Who can benefit from counseling?

Most people, whether their problems are big or small, can find benefit from participating in counseling.

What is counseling?

Counseling-or psychotherapy-is a professional relationship with a therapist to help you with personal problems. The counseling relationship differs from both social friendships and traditional patient-doctor relationships. Rather than giving you specific advice, counselors serve as skilled listeners who help you clarify issues, discover wishes and explore feelings, which can help you deal more effectively with your problems.

Isn't it better for me to solve problems on my own?

A counselor doesn't solve your problems for you. Rather, he or she helps you clarify issues so you can solve problems on your own. The goal of counseling is to make you more self-sufficient, not more dependent.

How does counseling help?

Counseling offers us the opportunity to identify the factors that contribute to difficulties and to deal effectively with the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and situational causes of those difficulties. Some of the most common issues for which people come to counseling include:

Individual Therapy Group Therapy Marriage / Couples Counseling Family Therapy Parenting Issues Types of Issues Childhood Issues ADHD Sibling Rivalry Adolescent Problems Substance Abuse (youth and adult)

Parenting Skills Family Conflict Resolution Communication Issues Marital Conflict Resolution Divorce Anxiety Depression Bi-Polar Stress Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Christian Counseling

What are some myths about counseling?

Counseling is a sign of weakness: Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes courage to acknowledge a problem or difficulty. Entering counseling is an important first step in resolving the problem.

Counseling is only for people with serious emotional problems: Although counseling can be beneficial for people who do have serious emotional problems, it is also helpful for people with everyday concerns such as adjustment or phase of life issues.

Counseling is advice giving: By the time many people come to counseling, they have had more advice than they can handle. Counseling operates from the premise that the counselor is knowledgeable about the change process, but that you are the expert on your life. In some ways counseling is like working with a coach. You do the work, but by working with someone who has training and experience with facilitating positive change, you are likely to work more effectively and see results more quickly.

Counseling is a last resort: Most of us do not think that we have to experience a heart attack before we can see a doctor; it is OK to go if we merely have a sprained ankle. The same applies to counseling - you don't have to have the emotional equivalent of a heart attack to see a counselor. By working with a counselor you can often get back on track much faster and save yourself a lot of unnecessary distress.

Counseling is not confidential: Mental health professionals must maintain confidentiality except as authorized or required by law. Exceptions to confidentiality include: situations wherein you are a physical threat to someone else or yourself; there is suspected harm being done to a child, elder adult, or disabled individual; a judge provides a court order requiring that we release your records. You will, of course, be notified if your counselor is required to share information in any of these instances. Please feel free to ask your counselor about confidentiality laws.

What is different about the counseling at Restoration?

Counseling at Restoration utilizes an integrative approach. An integrative approach unites the rich history of Christian theology with contemporary theoretical research. This approach is based on the authority of Scripture and utilizes contemporary psychological studies and evidence-based practices in order to identify and modify emotions, cognitions, behaviors and relational patterns. This reciprocal interaction between theology and theory allows clinicians at Restoration to combine God’s revelation with contemporary scientific research.

Must I be a Christian to attend counseling at Restoration?

We recognize the fact that not everyone holds our same worldview. As clinicians, we do not wish for our worldview to be an obstacle when counseling. We are fortunate to be able to work successfully with patients or many philosophical perspectives and worldviews.

How do I schedule an appointment with a clinician at Restoration?

To schedule an appointment at Restoration, identify the issue you would like to address during counseling and call the clinician who you think might address most sufficiently.
Kara Burr, MA, LPC-Intern
Michelle Groff, MA, LPC-Intern
Lee Long, MA, LPCs
Geoff Weckel, PsyD, LPCs

What should I do to prepare for my first counseling appointment?

Those who are attending counseling are encouraged to write down the things that are contributing the current issue and consider the goal of counseling.

How long does counseling last?

This question is difficult to answer. There are a variety of different reasons why people seek counseling. Depending on the reason, counseling can last from a couple of weeks to several months.

How can I get the most out of counseling?

Have a goal in mind, ask your counselor questions, and follow through with recommendations.

Does Restoration take insurance?

Restoration does not accept insurance. If requested, Restoration can provide the necessary paperwork for patients wishing to request insurance reimbursement. If considering to ask your insurance company for counseling reimbursement, Restoration encourages you to ask your insurance provider if they reimburse out of network behavioral health services.

What is play therapy?

Cognitive abilities are not fully developed within children. Therefore, play therapy enables children to express their thoughts and feelings in a more natural way.  While adults are more accustomed to verbalizing their thoughts and feelings in counseling, children instead communicate in a way they are most comfortable, through their toys and other structured play activities. Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines play therapy as "the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help patients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development." 

Play therapy is beneficial for any child going through difficult adjustments, such as the divorce of their parents, low self-esteem, difficulties making friends, or demonstrating poor social skills. Other children who may benefit from play therapy are those who have abuse or neglect in their past, demonstrate signs of anxiety or depression, and isolate themselves from others. Play therapy provides a safe, exploratory environment for children to listen and respond to their own needs and learn to have relationships with others.

What are Psychological Assessments?

Psychological assessments use standardized measurements, behavioral observation, personal report, and other information to evaluate an individual’s well being. The purpose of an assessment is to provide an objective evaluation of an individual’s symptoms and clarify their presenting struggles.

How can Psychological Assessments help?

The information obtained from a psychological assessment provides diagnostic clarification, insight into behavior, and suggestions for treatment. Often schools, physicians, and counselors request a psychological assessment in order to gain a better understanding of a particular problem and obtain treatment recommendations.

Studies have shown that psychological assessments can reduce medical costs, improve patient satisfaction, improve treatment outcomes, and improve students’ academic performance (Pennington, 2009; Vogal, Kirkpatrick, & Fimiani, 2010). In addition, research suggests those who do not suffer from significant psychological problems can still benefit from a psychological assessment because they gain a greater understanding of their behaviors and improve awareness of themselves (Poston & Hanson, 2010).

Does a Psychological Assessment mean that I need to be hospitalized?

The main purposes of psychological assessments are to clarify psychological problems and provide treatment recommendations. Hospitalization will only be recommended for those who are experiencing severe psychotic symptoms, imminent suicidal/homicidal ideations, and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol or drug use.

What you can expect from a Psychological Assessment?

Typically, a prescreening interview begins the assessment process. During the 45-minute interview, a conversation between the patient and the clinician occurs. The aim of this conversation is to discuss the purpose of the assessment and identify the methods to be used during the assessment. At the end of the prescreening interview the goals of the assessment are defined and an appointment is made for the actual psychological assessment.

The psychological assessments can take from a couple of hours to a couple of days. The assessment begins with a clinical interview. During the clinical interview the clinician gathers biographical information concerning one’s family, education, career, and medical history. After the clinical interview, the clinician administers standardized tests. These measurements are used to gather information concerning cognitive functioning, emotional state, and/or personality traits. After completing the measurements, a 45-minute feedback session is scheduled for a later date (typically two weeks after the assessment). At the feedback session, the patient is given verbal and written feedback on the clinician’s findings. The feedback provides a detailed account of the findings and treatment recommendations.

All communication is confidential and your permission is necessary to release any information to outside persons except for the limitations required by the laws of the state of Texas. Exceptions to confidentiality may include (a) reasonable suspicion of incidents of child abuse or neglect, (b) incidents of elder abuse, (c) a determination that you are a danger to yourself or others, (d) collaborating with associates within this counseling group, (e) a request from you in writing, directing the counselor to give a specified individual or agency information, (f) the counselor is ordered by a court to disclose information or (g) in the event that your counselor is out of town and or otherwise unavailable and another professional is providing emergency care for his/her clients, then it is understood that this professional may need access to client files.