Frequently Asked Questions
How much Are counseling services? DO you accept insurance?
Learn more about my counseling fees and payment.
Do you accept care credit?
No, I do not accept care credit. I am able to accept most HSA and flex benefits.
Do you offer online counseling?
I do offer online counseling for those who are in North Dakota. That means whether you are in Bismarck, Jamestown, Dickinson, Minot, Grand Forks or another other town in North Dakota, you can receive highly specialized relationship help. It is important to know that research supports the efficacy of online counseling. It is as effective as in office sessions.
Can you get me in sooner if I am in crisis?
I do not offer emergency or crisis services.
Do you have a waitlist?
No. I do not maintain a waitlist. Please check back at a later time if you are in need of services in the future. I update my website as soon as I have availability.
Can you see me individually for counseling and then see me and my spouse as a couple for counseling?
Generally, the answer is no. Typically I will only see you in counseling individually along with couples work if you have chosen Discernment Counseling instead of couples/marriage counseling. This has to do with the ethics of couples counseling and having clear boundaries with each couple. Please call to discuss your unique situation.
Are counseling services private?
Coming to counseling is like coming to any medical facility. Your counseling information is kept confidential with some exceptions licensed counselors and other medical professionals are required by law to report, such as abuse. The limits to your confidentiality will be explained during the first session with your counselor.
One of the benefits of coming to a private practice, as opposed to a larger group practice, is that you have more privacy. There are no large waiting rooms where you may feel uncomfortable waiting for your appointment with a number of other individuals or a number of staff members who can easily access your case file. I do not share my waiting area with other businesses. This means that you will not be sitting in a waiting room waiting for your appointment with others.
What is your availability?
In general, my office hours are from 9:00-5:30 Tuesday-Friday. My available session times are always changing. I will discuss my current availability with you when scheduling a potential intake session.
How many counseling sessions will I need?
This depends on a number of things such as: What do you hope to accomplish? How motivated are you to make changes? Are you willing to do work outside of session? How ingrained is this unhealthy pattern? It is different for every couple.
How often do I/we need to come to counseling?
It depends. I will discuss a recommendation with you. Usually you are seen on a weekly or every other week basis in the beginning of your counseling sessions. As you build momentum and begin to integrate skills more in your life outside of the counseling office, the frequency of sessions lessens. It also depends upon schedules and finances. If you are unable to afford services as they are needed, I will discuss other options with you and possibly provide a referral if needed.
How do I know if you are the right counselor for us?
I have written two articles that you can access here and here which address what to look for when you are looking for a relationship counselor. It is important to make an informed choice when choosing a counselor.
It is important that you do not choose your counselor through google or yelp reviews. Speak with your friends, family members, or other professionals about who they trust.
Some important things to think about when looking for a couples or marriage counselor are:
What training have they received in couples counseling?
How long have they worked with couples?
Why did they choose to work with couples (or was it chosen for them)?
How frequently do they receive training in couples counseling?
Who is providing the counselor supervision in their couples work?
Do they have any certifications in couples counseling?
What values do they bring to their couples counseling?
Will you take sides in marriage counseling?
My role as a marriage or couples counselor is to advocate for a healthy relationship. That means I am on the side of relational health. There are times when someone may be putting their own desires ahead of what is best for the relationship. As the couples and marriage counseling field has evolved we have learned from our previous mistakes of remaining neutral. One of those mistakes is that there are times when we need to take a strong stance against the harm someone is causing another or the relationship. If someone is engaging in a pattern that research shows is destructive to your relationship, it is absolutely your counselor’s role to interrupt that pattern. This can feel as if your counselor is “taking sides” if you are the one engaging in that behavior.
Will you tell us if we are going to get divorced or if we should divorce or what is the likelihood that we will make it?
It is not your counselor’s role to tell you if you should or shouldn’t be together. Your counselor is not there to make predictions about your marriage. A trained marriage counselor will help point out destructive patterns and teach you how to minimize those patterns. They will also help you learn skills to build your relationship into a stronger one.
We are interested in pre-marital counseling. What will the counselor do for us?
For pre-marital counseling the Center utilizes the Gottman Assessment. The Gottman Assessment is based on over 40 years of research identifying what keeps a relationship together and what patterns dissolve relationships. There is a small fee for the assessment which is required for premarital work along with a minimum of 3 sessions to review the assessment and for the counselor to do some education regarding marriage research and keeping your marriage strong.