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We charge $255 for the first visit. For subsequent visits, we charge $165-200 for individual counseling and $200 for couples or family counseling. Fortunately, if you have health insurance, you can expect to pay, on average, $0 to about $60 per visit after satisfying any deductible. We can run HSA cards for payment if you have them. Contact your insurance company to find out what your deductible or co-pays are.

In an attempt to manage costs, insurance companies often offer lower premiums if the client agrees to pay a deductible: A fixed amount usually between $250 and $7,500 out of pocket before any benefits are paid.

The higher the deductible the lower the premium. Most insurance waives the deductible if you use a preferred provider. Smockville Counseling Center psychologists participate in many preferred provider programs. Ask if we participate with YOUR insurance company.

A therapy session lasts 45-55 minutes. Sessions are usually scheduled weekly or bi-weekly. How many sessions you will choose is impossible to predict. What we can tell you is this: About one-half of our clients spend between three and twelve months in therapy. The rest are about equally divided between shorter (less than three months) and longer (more than twelve months) durations.

Fundamentally, we believe you are the expert of you. Therefore, you will initially set the agenda. Our therapists will help you navigate and observe and clarify. We may be able to help you see things from a new perspective and explore options you may not have considered. There is no Magic Bullet and as with most things what you invest determines your return. The best way to evaluate a potential therapeutic relationship is to make an appointment and see how it feels.

Therapy is grounded in research and science. Your therapist can help you consider things beyond the spectrum of your friends and family. Your therapist has only one agenda: serving your best interest. Can you say that about your friends and family?

Absolutely. Call and make an appointment; you are never under any obligation.

You are required to pay for the first visit, and we will bill the insurance you provide us with, but continued care is entirely up to you.

The difference is education and licensing. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (MD) specializing in psychiatry. Typically, psychiatrists do not practice counseling or therapy although they are certainly qualified. They prescribe medication and perform research and consult on neurological cases. Psychologists are also doctors with the (possible) exception of School Psychologists. Counselors and therapists are typically educated at the master’s level although there are also (possible) exceptions.

Which provider is best suited to meet your needs is up to you. While education and licensing are important there are other criteria which will influence your decision such as the provider’s life experiences, how comfortable you feel with the provider and how deeply rooted your issues may be.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is educated and trained to prescribe medication used in treating and managing mental health issues in patients. The Oregon Psychological Association has been lobbying the state legislature to allow psychologists to receive the specialized pharmaceutical training necessary to become prescribers.

First, not being on any particular insurance panel is seldom a reflection of the provider’s competency. Generally speaking, insurance companies who allow anyone on their panel or do not require provider participation at all pay the lowest benefit. Different companies have different hoops to jump through to get on board and to participate. They all offer different reimbursement rates and it is a lot of work. Most providers do not need to be on every panel to maintain a full schedule.

TIP: If you want to see a provider who is NOT on your insurance panel, call and speak to a customer service representative for the insurance company (after making sure the provider you want to see is willing to work with your insurance). If you can make a good case for WHY it is important to see that particular provider, the insurance company may enter into a single case contract with the provider. You have to be persistent and keep bumping it up (“May I please speak with your supervisor?”) until you reach the top.