What about Hours, Money, Insurance, etc. with Christian Counseling?

Christian Counseling.001This is the third guest post by Joseph Williams, a local Christian counselor, dealing with Christian counseling.  I appreciate his contribution in these articles. Check each of them out.  

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When considering counseling issues related to cost, hours, and insurance are significant factors.  Though each counselor has their own system, here are some general expectations.

What about cost?  If the counseling service is supported by a local church or churches they should be able to offer an income based sliding scale fee. If not, you probably can expect to pay from $60 – $160 per hour for counseling. Most counselor’s do not offer credit so be prepared to pay for each session. They take cash, checks, and some accept credit/debit cards.

What about insurance? Most insurance companies will pay for counseling services if you have a medically diagnosable mental health issue. Unfortunately marital strife is not a medically diagnosable mental health issue that most insurance will cover. Some employee assistance programs will pay for up to six visits of individual or marital counseling. If the counselor has the right credentials, they probably can accept insurance. However some counselor’s have the right credentials but limit or do not accept insurance because of the extremely time consuming process filing insurance and keeping up with all the changes that are always taking place within it.

What appointment times can be expected? Most counselors have regular office hours Monday through Friday. A few counselors offer evening and weekend appointments when available. If the counselor does not accept insurance it is probably best to ask for an evening or weekend appointment so that you do not have to miss work. Some counselors can offer an appointment within a week or less of your initial inquiry, while others have a different business model and cannot offer an appointment until several weeks from your initial contact. If needed, you need to make sure the counselor can see you in a timely fashion and not have to spread the appointments out too far.

Please do not let cost, insurance issues, and hours prohibit you from getting the counseling you need.  Prioritize it in your life and speak to your local counselor or church about your needs.  

Joseph A. Williams, MSW, LCSW, BCPCC
Founder of Williams Christian Counseling
www.williamscc.org/counsel.html
joseph@williamscc.org
270-247-5667
209 E Sunset Dr
Mayfield, KY 42066-3265

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For referrals to Christian counselor’s.

1. Ask your local minister or elder for a referral to a Christian Counselor in the community.
2. American Association of Christian Counselor’s keeps a referral database. To view it go to –http://www.aacc.net/resources/find-a-counselor/
3. Focus on the Family keeps a referral database. To view it go to – http://www.focusonthefamily.com/counseling/find-a-counselor.aspx

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