+ I don't feel like myself. Am I going crazy?

It's not uncommon when we are at our most discouraged to feel as though we're losing our minds, our control over our choices, or our sanity. We want you to know that when you come to Travelers Rest Counseling Associates, we do everything we can to look past the immediate "symptoms" and see you: a person with dignity, hopes, fears, strengths, and liabilities. We feel confident that we can help you understand what is making life so hard, and help you "get different" in a way that you find satisfying.

+ What kinds of things can you help me with?

Very broadly, we help people who don't like the way that they feel or act make changes. So many things can fall under that umbrella: depression, anxiety, poor choices, bad habits, conflict in relationships, anger...the list could go on and on. We are well-trained to address the vast majority of these difficulties. Some problems may require more specialized treatment, but we can work with you to decide if we are the best fit for your needs. Please call us!

+ The things I need to talk about are very private. How can I feel safe talking about these things with you?

This is a totally understandable fear, as most people find it hard to keep information confidential. However, we want to assure you that we take confidentiality very seriously, for two main reasons. One, we know that discouraged and struggling people are in dire need of a safe place to talk through private issues; two, we are also legally obligated to maintain confidentiality for our clients, except in cases in which your safety or the safety of another person is in question. We can discuss the details of this before we begin our work together.

+ What is a typical therapy session like?

Normally, the first session lasts about 75-90 minutes, but all future sessions last about 50 minutes. Most of these sessions consist of you talking, and us listening. We feel that taking our time tends to produce better results, so there's never any rush. You will always be in control of the pacing, content, and intensity of our work together. We strive to help you feel as comfortable as possible but we'll also encourage you to press into necessary discomfort to achieve growth. To do this, we must respect your right to talk (or not talk!) about what you wish. We believe, if you're committed to growth, that you will move in the right direction at the appropriate time, with our help.

+ How long will I need to stay in therapy before I get better?

We're not trying to avoid the question, but it just depends. Your situation, level of support outside of therapy, clinical history, personality, age, and developmental stage all can contribute to the pacing of therapy. That being said, counseling has been shown in numerous research studies to effectively treat problems of living. We feel confident that if we come to some agreements about the scope and goals of treatment, we can and will make steady progress. We want to emphasize that while making lasting change shouldn't be hurried, we will do our part to be efficient with our time and desire to see sustainable change occur as soon as possible.

+ How much do your services cost?

Each of our Counseling Associates sets their own rates, but typically our time costs about $65-$110 per 60 minute session.

+ That sounds pretty expensive. Why so much?

We agree that $110 is a lot of money, but we also believe that if time in therapy is well-spent, this time is worth the price. Consider what is at stake: marriages, children, futures, and life-purpose hang in the balance! In our experience, clients who experience the restorative power of encouragement, clarity, self-awareness and ability to manage the challenges of life are never sorry for spending "too much money" on counseling.

+ Even still, I'm not sure I can afford that. What should I do?

Please, contact us anyway! Some of our Associates operate on a sliding scale, meaning that we can- based on your income level- make adjustments to our rates to fit your ability to pay.

+ Do you take insurance?

While we are more than happy to provide you with what you need to obtain (at least partial) reimbursement from your insurer for our services, we do not work directly with insurance companies. Please speak with us about how this process works, and contact your insurer for information about what they will reimburse.