FAQ

There are many reasons people decide to turn to a counselor. Generally, it’s because they’re facing some kind of personal or relationship challenge that seems to be impossible to overcome. Perhaps it’s a relationship that has become troubled or even broken. Maybe it’s a fear that’s interfering with their enjoyment of daily life, work, family, or friends. Often, it’s something they feel but have difficulty putting into words. Some clients describe it as a feeling of being “stuck” — they know they want to move toward something that’s better and happier, but they don’t know how to get there, or even how to start.

Counseling can help with mental health, emotional difficulties, life’s challenges and relational stress. The American Psychological Association suggests you see a therapist when something causes enough distress that it interferes with some part of your life, or if there is an issue that causes embarrassment or makes you want to avoid others. 

If you’re having difficulty eating or sleeping, having trouble focusing, have noticed increased physical stress, had dark thoughts, or felt panic, if you’ve felt stuck, felt your quality of life decrease, or tried what you know to try but not found relief, it’s a good time to call us. If you’ve felt overwhelmed, fatigued, felt resentment, anger, or intense grief, if you’ve felt anxious, hopeless, apathetic, or even felt yourself withdrawing, it’s time to call us. If you’re tired of trying the same thing over and over without seeing results, and if you seem to lack joy or purpose, it’s also time to call.  If you’re just not sure where to turn, it’s a good time to call us. 

But really, if you’re asking the question, you might already know the answer. We know it’s not an easy decision, and most people we help go back and forth for a long time before making their first appointment. That’s okay. There is a lot to consider and we want you to go at the rate that feels right for you. 

Often, people seek help from friends or family members. That usually isn’t successful, because family members and friends can’t approach your situation from an objective perspective. They know you too well, and their relationship with you affects their view of your challenges. Our counselors are experienced professionals who have been trained to help people better understand themselves and what they need to do to move forward in life and in relationships.

The purpose of counseling is helping you better understand yourself and your relationships. Sometimes, people reach out to us because of memories that bother them, relationship challenges, or a general sense they just can’t seem to find joy or peace. Often, they say they feel stuck and want to move to something better. 

No matter what your reason, we’re here to journey with you. When in doubt, give us a call and we can walk you through the process. 

Parenting is rarely easy, and no parent is immune to frustration at the way their children behave or speak to them. A question therapists often hear is “is this normal?” Frankly, some of that frustrating behavior is a normal part of a young person’s development.

But there are times when a child or adolescent’s behavior suggests there may be underlying relational, mental health or emotional challenge. For example, you may notice sudden changes in their schoolwork, a recent surge of nightmares, unusual anxiety and worries about daily activities, outright defiance about your expectations, self-harm, or comments about wanting to die. That’s when it’s time to reach out to a therapist and express your concerns. Based upon what’s happening, the therapist will recommend the next steps. 

If your child has mentioned or threatened suicide, please don’t brush it aside, even if you think they just want attention. Please take it seriously and get help immediately. You can call 988 for immediate assistance day or night. 

We all want to rely on our own resources and abilities, and throughout most of our lives, those resources and abilities serve us very well. But we also encounter challenges that seem to be impossible to overcome. We’ve heard many clients describe it as a feeling of being “stuck” — they know they want to move toward something that’s better and happier, but they don’t know how to get there, or even how to start. Perhaps it’s a relationship that has become troubled or even broken. Maybe it’s a fear that it’s interfering with their enjoyment of daily life, work, family, or friends. Often, it’s something they feel but have difficulty putting into words.

Reaching for help at those times isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s actually proof of personal courage. Admitting that you want to move forward, but can’t seem to do it on your own, requires more bravery than most people realize. And more often than not, people who have grown through counseling tell us they wished they had started sooner.

What we call therapy and counseling is about creating a safe space in which you can rediscover you, heal from what life has thrown your way, and experience intangibles like hope, freedom, joy and peace. Overall, therapy helps people understand that they can do something to improve their situation. That leads to changes that enhance healthy behavior, whether it’s improving relationships, expressing emotions better, doing better at work school or in relationships, or thinking more positively. It helps with healing, recovering, restoring relationships, setting boundaries, overcoming challenges, and getting unstuck. 

Not at all. A key part of counseling involves giving you strategies and tools to help you deal with future challenges in life. It helps you avoid situations that trigger the wrong kinds of responses, allows you to recognize patterns that aren’t positive, and gives you insight into why you react the way you do. Effective counseling provides benefits that last a lifetime.

It’s good to have a trusted friend, especially when that friend loves us enough to speak candidly with us and we feel completely comfortable sharing our deepest thoughts, fears and feelings with them. And while it’s fine to turn to a friend for everyday issues, it’s asking a lot for someone else to help you find answers to life’s more challenging issues. Asking a friend to provide that level of support may be unfair and throw your relationship out of balance. And sometimes, even close friendships falter when one friend’s needs exceed the other’s emotional or time resources.

At Care to Change, we have created a safe space to allow you time to focus on you and there is a lot of benefit to seeing a counselor in addition to talking with your friends. There’s no need to feel guilty about making time about you because it’s why you are there. Counselors are objective about what you’re sharing.  They keep conversation safe and confidential even beyond the end of the relationship. They are there to focus on you and not mingle their lives with yours. They are trained to look for trends and cues to get to the root of the issue.  There’s no need to worry about disagreeing with them or getting upset with them. 

No two people face the exact same challenges. While professional therapists are trained to help people from all walks of life, it’s understandable that you might prefer to work with a counselor who has helped others whose situations were similar to yours. We can help you identify the Care to Change counselors who may be a good match for you. If you’re considering other counselors, ask them about their experience with others like you. You may want to talk with multiple professionals before choosing who is best for you in this season. To find a qualified Care to Change therapist by issue, click here for options. 

A typical counseling session lasts 45 minutes, although our counselors may adjust that length based upon an individual’s needs and situation.

It’s important to find an experienced professional to help you address your challenges, but it’s just as important for that person to be someone you’re comfortable talking about and confiding in. A good place is to start is talking with friends who have been through counseling to see if they think you and their counselor may be a good match. You can also check online directories like those at Focus on the Family and Psychology Today for therapists in your area. At Care to Change, it’s a simple click here, a text to 317-790-9396, or an email to help@caretochange.org. 

No matter where you find your counselor, remember, you’re not obligated to commit to the first counselor you find. In fact, it may be wise to “shop” a handful of different therapists to identify the one that’s right for you and your needs. One advantage of choosing a counseling center like Care to Change is that we have quite a few types of professionals who specialize in specific ages, stages and issues in life. If you describe the type of counselor you’re looking for and the areas for which you need help, we’ll be happy to make recommendations.

Here are some more helpful hints on how to pick a therapist.

First, it’s important to remember the perfect counselor for one person may not be right for another. That’s why it’s important to take your time to find the right person to help you with your situation. A good place is to start your search is talking with friends who have been through counseling to see if they think you and their counselor may be a good match. You can also check online directories like those at Focus on the Family and Psychology Today for therapists in your area.

You’re not obligated to commit to the first counselor you find. If you’re not completely comfortable or feel your personalities and approaches don’t mesh well, it’s okay to find someone else. In fact, it may be wise to “shop” a handful of different therapists to identify the one that’s right for you and your needs. One advantage of choosing a counseling center like Care to Change is that we work with a long list of professionals. If you describe the type of counselor you’re looking for and the areas for which you need help, we’ll be happy to recommend the right people for you.

Here are some more helpful hints on how to pick a therapist.

First, know that counseling is not a “quick fix” and true change takes time. There are situations when a single session can produce significant insights and results, but most of the time, counseling takes time and there will be work between appointments to see long lasting results. Think of it like this – when you go to a physical therapist, he/she will help to alleviate pain and provide you with exercises to strengthen muscles between appointments. With counseling, it’s much the same. There will be work done during the appointment, and work to do in between as well. Your success depends largely on your commitment to making changes in your life and your willingness to take steps forward. 

Other than completing required paperwork, there isn’t a lot to do to prepare for your first appointment. Think through what made you make the appointment and what you hope to change. Bring what has helped and not helped in the past so that you and your counselor can begin with knowing where you’re wanting to go, and the work you’ve done so far.  Any experienced counselor has been on the other side, doing his/her own work, too. We understand what that first appointment feels like, because we’re real people, too. The first appointment will include a lot of questions to understand history and set a baseline for expectations. Your first appointment is a time to determine that he/she is a good fit with you.

Your first appointment will provide an opportunity for you and the therapist to get to know one another. Your first appointment will include a discussion of confidentiality, understanding what brought you to making that first appointment, setting of goals and determining next steps in the process. 

It can feel a little scary not knowing what to expect, and we understand that. We are real people, just like you, walking this journey of life and are grateful to have our paths cross in this way. 

Sometimes, an individual and a particular counselor just aren’t a good match. At other times, your counselor may have been the right choice for the current phase of your therapy, but another counselor may be better suited for the next steps. And sometimes, people just don’t want to be in counseling anymore. All those are valid reasons to end a relationship with a counselor. 

Counselors are training professionals who know that every relationship they begin will one day come to an end, so please use your voice in expressing your concerns, needs and desires. We all want the same thing: healing, freedom, and hope. Sometimes that means changing it up a bit.  

The best way to end a relationship with a counselor is to sit down and discuss the reason you feel you’re ready to move on. Your counselor may ask you questions to clarify your reasons and help you prepare for the next step. And remember it’s okay to get advice about changing counselors from other people, but the ultimate decision is yours. Only you can decide what is best for you. We’re happy to support you in that process. 

Much depends upon your counselor’s schedule and practices. Talk with your counselor about the reasons you don’t want to wait, and they may be able to offer solutions such as phone or email conversations between your regular appointments. 

We offer support groups, online resources, podcasts, blogs, and even some simple you tube videos to provide you with support and resources between sessions. Ask your counselor to share those with you. Each week we post about hints, tips, and life hacks about specific topics too. There are plenty of ways to keep moving forward between appointments. 

In addition, we now offer “intensives” as well. Intensives can be for individuals, married couples and for people who may benefit from EMDR therapy (a highly effective treatment for a number of mental health conditions, including the effects of trauma, PTSD, chronic depression, and chronic anxiety). Intensives involve a structured series of sessions with therapists over a full day, two or three days, and they have been clinically proven to be effective. If you’d like to know more about whether an intensive might be right for you, ask your counselor or contact us.

When people experience problems in their lives or want to be proactive by keeping minor issues from blowing up into major issues, they often turn to traditional counseling. While such counseling can be highly effective, it often takes a long period of weekly sessions to achieve meaningful change.

An Intensive accelerates the healing and transformation process through structured one, two- or three-daylong sessions. The approach allows individuals to focus completely on their issues affecting life, without being distracted by other work or home concerns and responsibilities. We like to say it is about getting further, faster. 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  It helps reduce the impact of trauma, panic, and helps to move thoughts from “stuck” to useful. Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. 

EMDR therapy is a highly effective, clinically proven treatment for a number of mental health conditions, including the effects of trauma, abuse, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), chronic depression, addictions, and chronic anxiety. It helps people of all ages After successful treatment with EMDR therapy, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated, and physiological arousal is reduced. 

More can be found at EMDR.com. 

Our counselors are required by law and professional ethics to keep conversations with you private. For counseling to succeed, there must be strong trust between a counselor and a client. When you begin counseling, we’ll ask you to sign a document that explains our standards for privacy and confidentiality, and we’ll be happy to answer any specific questions you have.

If you plan to obtain payment for counseling through a third party such as an insurance company, we may be required to disclose some information to that party, but we will explain that to you. Also, the law requires us to report any suspected abuse or neglect of children or other adults to local and state authorities, and to take action if we believe you are at risk of harming yourself or another person.

Our doors and our hearts are open to people of every faith, as well as to people who embrace no particular belief. We welcome Christians from any denomination, people of other religious faith or spirituality, and people who consider themselves to be atheists or agnostics. As professional counselors, our work is focused on guiding people with life changing solutions that work.

Not at all. When we describe our counseling as being rooted in Biblical truth, that means our understanding of the world and the challenges people encounter is shaped by our personal faith. Through our relationship with God, we see hope and joy, and we believe we have been called to help other people overcome challenges and walk in happiness and love. In simple terms, we seek to heal, not to convert.

Sometimes, healing the mind also requires healing the body, but as professional counselors, we do not write prescriptions. If we believe that your might benefit from some type of medication we will provide you with a recommended practitioner who can help. 

With your permission, we can consult with your doctor to share information that may be beneficial.

Some of our clinicians participate in a limited number of insurance networks, so we can give you documentation you can use to file a claim with your health insurer. Most insurers cover a portion of the cost of out-of-network counseling regardless, so you will want to get pre-approval for that. Just as an FYI, insurance companies require clinicians to give a diagnosis for treatment.

Please note that insurance companies require a diagnosis to cover therapy. Insurance companies operate using a medical model, meaning that every service needs to be a “medical necessity” for them to cover it and to justify medical necessity, they require a diagnosis out of the DSM-5.

Another item to note is that some insurance companies do not cover all mental health services, or greatly limit the number of sessions covered. This can be frustrating for the client and the therapist. You may have the impression that services are covered, but suddenly after 10 sessions, claims are being denied.

We encourage you to call and walk through some of the other issues and concerns so that you make an informed decision about whether or not to use insurance.

Insurance companies and plans often have limited coverage for mental health services. If you feel you’d benefit from counseling but your insurance won’t cover the cost, talk with the Care to Change team. Depending upon your situation, you may be able to take advantage of scholarships people and organizations in the community have created to help people in your situation. Or, we may have a relationship with your church that provides reduced-cost counseling. If those aren’t options, we can work with you to find other solutions.

Feel free to call or email us as a first step. We can walk with you to find the help you’re looking for, even if it isn’t counseling. We offer a variety of groups and workshops, health and wellness services, intensives, and assessments, too.