Questions:

Q1. How does counseling help?

Q2. Is it better to solve problems on my own?

Q3. What can I expect at a counseling session?

Q4. When should I seek counseling?

Q5. What type of insurance do you accept?

Answers:

How does counseling help?

Counseling offers us the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to difficulties and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and situational causes of those difficulties. Common issues that bring clients to counseling:

~Relationship Issues
~Situational Problems (Adjustment after divorce, Failing school, difficulties)
~Family Issues
~Developmental Issues (Separation from parents, Identity concerns, Empty nest)
~Depression
~Gender Concerns
~Sexuality Concerns
~Career Uncertainty
~Recovering From Impact of Physical, Emotional or Sexual Abuse
~Physical Problems (Tension, Stomach Pains, Insomnia)
~Grief
~Alcohol or Substance Abuse
~Eating Disorders &/or Body Image Issues
~Depression
~Anxiety (Social, General Specific Phobias, Panic Attacks)
~Sleep Concerns (Nightmares, Poor sleep habits, Sleeping too little or
too much)

Is it better to solve problems on my own?

It is therapeutic to talk about your concerns. Most of us have probably had the experience of relief after talking with a friend or family member about something we had been holding in. Usually our concerns seem more manageable when we talk about them with someone we trust. As we talk, our perspective on the problem often begins to change.

Talking with a counselor can also help us to:
~Pinpoint problems - and understand aspects of the problems that may be
improved.

~Identify negative or problematic thinking patterns that contribute to feelings of
hopelessness and helplessness, and to develop a more positive outlook.

~Explore learned thoughts and behaviors that create or maintain problems.

~Regain a sense of control and pleasure in life.

~Discover strengths you have and how to use them to grow stronger in other
areas.

Counseling goes beyond the obvious, and helps get us unstuck. It is often the case that we know what we should be doing to help us feel better, but can't seem to be able to do what we know we should. Counseling helps us work through the obstacles that keep us from doing what we know would be helpful

What can I expect from a counseling session?

~At Life Skills Resource Group we provide FREE phone consultations prior to scheduling the initial session and in this way assure that the client and the counselor have a positive rapport. This is one of the most important factors for progress in counseling.

~Your initial counseling session at Life Skills Resource Group will be 75-90 minutes unless you and your counselor have made other arrangements. The focus of this session will be collecting your history from a social, emotional, psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual perspective and then formulating YOUR goals for counseling.

~Subsequent sessions will be 50-60 minutes and include discussion of YOUR experience in conjunction with YOUR counseling goals since the last session, discussion of any homework assigned, realignment of goals and assignment of homework if appropriate.

When should I seek counseling?

Life brings its challenges and struggles and in many cases we are quite capable of managing these on our own. We develop strategies for coping that are effective and positive. But sometimes we find that there are challenges, struggles, and disappointments that our normal toolbox of strategies do not seem to work for and we find ourselves off course and unable to get back on course emotionally, physically, financially, or spiritually.

Other times we may choose not to deal directly with life’s issues and challenges but instead to ignore them on just keep moving forward. The more we deal with life in this manner the more difficult it usually becomes to move on after each successive disappointment, frustration, or conflict. This causes an accumulation of unresolved issues and when too many issues accumulate the overflow comes out in the form of symptoms like stress, anxiety, depression, irritability, lack of focus, or even physical symptoms such as headache or stomach upset.

You might consider seeking counseling when:
a) The strategies that have worked in the past no longer do the trick.
b) When you decide to address issues that for whatever reason you have chosen to ignore over the years.
c) When you realize that the issues you want to address are just too complex to tackle alone and that while family and friends can be a great support system, they do not have the either the proper perspective or the training to be objective listeners.
d) You may seek counseling because a friend, family member or employer suggests it.

What type of insurance do you accept?

We are a self pay practice (see Maribel Nieves page for exceptions- do not link to her page) but this does not mean we do not take insurance. We choose not to be "preferred providers" for any insurance plans due to the restrictions and detailed reporting of your confidential information required. We do however offer a sliding scale based on income for those whose household income is below $75,000 annually, FEES

Something for you to consider when using your health insurance for counseling is that we must assign a diagnosis from the DSM IV “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” in order for your insurance to provide coverage. So if you are seeking Marriage Counseling and want to use your insurance it is necessary for the counselor to diagnose one of the partners from the DSM IV in order for the insurance to pay for the counseling. This diagnosis then becomes a permanent part of the medical record. Consider this same thing when bringing your child for counseling.

If you choose to use insurance Most PPO and many HMO plans have provisions for "Out of Network" Mental Health Benefits. Please go to our FEES page for more information on questions to ask your insurance company about out of network benefits.

Disney employees and their family members who are covered by any of the Disney Health Plans can receive 20 visits per calendar year at Life Skills Resource Group with zero co-pay or out of pocket cost-Your out of network benefit through Pacificare allows us to bill directly and receive reimbursement.

On a case by case basis we will bill other insurance companies once we can verify that you have an out of network benefit and the amount your insurance company will reimburse You may be required to make a small copayment.