How can I afford sessions if you don’t take insurance?
At this time, I do not accept insurance. However, many insurance companies will reimburse you for a portion of your therapy depending upon your mental health coverage. Payment is due upon each session, but I can supply you with a Statement of Service so that you can submit it to your insurance on your own. Reimbursement will go to you directly. Please be aware that insurance companies require a diagnosis code to file the appropriate paperwork. This has the potential to impact your future medical coverage.
Check with your insurance policy as most insurance plans will cover an “out-of-network” provider at a different rate, as long as they are licensed (which I am). This can significantly reduce your cost. Some plans will reimburse you up to 80% for an “out-of-network” session, leaving you with the cost of 20% per session, depending on your mental health benefits.
Also, many employers have an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) that has parameters around mental health benefits. You may want to check your policy before choosing a counselor or therapist.
What methods of counseling do you use?
I have an eclectic style of Christian counseling and I like to use various resources and methods to accomplish desired change (i.e. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Biblical Counseling, Reality Therapy, Bibliotherapy, Individual Therapy, Group Therapy, Art Therapy, Breathwork, Narrative Therapy, Relational Psychotherapy, Collaborative Therapy, Client-Directed, Outcome Informed Therapy). I do not practice hypnotherapy or other Eastern Philosophies in our counseling sessions. If you have specific questions around the techniques involved in some of the above examples, please feel free to ask.
I saw on your Services Tab, “Church Abuse.” What is that?
Church abuse is a term that can be used to describe a number of things pertaining to negative experiences involving religion. Maybe you have heard of someone who attended a church for some time and eventually got a divorce from their spouse. That person then was ostracized by the members of the church for getting the divorce and he or she felt like they weren’t welcome anymore. Another example could be that you went to a church that had a well-known pastor or minister and that person ended up losing credibility in your eyes because of an affair or an addiction or some other secret which made you question not only him or her, but your faith and belief in God. Perhaps you have never been married and have children with different fathers and you feel ashamed and that you do not belong in church because of the way other Christians have judged you. Maybe you have stumbled across Christians who were rude, uncaring and hypocritical and you told yourself “if that is what it’s like to be a Christian, you can count me out.” All of these examples could be categorized as “church abuse.”
Other Common Questions
This means that with your permission, I offer counsel from a faith-based perspective, utilizing the Holy Bible and Christian philosophy to help you find healing. This approach is rooted in the Christian doctrine of believing in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and in Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior. This type of counseling can incorporate scripture, prayer, Christian speakers, Christian authors, Christian leaders, and other resources no matter where you are in your walk of faith.
Jennifer believes in Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior. She believes in the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). She believes that salvation is freely given as a gift from God and that it can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. Salvation is a gift for those who are saved through grace by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. She believes in baptism as being a public profession of faith and an act of obedience. She believes that the Holy Bible is the inerrant and authoritative Word of God. Jennifer embraces the whole Bible; but also recognizes there may be different interpretations and applications.
If you or I believe that we are not a good fit, we can work together to find another therapist or resource that is. No hard feelings either way. Healing is a journey and being brave enough to try to find help is the first step. Your effort will be honored and we will work on a better fit together.
No. You are accepted no matter where you stand in your belief of God. We do not have to talk about spirituality at all. It is simply available if you would like to.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Mental Health Services Provider (MHSP), both are state-issued authorizations that have specific requirements. I hold an active LPC-MHSP license in the state of Indiana and in Tennessee. In order to be licensed, one must sit for the NCMHCE exam, NCE exam and a state jurisprudence exam. One also is required to obtain 3000+ post-Master’s Degree-hours to acquire licensure.