Frequently Asked Questions

The length of time it takes to see results from counseling sessions with Couples Chat Clinic varies depending on the individual and the issues being addressed. Some clients may see improvements after just a few sessions, while others may require longer-term therapy.

 Research has shown that meeting less frequently is generally not as effective and in fact more costly in terms of overall time, energy, and money. For that reason, we meet with our clients weekly. We will establish a set time to meet each week for our reoccurring weekly appointment. During sessions, we will discern how your past may impact your present, identify stressors, and equip you with tools to improve your life. It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process.  The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. 

Our fees range from $180 to $275. Payments are made at the time of your session. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged for the full session.

• Individual counseling session fees are $180 per 50-minute session.
• Couples counseling session fees are $225 per 50-minute session.
• Extended couples counseling session fees are $275 per 90-minute session.

We are out-of-network and do not accept, bill, or contact insurance companies. However, we can provide you a superbill, an invoice summary of sessions that you may submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Please note that superbills often require a mental health diagnosis. We recommend clients contact their insurance company to find out what their particular plan does or does not cover.  

  At the moment, sliding scale slots are all full, but we can provide referrals to other therapists who have different fees. Email us if you would like a referral. 

We prefer to not work with new clients bi-weekly, mainly because of consistency. In therapy, you are sharing your story, your experiences, your feelings, and more. Consistency gets you to a place where we can track your narrative and start to identify patterns that you may want to address in your treatment goals. Usually, after 4 to 12 sessions we can discuss if bi-weekly sessions are a good option for your goals in therapy. *If you are experienced with therapy and feel bi-weekly could work for your situation, please email me for a free consultation to discuss. 

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and a psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but in the therapist’s office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in the session will not be shared with anyone.  This is called “Informed Consent”.  Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, or Attorney), but by law, your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

State law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.

*Judge's court order

 Absolutely. From the very beginning, the Couples Chat Clinic has been for all kinds of relationships. Our therapists are sensitive to the unique challenges that LGBTQIA+ partners, partnerships of mutuals, Poly/Kink partnerships, and multi-cultural/biracial partnerships face and have a well-established track record of helping with their relationships. 

 Yes. In fact, sometimes the best time to work on improving internal habits that foster healthy relationships is when you are not currently in a relationship because, you can be more objective. 

 If there is ongoing physical aggression in your relationship, couples counseling is usually not the best choice until internal changes take place in a person that enable the aggressive acts to be controlled. However, sometimes going through the initial assessment sessions will help motivate an aggressive partner to get individual treatment. Couples therapy may also be of limited or no value if one or the other partner is actively engaged in an ongoing secret affair or is making covert significant financial decisions without the other partner’s knowledge. 

 Couples Therapy for One is a specialized approach for individuals who want to improve their relationship—even if their partner isn’t ready to join therapy. It focuses on the changes you can make to break unhealthy patterns, communicate more effectively, and create a healthier, more connected relationship.

While it takes two to build a relationship, it only takes one person to start the process of change. By learning new tools and shifting how you show up in your relationship, you can positively influence your partner’s behavior, responses, and willingness to engage.

 While many partners find couples therapy to be a place where they can learn new communication skills and possibly improve their overall relationship, there are some possible risks of couple's therapy:

• a partner or both partners decide to end the relationship

• challenges in the relationship get much worse before they get better

• one or both partners may need individual therapy to address mental health issues that cannot be met by their partner therapy alone. *

         *We generally recommend that each partner have their own individual therapist  

          whenever possible.