor so that you can get the help you deserve. My approach will not be the right fit for everyone, and if it doesn't work for you, that's ok. Most important is finding a counselor you feel comfortable working with who can help you.

You are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate for your counseling sessions that will be provided after your initial consultation if you decide to schedule. Click here to learn more about Good Faith Estimates for counseling.

If you're ready to start feeling better, contact me today for your free 15-minute phone consultation. We'll talk about what you're looking for from counseling, and I'll let you know I can help based on your needs.

You can reach me by clicking the button below to schedule your free 15-min phone consultation at a time that works best for you.