FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can counseling help me?

  There are a number of benefits from participating in counseling. Counselors can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief and loss and stress management. Many individuals also find that counselors can be an incredible asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, relationship issues, and the stressors of everyday life. Counselors can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution you may not have thought of. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

  • Developing skills for improving relationships
  • Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
  • Learning to identify and cope with grief and loss
  • Managing anger, jealousy, depression and other unwanted emotions
  • Improving communication and listening skills
  • Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
  • Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family and/or relationships
  • Improving your self-esteem and self-worth
  • Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
  • Identify how your past may be impacting your present
  • Breaking unwanted patterns of behavior
• What is counseling like?

  Everyone has their own specific issue(s) that bring them into counseling. Because each person has different goals for counseling, counseling will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the whatever is currently happening in your life, your history relevant to your issue (presenting problem), and any new insights gained from the previous counseling session.  Depending on your specific needs, counseling can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to address more difficult or complex patterns or your desire for more personal growth and development.  Either way, it is most common to schedule regular weekly sessions with your counselor.

  Actively participating in counseling sessions is an essential piece underlying successful therapy. It is important to understand that you will get more results from your counseling sessions if you actively participate in the process.  The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, your counselor may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as reading a book, journaling, tracking moods, thoughts or behaviors or putting into action some of your goals.

• How do I know if I should speak to a counselor?

  Most individuals will experience a time in their life where they need some additional help and support. In fact, counseling is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need some extra support and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you’re at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking counseling. Counseling provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving YOU the tools you need to avoid triggers, develop new patterns of behavior and overcome whatever your challenges. People seek out counseling for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it may be due to a divorce or breakup, other times it may be related to stress or anxiety at work or school, or maybe just because they are just feeling sad, unmotivated and down. Sometimes these events can trigger a past memory or event that you didn’t realize may still be impacting your life and decisions currently. Counseling is a great way to take a step back and process whatever it is that you may be going through. We believe that everyone can benefit from having a safe, nonjudgmental individual to speak with. If you are still unsure if counseling is right for you, please book a free consultation with us today to speak with an experienced counselor.

• How do I schedule an appointment or consultation?

  You can easily schedule an appointment or FREE consultation online on our website. Simply click on “request appointment” and follow the prompts on the screen. Everyone receives a free phone consultation as the first step so we can get to know a little bit more about your needs and make sure we are the best fit for you.  

• What happens during the free phone consultation?

  The initial phone consult gives you an opportunity to ask questions  and decide if you’d like to work with one of our counselors.  It also helps us get a sense of what you’re looking for help with in counseling.  If we’re good a fit, then your personal information will be asked to schedule your first session.  You’ll get an e-mail with a link to all the paperwork to be completed 24 hours before your first session.  (Don’t worry – your information will be protected by an advanced system with security and encryption enabled.)

• What can I expect at my initial session?

  When you arrive to the office, you will be greeted by your counselor, who will then bring you back into his or her office. If you have not already filled out your intake paperwork online, you will be asked to complete the forms (an intake assessment and informed consent) before your session begins. You will meet with your counselor for approximately 50 minutes and will discuss what brings you in to counseling as well as broader questions about your history, your relationships, and your self-care. The first session is centered around relationship building with your counselor and making sure the counselor and client are the best fit for one another.

• Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

  Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and counselor. Creating a safe place for counseling to take place is integral to successful counseling. The counseling relationship requires a high degree of trust and therefore confidentiality is taken so seriously. Every counselor should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called the “Informed Consent”. You will complete this form and go over it in detail with your counselor before beginning counseling. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission. There are some limits to confidentiality that you should be aware of. These pertain to the safety and well-being of yourself and to others. The limits to confidentiality are:

  1. If there is good reason to believe that you are abusing or neglecting a child, elder or vulnerable adult, or if you give me information about someone else who is doing this.
  2. If I believe that you are in imminent danger of harming yourself or someone else, I may legally break confidentiality to get you the appropriate help that you need.  
  3. If a client is involved in a legal proceeding and a judge issues a court order for my testimony.
• What if I don’t want to talk about something with a counselor?

  Although we believe that counseling can be most helpful if you communicate freely with your counselor, we respect your right to keep information private. A counselor will not force you to discuss any topics that you would prefer not to discuss.

• How often will we meet?

  It is suggested to meet weekly with your counselor in the beginning and then decide together the frequency that makes sense to help you achieve your goals for counseling. 

• How long will counseling take?

  There aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to this. It entirely depends on what your specific needs are, what your goals are, and your effort to practice what you’re working on in your daily life. Each person takes a different path. Once you reach your goals, together with your counselor, you’ll decide whether to start the process of saying goodbye or focus on new goals. We promise to support you as long as you need, but no more than necessary.  In some cases, clients prefer to check-in with their therapist as needed or for monthly maintenance sessions.

• Do you accept insurance?

  Yes, we accept insurance.

  We are pleased to inform you that our practice accepts a wide range of insurance plans to ensure accessible mental health services for all individuals seeking support. We understand the importance of affordable and accessible care, and we strive to accommodate your needs to the best of our ability.

  We accept insurance plans from major providers, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Cigna, Oxford, United Healthcare, and Oscar Health. If you are unsure whether your insurance plan is accepted, please feel free to contact our office, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you in verifying your coverage.

• Do you have a cancellation policy?

  Yes.  We ask for a minimum of 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel a session.  A cancellation fee will be charged to the credit card on file if you fail to attend a scheduled session or give less than 24 hours’ notice of cancellation.

• What do I do if I feel like I am in crisis and need to speak with someone right away?

  If you are experiencing a crisis, please call the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by dialing 2-1-1 from your phone. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911. Please also check out our resource guide, which can be found on our home page, for a comprehensive list of services and support available.

• How do I know if I am experiencing a mental health crisis?

  What constitutes a crisis will vary for everyone; however, in a crisis, individuals usually experience acute distress that is impairing their ability to function. Examples of a mental health crisis include:

  • Feeling like you may seriously harm yourself or another person
  • Death of a loved one
  • Physical or sexual assault, stalking, relationship violence
  • Hearing voices
  • Not being able to function due to extreme psychological distress
  • Experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event
• Does Restoration Wellness LLC have in-person services?

  At this time, Restoration Wellness, LLC is offering virtual services exclusively.