WHAT ARE YOUR Qualifications?

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). In 2017, I received my Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Texas State University which has one of the few CACREP accredited programs. Texas requires LPCs to complete 3,000 hours of supervision in a minimum of 18 months, with at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact under the direction of an approved supervisor. Texas LPC licensure requires a passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure & Certification and the Texas Jurisprudence Exam. LPCs in Texas are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education during each two-year renewal cycle. Counselors must pass the National Counseling Exam to receive the NCC certification. National certification from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) shows your colleagues and the public that you have voluntarily met high national standards for the practice of counseling. You can learn more on the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Counsel and NBCC websites:

https://www.bhec.texas.gov/index.html https://www.nbcc.org/

Do you take insurance?

I do not accept insurance. The reason for this is that insurance panels are very difficult to work with and often do not pay the counselor in a timely manner along with controlling the number of sessions covered. I can take HSA cards and provide you with individual invoices or superbills to be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement.

What are sliding scale fees?

If I could wave my magic wand, I would make it so that everyone was required to attend therapy at least once to experience the benefits of being held in a safe space for guided self-reflection. I don’t want the financial part of this service to become a barrier to seeking counseling. Therefore, I offer a range of fees with $110 being my lowest, then $125, $150, and $175 being my highest per session. I have a certain number of client spots available at each fee on a first come first serve basis depending on your level of need. If you are a mental health counselor, I offer a specially discounted rate of $95 per session.

What is the Therapeautic Frame?

The therapeutic frame can be thought of as the boundaries of counseling which I will model to you from day one and which will be openly discussed throughout our work together. These boundaries include showing up on time for sessions, protecting the privacy of your sessions, maintaining a line of communication outside of sessions within reason, ending sessions within the allotted timeframe, understanding the limits of confidentiality, processing payment at the end of the session, directing emergencies to the appropriate facilities, refraining from attending sessions while using substances, and showing up to our sessions prepared to work. These are the expectations that both clients and therapists are expected to hold themselves to while engaging in counseling.

How often should i be going to therapy?

This is a great question that I get quite often, there a few things to consider:

• At the beginning, we will be working on developing rapport with each other and establishing a plan for treatment. Which is why I require at least 3 months of weekly sessions to get started. (This does not apply to clients seeking the 5 session career counseling package.)

• If you are new to counseling in general, then it will take time to adjust to the novelty of the setting, move past the initial catharsis, and unpack everything that you would like to work on.

• Factors such as the severity of the presenting issues, impact on day-to-day functioning, chronic or episodic difficulties, using more skills-based or trauma-based treatment, support systems, and client motivation.

• I have been seeing some clients for years and some clients for only a few months, some are in “maintenance mode” and some are experiencing daily struggles. There is no cookie cutter formula, everyone is different and adjusts to change in their own time.

• The concerns that you are bringing to individual or couples counseling may have developed over years and years, and it will take time to get to the root of the problem to see results. There are no quick fixes!