Colleen Koncilja Marriage & Couples Counseling Therapy Bartlett IL

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Is counseling or therapy right for me?

This is a great question. Yet, it is a challenge for me to answer it for you. However, I can share with you some of the things that I believe. Seeking counseling is an incredibly personal decision. I assume you are reading this because you are feeling a need to reach out for some kind of support. Perhaps you are thinking about seeking therapy because:

there is an issue you don't believe you can talk to your partner, family, or friends about

you feel lonely and uncertain about how to make things better for yourself

you don't think you should burden those around you with the difficulties that you are having

you need to feel heard and supported and it doesn't seem like that is happening for you

These are just a few important reasons to seek therapy. If something is happening for you that is painful, causing you stress, or you are struggling and feeling anxious, depressed, or fearful, receiving professional assistance and support is something that can be extremely helpful.

I will help build a supportive relationship with you and I will provide a comfortable and safe place where you can explore all of your questions, thoughts, struggles, feelings, and emotions you have, about your life's issues and challenges.

Sometimes when we feel the most alone, it is the exact time to reach out and ask for help. You owe it to yourself, because...You are worth it.

I have never been to therapy before, so what should I expect?

Every therapy session is unique depending on you and your individual needs. During therapy sessions you identify what issues you are concerned about and together, we focus on what you believe is important and what needs to change to help you feel better. It is common to schedule weekly sessions which last for 50-55 minutes. Sometimes you may request more time per session or more than one session per week if you are experiencing much stress and discomfort because of a specific issue or circumstance. Most sessions that involve EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy are scheduled for 75-90 minutes.

How long will counseling or therapy take?

The answer to this question depends on what concerns or issues you are seeking counseling/therapy for. Counseling can be short term, when an individual wants to work on a very specific issue, learn a new coping skill, or gain some education and support regarding a short term issue. However, often, therapy is more long term when an individual is choosing to address a more complex issue or wants to work on longer term personal growth issues.

Is therapy confidential?

State and Federal laws protect the relationship between a client and a psychotherapist, and information cannot be disclosed without written permission.

However, as a therapist, I am required to follow legal and ethical expectations, guidelines, and laws within my scope of practice. Therefore, there are exceptions to confidentiality. They are as follows:

Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, I must notify the police and inform the intended victim.

If a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in insuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, I will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.

Additionally, I have great concern about the confidentiality issues that can become problematic for people who utilize insurance when seeking therapy. If you choose to use your insurance for assistance in covering the cost of therapy, I encourage you to learn more about the limits of the confidentiality within the insurance reporting and payment realm. I would be happy to discuss this with you further.

Can you tell me more about your free consultation session?

Several of the key facets within the therapeutic relationship are the comfort, safety, and support one feels they receive from the therapist as well as the experience, training, and expertise the therapist offers. It is important that you feel heard, supported and hopeful and that therapy can/will be a helpful process for you.

Come in. Let's meet, and determine together, whether counseling is right for you. During your initial 30 minute consultation session, which I offer to you at no charge, you can determine if you feel comfortable with me and if you think we can build a strong alliance to help you. While I will assess whether I have the right expertise to assist you with your particular concerns.

What are your fees?

My standard fee for counseling and therapy services is 90.00 for a 55 minute session. Some clients prefer longer sessions, thus 90 minute sessions are 140.00. If sessions involve EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy, they are scheduled for at least 75 minutes, however I only charge for a 55 minute session. I do block out a few hours per week, for clients who have a limited income. If you are concerned about being able to financially afford therapy, please ask me if any of these slots are currently available and if so, we can negotiate a reduced fee.

Will my health insurance cover psychotherapy?

I will provide you with a receipt that will include all of the necessary information that you need to submit to your insurance company for payment of service for an out of network provider. This receipt will include a specific mental health diagnosis. In order for insurance companies to consider payment, insured recipients of psychotherapy need to have a diagnosed mental health disorder.

Often people assume they have full benefits for therapy through their mental health coverage from their insurance company. However, often this coverage is limited in per session fee/amount payment, number of actual sessions allowed for a person's specific situation and mental health diagnosis, or one may have a high deductible that must be met before benefits will be paid. I encourage you to contact your insurance company and inquire what your benefits entail.

Some questions you could ask are:

Do I have mental health counseling and/or marriage counseling benefits?

What is my deductible and has it been met?

How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?

How much does my plan cover for an out-of-network provider?

What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Due to privacy concerns or lack of insurance coverage for mental health counseling and marriage counseling, some clients make the choice to pay for therapy themselves. When insurance is used, information can be accessed by other insurance companies, through a clearinghouse arrangement, in making decisions regarding future applications for medical, life, disability or long-term care insurance.

You may consider paying for therapy out of pocket as you do for other personal services you value. When you pay for counseling yourself, your complete privacy is assured within the limits of state and federal laws.

Clients who self pay do so in many ways: