Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Accept Insurance?
We do not currently accept insurance payments.
Here’s Why: We believe people are complex and managed care often cannot accurately outline the nuances of each human by using diagnostic labels and prescribing treatment objectives. We would rather work together to give you the help you find best, including number of sessions and treatment objectives, as well as freedom from potentially harmful diagnoses. We enjoy spending more time directly assisting you by focusing on your case rather than providing justification to managed care for the treatment you are receiving. Our rates are competitive with many insurance copays and many of clients find relief in knowing their confidential information is not shared with a third party or recorded as a part of a permanent health record.
Do you offer virtual sessions?
We do not currently offer virtual sessions.
Here’s Why: We appreciate the advancements that allow for those in need to be able to access counseling virtually. Our practice is specifically designed to offer you a space to come work in person. We believe that we are most effective when we work face to face, and when our clients are allowing themselves the time to invest in their lives by coming to our space. We have also invested in our space to make it comfortable and therapeutic for you, including our fantastic views of the Chattanooga area. So while we would love to offer virtual sessions, we do not.
What Can I Expect in Counseling?
All clients can expect to be welcomed into a safe and confidential environment. In our initial meeting, you can expect us to review your rights as a client as well as how we work as counselors. Afterwards, we will ask you several questions, allowing us to further understand your presenting problem. Once we think have enough information, we will give you a small portion of feedback on what we hear, which will provide us the opportunity to formulate goals to pursue together in our relationship. As we move forward, meeting weekly or bi-monthly initially, you can expect to get more perspective on your current problem through the lens of your past, getting you oriented properly to your unique situation.
How Long Does Counseling Last?
Counseling sessions are typically 50 minutes per session unless circumstances for additional time are needed and planned in advance. The term of counseling varies from person to person, situation to situation. Some situations can call for as few as 6 to 12 sessions, and others may pursue counseling for an extended period of time to handle more in-depth issues.
What Does Counseling Cost?
Fees vary based upon the household income of each client. While many counselors would love to give our work away because we love helping people so much, we thankfully have good people that remind us that we have engaged in a great degree of training to become experts in our fields, not simply advice givers. Therefore, your fee assists with overhead costs and for time spent outside of the counseling session managing your case. Additionally, we encourage clients to see a fee as an investment in themselves that will hopefully provide them the life they truly desire. Fees for licensed counselors are set at a standard rate of $125 per session. Residents at Scout work of a sliding scale, which varies from $60 to $125 per session. You can read more here about our fees.
What Hours Are you Available?
Our office hours can be found here. We see clients currently on Monday-Friday, though availability does vary from clinician to clinician. We do limit our appointment openings to focus our energy and efforts towards clients who are ready to engage the change process. We also pride ourselves on creating space for new clients and seeking to always have openings to get you in for an initial session quickly to start your work towards change! We work to return all inquiries within a 48 hour window with the exception of the weekend.
How does Scout approach working with siblings and family therapy?
Our clinicians can discuss with you, the caregiver, to help determine what beginning point might be most helpful. We value the therapeutic relationship, and especially with children this is vital. For that reason, our clinicians will not work with more than one child (such as a sibling) while one child is receiving play therapy support. As for family therapy, depending on the needs of the family, sometimes child play therapy is extended to involving a caregiver. You can contact us if you are interested in learning more.
Do You Only See Christians?
No. We see clients from various faith perspectives and worldviews, however, we do want to be forthright in saying that our primary worldview is consistent that of Christianity.