Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much will it cost?
2. Can I be seen immediately?
3. Can you accommodate my schedule?
4. How long does coaching or therapy usually take?
5. Where are you located?
6. How often can I come in?
7. How do we choose a Couples' Therapist?
8. What happens during couples or marriage counseling?
9. What if my situation doesn't improve?
10. What types of insurance do you accept?
Starting a new coaching or therapy relationship, it can take a while to get comfortable; we do our best to make it as easy as possible, whether you're new to this, or have talked to a professional in the past. It's usually a time of transition, crisis, or deep conflict that causes people to seek help, which can add to the stress of starting work with someone new. On the other hand, maybe you're feeling stable enough to finally take on some of the bigger, deeper issues in your life, and you're excited! The following are some of our most frequently asked questions, and will hopefully be helpful. Please call or e-mail and let us know how we may be of help to you.
We can accept cash, checks or major credit cards.
We recognize paying for this type of service is an investment; we find out everything we possibly can about how to make it work well for you, and are committed to your progress. Our objective is to help you obtain the results you are looking for, using the most effective methods we have available.
We have a range of fees, and want to make services accessible to you. If we do not offer fees within your budget, we will be glad to refer you to agencies that do. Our goal is to help you take action when you're ready to get started! You may want to talk with your counselor about pre-paying for a package of sessions at a discount rate. This can help you manage the cost, and also allows you to plan how many sessions you want to work together.
If you have health insurance that covers therapy services, we will be happy to check the details of your benefits before your first visit to find out whether your costs are covered. You are ultimately responsible for all fees, and co-pays must be paid at the time of service.
We try to match you up with a staff person based on your individual needs. It can sometimes take a day or two, but if you need to get started immediately, please let us know, and we will try to find a match for you!
3. Can you accommodate my schedule?
Sessions can be scheduled during the day, in the evenings, and on weekends, although not all of our therapists are available at those times. In order to obtain the best results, we highly recommend and believe in the effectiveness of regular visits. Research has shown that a regular meeting time is one of the most important components of making any changes. Please take a look at your schedule and think about what an appropriate, consistent time for you to schedule your meeting time would be. Try to have a few good options ready for us to work with when you call!
4. How long does coaching or therapy usually take?
At Portland Coaching and Counseling Center, specific goals are set at the beginning of the work, and clients do homework to establish the desired patterns and practices they want in their daily lives. Because of this, coaching or counseling is usually time-limited and ends when your goals have been met. Of course there are some more complex situations which require a series of goals and resolutions that take place sequentially over time. All of this can be discussed and clarified during the initial evaluation session.
We have an office space on SE 12th and Division, and in downtown Portland, OR at the corner of SW 10th and Taylor. Both locations are public transit, bike, and car accessible. Tell us which location you would prefer, or if you are open to either!
For more information on our two locations, visit our Contact Us page.
The frequency of your visits is up to your and your coach or therapist to decide. Assume that you will need to plan for a series of regular weekly visits to get off to a good start. We work with you on getting the results you are looking for in the most efficient way, and most people see us over the course of a few months. Regularity is a very effective tool in making changes.
It can also take some time to get clear on your goals with your coach, or for you to get used to trusting and opening up to your counselor, and sometimes people feel worse before they get better. Often people are coming in for challenges they have been struggling with for quite a while; so you may experience prompt relief, but to sustain the change will take a bit more effort. Let us know if you feel as though you need more than a weekly visit, and we will take that into account when we match you up with someone.
7. How do we choose a Couples' Therapist?
The unfortunate fact is that many psychotherapists who perform Couples Therapy have not been trained to do so. Many counselors simply apply individual therapy techniques to work with couples. The research clearly shows that the most effective couples therapy combines skill-building with feedback and insight on communication patterns and processes, along with regular homework assignments. Couples sessions where the therapist merely referees arguments, or listens to a recounting of the week, tend not to produce any long-lasting changes in relationship patterns. So when you're choosing a couples therapist, be sure to ask them about their training and how active and educational they are in their sessions.
For further assistance, visit our Find The Right Therapist page.
8. What happens during couples or marriage counseling?
We use a series of structured interviews at the beginning of couples work, so there is an initial evaluation period of four sessions. We will meet with you both as individuals and as a couple, and then decide from there what the best course of action is.
The method we use with couples is like a giant toolbox of ideas, activities, and theories that tailor the therapy to each couple, instead of assuming that the same approach will work in every situation. We will use a variety of techniques to assess your learning styles, communication patterns, level of trust, intimacy, and conflict. Occasionally it is useful to accompany couples work with individual therapy, but not in all cases.
9. What if my situation doesn't improve?
If you don't improve after your first few sessions, we will help you plan the next step. This might mean that you and your staff person identify a different approach to take together, you may want to try a different coach or therapist, or a group setting that might be appropriate; whatever step you feel needs to be taken. We work actively and in collaboration with you, and would love all the feedback you can provide- especially if it's about something that's not working for you! We even ask for your written feedback, so that we learn the best way to be helpful to you, as a unique and complex individual.
10. What types of insurance do you accept?
Please be sure to contact us to receive the most up to date information on the insurance carriers. Insurance panels our staff are currently contracted with:
Blue Cross Blue Shield Regence
Kaiser, by internal referral only
Lifewise
MHN of California
ODS
PacificSource
Providence Preferred
Providence PPO: covered under some plans, call us to check
Reliant Behavioral Health
Many insurance plans offer out-of-network benefits at a higher co-pay, sometimes a deductible is increased. Call us if you would like to find out if you're covered to see one of our staff, 503-295-6265, or info@PortlandCoachingandCounseling.com. We would be delighted to hear from you, and return calls and messages promptly. Just let us know how we can help you.
Here is a link to a very helpful article,"A Buyer's Guide to Psychotherapy", by Frank Pittman MD; this supports our view of what is helpful in therapy and offers some valuable information on how to choose the person who is the best fit for you.