Now Offering: Telehealth Video Sessions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?

So glad you asked! We understand that seeking help takes courage, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you. You can call us at (425) 269-3277 or email us to get started.

What happens once I call?

When you call, Carolyn or Mercedes, our front office administrative assistants will be happy to assist you!

Carolyn and Mercedes are available to assist you between 8 AM and 5 PM Monday through Friday.  If you do call after these hours, please leave us a message and your call will be returned the next business day.

Please know that there may be times we are on the other line assisting another patient.  In this case, you will be prompted with options to leave a confidential message on our main line.  If you have any general questions, or if you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists, please leave us a message on the main line and your call will be returned.

We understand that it can be frustrating when you are ready to get started and you aren’t able to reach someone.  Please know that your call is very important to us.  We do check our messages throughout the day, and we will return your call shortly! 

 How long do I have to wait for an initial counseling session?

We do our best to get you in for an appointment as soon as possible, and can often get you in within a week or so.  In the case where a provider does have a longer wait, you will have the opportunity to decide if you’d like to be placed on that providers wait list, or if there is another provider available to meet your more immediate needs.  We invite you to call or email us, so we can discuss how soon an appointment will be available.

What are your hours?

Centered Mind Counseling Services hours our by appointment only 6 days a week:

Monday through Friday 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Saturdays 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Are my counseling sessions confidential?

Yes. Your confidentiality is of paramount importance to us.  All information given by a client in an individual session with a counselor is confidential and cannot be revealed to any person or agency without a client’s written release.

There are certain situations in which health care professionals including counselors are required by law to reveal information to others without the client’s permission.  These situations are:

• If a client intends grave bodily harm to another person;
• If a client intends grave bodily harm to him/herself;
• If a court of law issues a court order to reveal information or if a subpoena is received from anyone authorized to issue subpoenas;
• If a situation of child abuse or abuse of a dependent adult is revealed;
• If a release of information is provided to report results of evaluations, client attendance or progress, or other pertinent treatment considerations.
• There are certain other situations where information release is permitted.  Please feel free to discuss these with us.

How often should I attend therapy sessions?

The best outcomes for therapy are possible when counseling appointments are scheduled and attended regularly. Together we determine how often you will attend, based on your needs, which may be weekly, every other week or monthly.  In our experience, the clients that have the most positive outcomes from therapy attend weekly sessions initially.

Over time, you’ll start noticing that you feel better and you’ll start to incorporate the work you are doing in our counseling sessions into who you are outside of our sessions.  At this time depending on your needs and goals, we may discuss a plan to meet less often.

Once you feel that you have achieved the goals you have set for yourself, and are ready to wind down with counseling, we can discuss whether you may benefit from a three-month check-in to ensure that you are maintaining long-term change, and continuing to maintain your progress outside of counseling.  In our experience, this check-in is a great opportunity to reflect on how things are going, and catch any old patterns that may have re-emerged since your last session.  This can be an important tool for assisting in the maintenance of long-term and lasting change!

What if I’m unsure if you can help me?

This is a common question.  One of the benefits of having several providers in our office, is that between us we have a wide range of experiences and specialty areas.  If you’re unsure, call us at (425) 269-3277 or email us.  If after we talk we don’t feel that one of our providers is able to meet your particular need, we are well connected to resources in the community and would be happy to refer you to someone who may be better suited to you and your particular issue.

What happens during the first session?

In the first appointment, you will have an opportunity to meet your provider, and ask any questions you may have about the counseling process (e.g., confidentiality, appointment scheduling, cancellations, etc.)  We will then talk in more detail about what brings you in.  We may ask you questions in order to help us to better understand you and your concerns.  We will also talk about what your goals are for counseling.  At the end of the appointment we will discuss a plan, and any additional recommendations we may have.  If we determine ongoing sessions may be beneficial, we will schedule your next appointment before you go.

What kinds of issues, problems or concerns can you help with?

Check out who we help here.

What is the cost of a therapy session?

We will be able to discuss fees with you when you contact us to schedule an initial appointment; or during your free 10 minute phone consultation.

What if I can’t make my counseling appointment or if I need to cancel?

Since scheduling of a counseling appointment involves the reservation of a time specifically for you, a minimum of 48 hours notice is required for rescheduling or cancelling an appointment. Unless we reach a different agreement, a fee will be charged for sessions missed without such notification. Of course, we will be happy to reschedule your appointment when you provide more than 48 hours notice.

Do you accept health insurance?

Yes!  We are preferred providers for several health insurance plans.  Click here to see which insurance plans we are in-network with.

What if you are not a contracted provider with my health insurance company?  Can I still see you?

Our providers do accept out-of-network benefits as long as your plan allows for out-of-network benefits.  Please contact your insurance company directly to find out if your plan allows for out-of-network visits, and if so, what those out-of-network benefits are.  Oftentimes, you may have coverage, but at a higher out-of-pocket rate.

The full fee for services are due at the time of your appointment for out-of-network benefits.  As a courtesy, we will bill your insurance company for the cost of services.  Any amount your insurance company covers they will reimburse directly to you.

How will I know if you are the right counselor for me?

To start with, we suggest you visit the Our Team page as well as the Our Approach page, so that you can get a good sense of each of our providers.

Secondly, we offer a free, 10-minute phone consultation where we’ll ask you to give a brief description of the issues you would like to address in counseling and we’ll let you know how we may be able to help you. We find that people can get a good sense of their counselor on this call.

We’ll tell you when we’re available, and discuss any initial questions you may have. If it feels like a good fit for both of us, we’ll set up your first counseling appointment. If we don’t feel that our area of specialty is the best fit for your particular need, we are well connected to resources and would be happy to refer you to someone who may be better suited to your needs.

What if I have more questions?

No problem. Just call for a free 10-minute phone consultation at (425)269-3277 or email us and we will be happy to discuss any further questions you may have.

Why wait? Contact Us to book a counseling session in our Issaquah or Sammamish therapy offices or via telehealth. OR call us to set up a FREE 10 minute phone consultation.

Together we can determine how our therapy services can help you!