Questions about Couples Counseling or Individual Counseling in general – or our services in particular? We can probably answer them right here…
Please feel free to Contact Us or call us at (573) 803-1246 or (636) 333-2641 if you have additional questions or need to schedule Marriage and Couples counseling or Individual Counseling services.
Yes, Heartland Counseling Center accepts Medicaid (Mo HealthNet). We also accept the Medicaid HMO’s Home State Health and United Healthcare Community Plan. We do not accept Healthy Blue.
Yes, we accept Medicare. Please inform the office when scheduling if you have an Advantage plan. We are not participating with all Medicare Advantage plans.
Heartland Counseling Center has Counselors who are participating providers with the following insurance companies:
*If your insurance company is not listed above, we may still be able to provide Counseling Services as an Out-of-Network provider. Many insurance companies will cover Out-of-Network providers, so please check with your insurance company or call our Office Manager for assistance in verifying these benefits. While we do bill these and other Out-of-Network insurance companies, you will be responsible for all co-pays and/or deductibles at the time of service. Please notify our Office Manager of your insurance when scheduling an appointment to be sure you are scheduled with an approved provider.
Yes, all Counselors at Heartland Counseling Center offer Self-Pay options to clients without Medicare (Missouri) or Private Insurance coverage. Our Office Manager will be happy to discuss Self-Pay options on our very affordable private pay scale when you call to schedule an appointment.
Heartland Counseling Center currently accepts cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, and Discover as forms of payment.
Heartland Counseling Center has a professional, working relationship with many local Primary Care Physicians. While we appreciate and welcome referrals from these health care providers, we DO NOT require a referral to schedule an appointment. Individuals may simply call our office to schedule an appointment with any of our counselors.
We advise that all new clients complete initial paperwork online. After booking your first appointment, these forms will be emailed to you. If you are using insurance, upload a picture of your insurance card (front and back, please!) when completing the forms online. Private Insurance and Self-Pay clients should also bring the appropriate payment for the session. During the initial appointment, the counselor will meet with you to gather background information and discuss treatment needs.
Yes. Everything you say in counseling sessions is private and confidential. We do not release any information without written consent from you. There are some rare occasions when the safety of a client or another person is at risk that we can disclose confidential information without your permission. These situations are included in our Privacy Notice and you can always ask your counselor for further clarification in the first session if you wish.
We will not disclose any information about our counseling sessions, including attendance, without your written permission. There are some exceptions to confidentiality, such as when your safety or the safety of others is in danger. These are covered in our Privacy Notice and feel free to ask your counselor for clarification at your first appointment if you wish.
We’ll start with talking about what brings you to see a counselor. If you’re uncomfortable disclosing specific details, then tell us so. Counseling is a relationship. The safer you feel in our counseling sessions, the more comfortable you will be with opening up. Our counselors take a directive role in counseling sessions. We will work with you to give you skills and strategies to solve the problems that bring you to counseling. So don’t feel like you have to talk for the entire hour. We’ll do some talking too!
Our counselors are trained, licensed mental health professionals. We are trained to help you identify and resolve the problems that bring you to counseling. We understand that many people are anxious when starting counseling. Our role is to provide a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental environment for you to explore your problems and work towards solutions.
Counseling sessions are 45-60 minutes.
Generally, sessions are scheduled once a week. As you make progress and begin meeting your goals, we will space your sessions out farther apart to ensure you are maintaining your progress.
No, since Heartland Counseling Center is a Private Practice, we are happy to see clients from any area. We have offices in Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Arnold, and Fenton, MO.
We ask that you give 24 hour notice for all cancellations. We do not guarantee that your original time slot will be available for rescheduling. We understand that emergencies happen and sometimes you will be unable to give 24 hour notice. However, we reserve the right to terminate treatment due to repeated cancellations.
Marriage and Couples Counseling can help with:
Whenever applicable, we use Evidence-Based Treatments (EBT) for Marriage and Couples Counseling:
The couples counseling we offer takes place in person. Currently we do not provide Marriage and Couples counseling via Skype, video conferencing, email or chat.
Our Marriage Counselors take a directive role in marriage counseling sessions. We’re not here just to listen or referee your arguments. We will listen first. Then we will provide direction and teach you practical skills to improve your communication and conflict-resolution skills. Our goal is that you will leave marriage counseling with the skills you need to face your future together and have the deep, rewarding relationship with your partner that you both deserve.
In the first session, our goal is to understand what brings you to marriage counseling, to get an understanding of your family history, and to help you decide what goals you want to set for our counseling sessions.
No problem! Come yourself for the first session. In the first Marriage Counseling session, we will talk about your relationship problems and discuss options for counseling with your partner. We will discuss with you the benefits of marriage and couples counseling so that you are prepared with more information for your partner. Often we see that if one partner takes the first step, then the other will join sessions at a later time. Sometimes taking the first step is exactly what your partner needs to see to show that you are serious about fixing your relationship problems.
If your partner still refuses to come to counseling, you can still change the dynamics of your relationship by simply making changes in the way you respond and react to your partner. In the end, you can bring about changes in your relationship by addressing your own issues. While we would certainly prefer to work with both partners, we can still address many issues that may be damaging your relationship if you choose to attend sessions alone.
It’s never too early for marriage and couples counseling. In fact, most often people come to counseling later than they should. Relationships need constant attention in order to remain healthy. We love working with couples to help strengthen their relationships. Perhaps you need better communication skills or help working through some unresolved issues. Financial stress is another common contributor to relationship problems that we can help you and your partner overcome. We love working with couples who are “ok” and helping them become “great”!
More frequently people come to marriage counseling just prior to divorce. We can help you work through your problems if both parties are willing to put in the work to make changes. Marriage counseling for those on the brink of a divorce takes more time. It likely took you months or even years to get to this point in your relationship. Often there are deep-rooted problems that need to be resolved. We can help you work through those problems and teach you skills to resolve the conflicts that got you to the point you are at today.
No. Marriage and Couples counseling is not about taking sides. Who is “right” or “wrong” rarely matters in the big picture of your relationship. Our focus will be on helping you build better communication skills and better conflict-resolution skills so that the two of you can navigate future problems in a healthier way.
Yes, it is worth it. A couples counselor can bring an outside, objective perspective to your relationship. Very frequently each partner has their own view of the relationship problems and the truth may lie somewhere in between. Couples Counseling will focus on repairing the relationship and helping you and your partner strengthen communication skills. Couples Counselors will not blame or point fingers at either partner. Blaming one partner or the other only deepens the damage that’s already occurred in the relationship.
Individual Counseling can help with:
Whenever applicable, we use Evidence-Based Treatments (EBT) for Individual Counseling:
The individual counseling we offer takes place in person. Currently we do not provide individual counseling via Skype, video conferencing, email or chat.
In the first session, our goal is to understand what brings you to counseling, to get an understanding of your family history, and to help you decide what goals you want to set for your counseling sessions.