FAQs
Is counseling right for me?
If you have lived for any length of time, you can benefit from counseling. There are many reasons why people choose to seek counseling. Sometimes they want to conquer long-standing psychological issues, or problems with depression and anxiety. Other times it’s in response to unexpected life changes, such as divorce, work transitions, infertility or grief. Many seek the advice and counsel of a professional as they pursue personal exploration and growth. Counselors are trained to provide support, insight, coping and problem-solving skills, and new strategies for all types of life changes. Counselors work with you to help you attain a better understanding of yourself. Counselors adopt theories and methods to their counseling style that have been tested and proven (evidence-based). Counseling can help in addressing many types of issues including depression, anxiety, anger, stress management, co-parenting problems and general life transitions. Counseling is right for anyone who is interested in getting more out of life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change.
Not all counselors work using the same theories and methods. Be sure to check out the counselor profile when determining therapeutic fit.
What is counseling like?
Every counseling session is unique and caters to an individual and their specific goals. As a counselor, I tailor my approach according to your specific needs. It is standard for Counselors to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during counseling sessions. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around fifty minutes. Counseling can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of counseling sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. It is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life between sessions. For counseling to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between sessions. People seeking psychotherapy are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create awareness in their lives. Here are some things you can expect out of counseling:
• Real evidence-based strategies for effecting positive change.
• Empathy, compassion, respect, cultural competency and understanding.
• Restructuring thoughts and adopting new perspectives to eliminate negative patterns and feelings.
• Practical guidance based in proven techniques.
My goal is to empower clients to live their best and healthiest life. That means I teach clients to become self-soothing and self-healing individuals and family units. I understand that once clients are better, life continues to happen. Therefore, I have an open-door policy with clients where you can schedule a “check-up” at any time throughout the year.
How can I get the most out of counseling?
• Take it seriously. You will get as much out of counseling as you put in. If your counselor gives you tasks to complete during the week, complete them.
• Make notes of your progress and come in to your session with updates and questions.
• Being honest and vulnerable in session is the best policy. To bring about true healing at the core, one must be able to open up about those hard places. Your counselor can only help you based on what you share with them. If you withhold information, you will not be able to get help in those areas. In essence, you continue to suffer in silence. True healing only comes by being honest. This is a hard one for some people, and with good reason. We normally don’t like to share the hard or shameful things about ourselves with people. But remember, this is what counselors are there for. We have heard it all! There is nothing you can say that will make us stand in judgement of you or not want to help you.
Is medication a substitute for counseling?
In some cases, a combination of medication and counseling is the right course of treatment. Working with your MD, you can determine what’s best for you. It is research proven that mental and emotional problems, and the pain they cause, cannot be solved solely by medication in the long-term. Medication treats the symptoms and counseling addresses the core cause of our distress and the maladaptive behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness.
I can usually handle my own problems. Do I really need counseling?
Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated many difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. Having enough self-awareness to realize when you need a helping hand, is to be admired. By taking responsibility and accepting where you’re at in life, you’re making a commitment to change the situation by seeking counseling. Counseling provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome the challenges you face.
How will counseling help me?
Several benefits can emerge from participating in psychotherapy. Counselors can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, low self-esteem, family problems, managing personal growth, hassles of daily life and more. Counselors can provide a fresh perspective on difficult problems or point you in the direction of a solution. The help you obtain from counseling depends on how well you use the process and practice what you learn. Some of the benefits can include:
• Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values.
• Developing skills for improving your relationships.
• Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek counseling.
• Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety.
• Better management of powerful emotions such as anger, grief and depression.
• Improving communication and listening skills.
• Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones.
• Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage.
• Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence.
What is the difference between a counselor, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist?
Counselors (aka psychotherapists & therapists) are clinically trained to diagnose and help clients with mental health issues. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in treatment of the mentally ill, usually with medication. A psychologist specializes in testing and research of human behavior. In some cases, all three disciplines work together to ensure that clients receive the best treatment outcome.
Is counseling confidential?
In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and counselor. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. However, there are some required legal exceptions to this rule. Exceptions include:
• Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The counselor is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person, the counselor is required to notify the police.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself, the counselor will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety, however, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.
Do you accept insurance?
His Daughter Counseling The Heart accepts the following insurance plans:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- United Healthcare
- Oscar Health
- Oxford
For all insurance plans, please note that sessions may not be covered if your deductible has not been met.
Find out more about my rates by clicking on the invoice icon below.
When and how do I pay for sessions?
Sessions are paid at the time of scheduling. This holds your appointment time. You will receive a text message from our payment app and at that time you can make your payment by putting your card on file. Your payment should be made within 24 hours of scheduling. Your appointment is not confirmed until payment is made. That means that your appointment time is still considered “open” and another client can reserve the time. For this reason, it is important to make the payment as soon as you can after receiving the payment link. If payment is not made within 24 hours after receiving the payment link, the payment request is cancelled.
What is the cancellation policy?
A 48-hour cancellation or reschedule notice is required for all appointments. The full fee will be charged for “no-shows” and cancellations without a 48-hour notice.
Phone: (630)363-7982
Email: brandy@hisdaughtercounseling.com
