Frequently asked questions about counseling:

1. What is a sliding fee scale?: It is the affordable way to determine what your fee will be. It is based on household income. Many people prefer to not use their insurance, because of confidentiality reasons, or they don’t have insurance. Marriage counseling is not covered under insurance. Therefore, instead of a flat rate, that is often unaffordable, the sliding fee scale makes counseling affordable. Call for further details.

2. How long is each session? Each session is one hour long. If the session goes over an hour, the fee is prorated accordingly. That is, if your fee is $50 and you go for an hour and a half, the fee would then be $75.

3. How often should you come? For the best results, it is recommended that you come to counseling weekly, especially if you are in marriage or couples counseling. However, sometimes for financial reasons, a person can only come bi-weekly and that is acceptable, too.

4. What about confidentiality? Confidentiality is preserved at all times. What is said in the office stays in the office. However, by law, there are three reasons confidentiality will be breeched, and they are: 1) you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else; 2) there is evidence of child abuse; and 3) a court of law subpoenas the records.

5. How do I know counseling is helping? We ask you to commit to 4 sessions of counseling. If after 4 sessions of counseling, you are still not comfortable with the counselor, or you see no change, then maybe this particular counselor is not a match for you and you can ask for a referral. Remember, the counselor cannot do 100% of the work. Counseling is a partnership where counselor and client work hand-in-hand to solve an issue. All good counseling sets up goals to be obtained during counseling. It is your progress towards resolving these goals that determines whether counseling is working or not.

6. I am court ordered. Do you provide the necessary reports to the court? Yes, we do.

7. Do you offer counseling for children? Yes, we offer counseling services for all ages – from adolescents to adults. We even have special programs for children with ADD/ ADHD and Autism. These innovative programs for ADD/ADHD and Autism were pioneered in Michigan and the Metro Detroit area by us. You can visit our Equine Therapy website at http://www.equine-assisted-counseling.com for more information.

8. What if I have a crisis in-between sessions? The counselor is available by cell phone from 7:00 am to 10:00pm. If you leave a voice mail, the counselor will return your call as soon as possible. Crisis calls are welcome and expected.

9. What if I have to cancel a session? It is asked that you cancel 24 hours in advance, but emergencies do arise and the 24 hour rule does not apply. However, if you do NOT call to cancel and are a “no-show”, you will be charged for the full session.

10. How do I know when I am finished with counseling? When you have reached your goals of counseling, and when you feel better. We have an open door policy that if you terminate counseling, you are always welcome back in the future if something else comes up.

11. What if I don’t like my counselor? Be honest with them. Sometimes it is just a matter of a mismatch, and the counselor should be willing to refer you elsewhere. That is one reason we offer the free initial consultation. It gives you a chance to meet with the counselor at no charge to you, and to see if you are going to be comfortable working with them.

12. Where are you located? In the heart of Shelby Township, at 52188 Van Dyke between 23 and 24 Mile Roads in a building called the Devon Center. If you walk in the door, turn left down a long hallway, go right at the end of the hallway, go down the stairs, and we are in Suites 103 & 104.

13. Do you work with children? Yes, we have counselors at Counseling Connection Shelby who specialize in working with children and teens on a variety of issues including ADHD, anger and defiance issues, and self-esteem problems.

14. Do you offer counseling by video chat/Skype? Yes, Counseling Connection Shelby can help accommodate your busy schedule with counseling sessions via Skype or FaceTime. These sessions are perfect for individuals and couples with schedules that may not allow them to attend traditional office sessions regularly, or for clients who may be homebound. Counseling support via text messaging between sessions is also available. Please contact us for details.

15. Further questions? Call Grant Counseling Connection at +1 (586)601-8000.