frequently asked questions

Our Counselors page is a great place to start! On this page you can read the personal and professional information about each counselor. This can help you figure out who you would be most comfortable working with.

The office knows the strengths and training of each counselor and is willing to discuss your preferences and questions as well as make a recommendation. If for any reason, after your first few appointments, you don't feel that the counselor you chose is a good fit, the office will be glad to help you switch counselors: 301-292-2778.

We have a variety of fees for our counselors. Even though we are out of network with insurance companies, many insurance providers provide out-of-network benefits that will allow you to be reimbursed a percentage of the fee. We can help you find out if you have out-of-network benefits; just give us a call! You can also find more information about our fees on our Services and Fees page.

While there will be some time spent going over the paperwork that you received from the office, most of the session will be "get to know you" conversation and a discussion of your goals for counseling. The paperwork really serves as a launch pad for more in-depth discussion.

If you're new to counseling, the counselor's primary goal is to create a safe, comfortable space for you. You won't be asked to share beyond your level of comfort. You are getting to know the counselor as much as they are getting to know you! It often takes some time to build a strong relationship with a counselor.

That depends on the complexity of the issues being addressed. The more complex, the longer it will take. Your counselor will advise you about this, but, 8-12 sessions is average. You will decide when you are ready to discontinue, or reduce the frequency of sessions. Some clients choose to come back every few months for a while after they have stopped coming regularly. Even after you have stopped coming, you are welcome to return at any time!

1 Thessalonians 5:14 encourages us to, "Admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone." Professional Christian counselors are trained to employ clinical skills as they use their God-given talents and gifts for empathy, discernment, and wisdom.

Absolutely not! God has called us to this profession to act as His hands and feet. Jesus never judged those struggling with issues, only those who claimed they had no issues! As counselors we are here to offer support and compassion, never judgment.

This is actually pretty common! Even if your partner/child/family member will not come with you, you can still benefit from counseling. Having someone to talk to about your struggles can help reduce your anxiety, think more clearly, and come up with a plan for going forward. It also gives you the opportunity to develop skills that can help you navigate and improve your relationships.

Yes! We are here to offer support in whatever way our clients need. We are trained clinicians as well as Christians. Many of our clients choose to come to us because we are Christians, but certainly not all of them.

The counselors take the lead from the clients about how much faith integration comes into the counseling room. Even some Christian clients want to focus on clinical work and not discuss spiritual matters. We take your lead!

Counseling is confidential with very few exceptions. The main exceptions are: 1) the client is a clear danger to themselves or others; 2) instances when the client is a minor and reports they have been a victim of neglect, physical or sexual abuse; 3) disclosure of childhood sexual abuse; 4) elder abuse; 5) if compelled by a court.

Not likely, unless confidentiality has to be broken for the reasons cited in the previous question. The initial security clearance application does not require reporting of counseling unless it is related to violence.

This is one of the primary reasons that we have chosen to stay out of network with insurance companies. Once we submit something to another company, we can no longer control where the information goes. We take great care with your information!

Christian counseling combines regular counseling with biblical and spiritual truths. We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, the omnipotence of God the Father, and the saving grace of Jesus. We rely on God to guide us with our clients so that they may know the abundant life He planned for each of them. 

These designations reflect the various levels of education, licensure, and specialization for our counselors.

Here is a brief overview:

LCPC/LPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor/Licensed Professional Counselor: This is the full, unrestricted license for a professional counselor.

LGPC/Resident in Counseling: Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor/Resident in Counseling: This is an interim license for counselors as they work toward their LCPC/LPC. This process usually takes between 2 and 5 years to complete.

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker: This is the full, unrestricted licensure for a social worker who has achieved a clinical specialization in their training.

MFT: Marriage and Family Therapist: This is the full, unrestricted license for a Marriage and Family Therapist.

NCC: National Certified Counselor: One of the highest designations for a professional counselor, indicating a high level of professional development and clinical work.

BC-TMH: Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider: A certification for additional training in conducting counseling in a virtual environment, i.e., via Google Meet or Zoom.

The best way to encourage someone else to seek counseling is to share with them your personal experience of being in counseling and how it helped you. The second best way is to share someone else's story of being in counseling and how it helped them. Another way would be to encourage them to call our office just to talk about the possibility of entering counseling. Sometimes just hearing that friendly voice on the other end of the phone gives people the gentle nudge they need to take the next step.

It’s important to note, however, that counseling can only be effective when an individual is ready and has a made a personal decision to pursue counseling. Bringing someone to counseling before they are ready rarely results in progress being made.

Yes, it is often the case that churches or family members will partially or fully cover the cost of a session. In these cases, the counselee may need to sign a privacy release that says we can talk to you about the financial aspect of their counseling, since this too is a matter of confidentiality. This release does not cover the content of the sessions, only about payments.

Here are some indicators that your child might benefit from counseling:

• If your child doesn't want to go to school.

• If your child is moody or angry or withdrawn.

• If your child's teacher has commented that your child is not working up to his or her potential.

• If your child's behavior is interfering with his or her ability to get along with peers or siblings.

• If you feel your child is not responding to your parenting methods.

• If your child is frequently complaining of stomach aches for which no medical cause can be found.

• If your child starts wetting the bed again long after they have stopped.

• If your child begins acting out.

Counseling is forming a helping relationship with your child where your child can explore thoughts or feelings he or she might have trouble expressing and where the counselor can help determine underlying issues that are affecting or influencing maladaptive behavior that is affecting your child's ability to succeed.

When you call our office, you will be referred to a counselor who received specialized training in working with children. This training may include the use of play therapy, it may include experience working within the school system with children, it may include courses in child therapy at the graduate level, or it may include post-graduate seminars or workshops. With these techniques, counselors can work with children as young as 2 years old on a wide variety of issues.

Usually, no. Often, children have been prescribed medication without a formal assessment or without counseling to support behavioral change. Your child's counselor will investigate whether testing would be helpful. Counseling can address behavior and attitudes that are interfering with your child's performance at school and/or home. Your child's counselor can teach your child better coping mechanisms and help them learn compensatory behaviors that will support the medical intervention. Your child's counselor can also work with you as a parent to help you develop more effective parenting strategies such as training you in filial therapy.

Not always. Children act out for a variety of reasons that do not always have to do with parenting. Sometimes this is their only way of communicating that something is wrong. A counselor can help you figure out what is going on and make recommendations as to what things you might try. God always deals with us within the context of grace and truth. As parents sometimes we are good administrators of God's truth and weak ministers of God's grace. Sometimes this is because we ourselves have not received sufficient amounts of God's grace. A Christian counselor can help parents balance this equation in their parenting.