What happens when I call the office for the first time?

When you call our office, you will leave a message and can expect a call back the same day or within 1 business day.  We will answer any of the questions you have and get you matched up with a therapist based on your needs and requests.  

 

Where is your office located?

Our office building is located behind Greenfire Restaurant and Culvers off Riverside Blvd.  Our address is 6653 Weaver Road, Suite 12. When you come to the building, there are two main entrances.  If you come in the door marked west entrance, our Suite is located on that side of the building. Walk down the hallway and turn right.  Our Suite is the 1st door on the right.

 

What should I expect at my first session?

This is a super common question.  If you feel nervous about this first session, you aren’t alone!  An important aspect of counseling is feeling safe and validated with your therapist.  At the first session, your therapist will review with you our policies and go over an intake with you that covers social, family, work, and health history.  You will also discuss with your therapist what is bringing you in for counseling and will put together goals that you would like to work on during each session.  You are the expert of your story; our job is to partner with you to process through the parts of your story that aren’t serving their purpose so you can continue to develop and grow into the best version of you.  If, at this initial session, you feel that it is not a good fit for your counseling needs, or the therapist feels like they are not equipped to best meet your needs, we will work with you to connect you to other resources in the community to better address your treatment goals.  

 

How does payment work?

You can choose if you would like to utilize insurance for counseling or if you’d like to pay out of pocket.  Either when you call our office initially, or at the time of your first session, you can discuss your options and what makes the most sense for you.  Our billing manager will submit all claims to insurance for you; you will be responsible for any copays or deductibles. We do offer sliding scale fees, along with a payment plan for high deductible insurance plans.  

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As of January 1, 2022, all healthcare providers are required to provide estimates for the costs of their care. The Good Faith Estimate shows the cost of items and services that are reasonably expected for your healthcare needs and treatment. This will be provided by this office upon scheduling and/or as requested. This good faith estimate does not include unexpected costs that could arise during treatment.

 

What insurance plans do you take?

We are able to accept the following plans:​​

• BCBS Community

• BCBS PPO

• Cigna

• Mercy Care

• Molina

• Quartz

• Tri-Care

• UMR

• United Behavioral Health

 

I’m looking for counseling for my child.  What should I expect for this?

If your child is under 12 years old, you will be the one signing all consents for them.  Typically in the first session, we meet with just the parent/s to go through the assessment and create goals together.  Depending on age and your child’s comfort level, the therapist may have you be involved in the sessions. If your child is 12 years and older, then they will also be responsible for signing consents, in addition to you.  The therapist will still meet with the parent/s for the initial session to go through the intake and create goals. The therapist will also talk with your child about goals as well. Parents are then given updates on how progress is moving towards their child’s treatment goals.  Parents are encouraged to reach out to the therapist with any concerns.

 

I’m looking for counseling for myself and my partner.  How does this process work?

Both you and your partner would come to the initial session and talk through goals with your therapist.  In this practice, we typically use materials from the Gottman Institute to improve the level of connection and communication in your relationship, along with any other goals you identify.  

 

How many sessions should I expect to attend?

This varies based on your treatment goals.  You are in charge of your involvement in counseling.  You are free to schedule sessions based on your treatment goals and both your availability and the therapist’s availability.  

 

I see initials and credentials, but what do they all mean?

There are various credentials that our therapists have.  These all pertain to areas of education. All our therapists are Masters Level clinicians.  

 

LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker

LSW - Licensed Social Worker

LMFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

LCPC - Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

 

Some other initials you may see have to do with treatment styles or modalities.  

 

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

TF-CBT - Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

 

These are some of the basics.  If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask your therapist.  We want you to feel comfortable with our level of training and treatment approaches.  

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What do I need to know about confidentiality?

We do not release your information without your written permission to do so.  Your therapist will review our policies and answer any of your questions about this at the first session.  Therapists at Riverside Counseling Center are mandated reporters, so if we become aware of abuse or neglect, it will be reported.  If you are at risk to hurt yourself or others, we will also break confidentiality to ensure your safety and the safety of others.

 

What if I have an emergency?  Are therapists on-call?

You are welcome to contact your therapist outside of your scheduled session and leave a message on our confidential voicemail.  However, our therapists are not on-call and may be either out of the office or in sessions with other clients. If you are facing an emergency and cannot reach your therapist, please contact 911 or go to your local Emergency Room.  You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.