Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about therapy
- What approaches do you use?
- We use evidenced-based treatments, including Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Mindfulness-Based approaches.
- Core Counseling aims to cultivate a warm, empathetic, and supportive yet challenging environment. We think it’s important to find a good fit for your therapist. If, for some reason, you don’t feel Core Counseling is a good fit, we will do our best to support you in finding someone who better meets your needs.
- What can I expect after making an initial appointment?
- You will receive an email confirming your appointment, along with a link to intake paperwork. We ask that you complete this paperwork prior to your first session. You will also receive an email reminder 48 hours prior to your appointment.
- What can I expect during my first visit?
- We will spend the first bit of time reviewing the intake paperwork and answering any questions you may have. Once through with the business side of things, we’ll spend the bulk of your initial appointment talking about what brought you into therapy.
- Your therapist has questions that they ask all new clients; you may or may not get through all of them in that first appointment, and that’s okay. At the end of your first session, your therapist will ask what you hope to get out of coming to therapy which will help formulate treatment goals for your work together, and your therapist will make treatment recommendations.
Questions about appointments
- How long are appointments?
- Initial intake assessments are 60 minutes in length. Subsequent therapy sessions are typically 45 – 55 minutes long.
- How often do we meet?
- For most clients, initial appointment cadence is once a week. Once we’ve established a working relationship and it’s clinically appropriate, we taper meeting frequency to twice a month and, eventually, will ultimately just meet on an as-needed basis.
- Can I cancel or reschedule my appointment?
- Core Counseling asks that you give 24-hour notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Cancellations that happen within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time will be charged the full fee of the session.
- What do I need to bring to my first appointment?
- Please bring your insurance card, method of payment, and intake paperwork, if not completed online.
- What is the parking situation?
- Ample street parking, both free and metered, is available on Sheffield and nearby side streets. There is also a parking lot just north of the building where clients can pay to park for $10.
Questions about insurance, fees, & payment
- What insurance do you accept?
- Core Counseling accepts BCBS PPO, BCBS Blue Choice, and Lyra Health.
- What if you don’t accept my insurance?
- If you don’t have BCBS PPO, Blue Choice, or Lyra Health, you may be able to use your insurance’s out-of-network benefits to help pay for therapy. The way this works is that you would pay out of pocket for therapy and Core Counseling would provide you with a superbill that you then submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
- If you elect to use your out-of-network benefits, we recommend calling your insurance prior to your first appointment to learn more about your out-of-network benefits and reimbursement amounts. We're happy to help you with this, as navigating insurance can be a bear. Please call or email with any questions.
- How much does therapy cost?
- Initial Assessment – Individual $160
- Initial Assessment – Couple $185
- Individual psychotherapy session $145
- Couples psychotherapy session $165
- Do you offer a sliding scale fee?
- Yes, Core Counseling offers a limited number of reduced fee therapy slots. Please email or call to inquire about sliding scale fee availability.
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- Core Counseling accepts cash, check, credit card, and HSA/FSA payment cards.
