Very Good Counseling, LLC

I think of the first few times that we meet with someone as a trial run. I encourage people that come to me to pay attention to how they feel both while we’re meeting and afterwards. My style is not going to work for everyone, and what’s most important to me is that you find someone who feels like a good fit. I like to use my first session with someone in two ways, and I ask you questions to get to understand you and the reasons your seeking counseling. I want to begin to get to know you, and I want the session to be useful. Getting to know each other includes providing time for you to ask me any logistical questions about working together, as well as questions about my experience and therapy style. It’s also a time for me to learn a little bit about you generally and to begin to get an idea of your expectations of therapy. I like to answer a few questions on our first few meetings: • What do I need to know about you to understand where your perspective? • Have you had any experience with therapy before? If so, what was good about it? What wasn’t so good? These questions help me to understand what you’re looking for and if I think we’ll be able to work well together. With some people, this takes our entire first session. For others, they want to get started with the problem they’re coming to therapy to resolve. It’s important to me that therapy feels useful to you. For people who are ready to get started right away, we begin with what’s been going on recently and what’s on their mind in that moment. For therapy to be useful, we need to build trust together. This trust building happens over several sessions. Our first session is an introduction, which is the beginning of forming a trusting relationship together.

Most sessions are 45-55 minutes, but if agreed upon before the scheduled appointment, we can accommodate a longer session. We can also accommodate for 90 minute sessions for families and couple therapy. Starting we meet once per week. If at first, you feel that one session per week is not enough time, we can certainly consider more frequent appointments. The goal is to help you get to a place you do not need our services.

The reason we do not accept insurance is because insurance companies believe our clients should fit specific treatment diagnosis, goals and outcomes. After years of practicing at other agencies that accept insurance, we noticed that we would spend more time submitting documents and completing paperwork for insurance than focusing on you, the individual. With Very Good Counseling, you are given complete confidentiality and privacy that is not allowed by insurance companies, because they require that we diagnose you with a mental health condition in order for them to determine if they will pay for the help you need. Insurances also require that we justify that diagnosis for each session we have by providing them with notes on our services. We think it is wrong and insensitive to my clients to share our personal and emotional conversations with another agency for the sake of payment. By not billing insurance, no diagnosis is necessary. There will be no record of your services outside of my office that links your mental health history to your lifelong medical reports or associated with your social security number. This aids in having no potential restrictions or rejections later in life with seeking adoption, prescribed medications or treatments, and even acquiring insurance coverage itself due to a preexisting condition. By not billing insurance, you are also able to decide for yourself on the number of sessions you attend and when we are ready to stop services. In our practice, it is all about you and will never be about the insurance company. If you have out of network benefits and would like to use them. We will be able to provide you with a Superbill. Payment is due at the time of service in the form of cash, check, HSA, FSA, or credit card payment at the time of service. Superbills are provided on a monthly basis and are accessible via the Client Portal. Once you have the Superbill you will need to submit it to your insurance to see if they will reimburse you any out-of-network benefits. Keep in mind, a diagnosis is typically needed for reimbursement. It is highly recommended to speak with your insurance company to verify if they will reimburse you if a Superbill is provided.

We accept cash, check, credit/debit card or health savings account cards as forms of payment. Most people elect to enroll in auto pay so they don’t have to worry about the payment for their sessions, and can focus on what they have come to therapy for. This can be set up when we contact you with your initial paperwork.

Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Counselors help people identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote lasting change and optimal mental health.

It may take some deliberation before you decide you’re ready for therapy. You might want to wait and see if time, lifestyle changes, or the support of friends and family improves whatever you’re struggling with. The (APA) American Psychological Association suggests you consider a time to see a therapist when something causes distress and interferes with some part of life, particularly when: Thinking about or coping with the issue takes up at least an hour each day The issue causes embarrassment or makes you want to avoid others The issue has caused your quality of life to decrease The issue has negatively affected school, work, or relationships You’ve made changes in your life or developed habits to cope with the issue If you experience any of the following emotions or feelings to the extent that they interfere with life, therapy may help you reduce their effects. It’s especially important to consider it’s time to see a therapist if you feel controlled by symptoms or if they could cause harm to yourself or others.

1342 Colonial Blvd. Suite C21 Fort Myers, FL 33907 Our Fort Myers location is between Colonial Blvd and Royal Palm Square Blvd, one block east of McGregor Blvd and the Alliance for the Arts (South of the Midpoint Bridge) next door to Broadway Palm dinner Theater. We are on the second floor of the yellow building.