Counseling FAQs

What kinds of counseling do you offer?

We offer clinical mental health counseling for individuals, couples, and families. During the pandemic, we moved to 100% virtual sessions. Our offices will open up for tradition in-person sessions when we can do so safely. Until then, we are using a HIPAA-secure video platform for counseling services. We also offer Equine Assisted Mental Health Counseling in Granby, Connecticut. Because this work can be done in outdoor space, we are providing this service with limited availability.

How do I make an appointment?

You can schedule your own appointment on line or you can call our office for assistance. Please visit the Counselor Profiles page to see our available therapists.  Our on-line scheduling platform allows you to see when your counselor-of-choice is available.  After you’ve made your appointment request, you will receive a link to complete your paperwork prior to your appointment time. We regret that we are unable to accommodate walk-in appointments and cannot guarantee same-day appointments.

I’ve never gone to counseling before. What can I expect?

For counseling to be fruitful, you and your counselor must establish trust. It may take a few sessions for your counselor to get to know you before moving into actual therapy.

In the early stages, you can expect your counselor to ask many questions. Your counselor will work with you to define the presenting problem you’re seeking help with, discuss your goals for counseling and determine next steps.

Because counseling is dynamic and interactive, you should feel free to ask questions to help you connect with your counselor as you progress through the counseling experience together.

Where are you located?

We have licensed counselors in Illinois, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Our video portal allows counseling to occur in any of those four states.

Do you have sessions in the evenings or on weekends?

Some of our counselors are available for evening and weekend appointments. See the Counselor Profiles pages to find out who is available when you are!

How many sessions do I need?

Because each case is different, your counselor will ascertain your needs and discuss a treatment plan with you.

What if I need to cancel or reschedule my session?

You must notify your counselor 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time to cancel or reschedule. Otherwise, you will be responsible for the full fee.

What if I am running late to my session?

Our practice platform will allow you to send messages to our office to let us know if you’re ever running late.

Do you have a psychiatrist at North Shore Counseling?

We have a network of psychiatric referrals and we will work with your psychiatrist to coordinate care. It is our policy to recommend current, active clients only to psychiatrists, and not to make referrals to the general public.

What are your fees?

Our contract has our rates listed. If you are paying with insurance, your insurance company will likely set the acceptable rate, and you will only be responsible for copays and deductibles.

Do you take any health insurance?

We are in-network providers for many insurance companies. Call the office and we will help you determine your coverage.

Do you accept credit cards?

We accept all major credit cards. Payment is due at each session for “Self Pay” clients, and for “Insurance Clients,” we will keep your card on file to charge copays and deductible payments. We also accept cash and checks made payable to “North Shore Counseling.”

We are getting married and our church is requiring us to get pre-marriage counseling. Can you provide us with that?

We have trained Prepare/Enrich facilitators on staff. Prepare/Enrich is an assessment tool and subsequent counseling process that many churches will accept as pre marriage counseling. Pre-marital couples take Prepare/Enrich online and generally work through the results with a counselor in 3-4 follow up sessions. The cost of this program is usually $400-$500. Check with your church to make sure this program will be acceptable.