Frequently Asked

We encourage you to review each therapist’s biography on our website, as well as reach out to our friendly front office staff. They will help match you with a therapist that best fits your needs.

Our office is in the Pettigru Historic District in downtown Greenville, near the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Before 6pm during the weekday, feel free to park in the front of building on Pettigru Street. After 6pm or on Saturdays, we ask for you to please park behind the building, which you can access from Toy Street or Boyce Street.

Insurance card and any other information that you feel may be relevant for the counselor (i.e. list of medications, past psychological evaluations and/or testing, etc.)

If you walk in the front door, please go to the far back of the building and you will see the receptionist on the left. If you enter from the back lot, you will enter directly into our lobby area. Let the front desk staff know you’re there for a first-time appointment, and they will help get you checked in and notify your therapist.

No. You may call anytime and make an appointment without a referral.

Yes, but once the client is 18 years old or older, they must call to make their own appointment and provide the necessary information. We cannot make an appointment for anyone 18 or older without their consent.

We would advise talking openly to your child ahead of time to let them know what your concerns may be and why you may be setting up an appointment for them. This will also allow them time to process the visit and not be surprised when they come to their first appointment. If they are still resistant, you may want to encourage them to try 2-3 sessions with the therapist to ask questions and get a better idea of how they feel about the process. Our therapists will also be happy to meet with you regarding your child’s resistance and make recommendations on how you can best help meet their needs.

No, we currently do not have any psychiatrists on staff that can prescribe medications. We refer our clients to local psychiatrists and collaborate with them to help meet our client’s needs.

Each title represents a type of license that a clinician holds that allows them to be able to practice therapy in their respective state. Each clinician holding a title has gone through an academic program with specific standardized criteria as well as passed a certain number of exams through their state licensing board. A Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) often focuses on the individual and their overall development. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) focuses on behaviors in relation to the client’s social and relational situations. A Licensed Independent Social Worker may focus their counseling on inner and external resources for a person to develop strategies to help them cope with their presenting problems. All, however, may use a combination of different techniques and strategies in order to better serve the individual clients they work with and to meet their needs.

A psychologist has completed a doctorate degree in psychology and is trained specifically in administering and interpreting psychological testing, counseling techniques, and interventions. A psychiatrist has gone to medical school and is a medical doctor who is licensed by their state board to prescribe medications. They may or may not offer counseling services as part of their practice.

The purpose of the first session is to orient the client to the therapy process, meet the therapist, and build rapport. Questions often asked include those inquiring about reason for wanting treatment and treatment goals as well as a general overview of your personal history.

The client-therapist relationship is the most important element in therapy. We encourage you to discuss any concerns or problems with your therapist. If a referral to another therapist is needed, we can help with that transition.

No. In family therapy, there is one client that therapy is focused on specifically. Family members can participate in treatment through family therapy to help support the client, but the focus is on the client specifically. In marital therapy, the relationship between the two partners is the focus, so both partners are clients and both would have to complete separate intake paperwork.

Sessions are a collaboration between the client, family, and the therapist addressing the presenting issues of the client or family system. Depending on the therapist and the family needs, some sessions will be the client only, some with the parents only, and some with all family members. Your therapist will guide your through this process.

In order to facilitate treatment and build trust between the client and therapist, what is discussed in session in kept confidential, unless there is a safety concern (suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, sexual/physical abuse of a child, or other additional behavior that may be harmful to the client). Parents are still involved in the treatment and your child’s counselor will notify you of any safety concerns.

Usually together, but there may be times the clinician requests to meet with you both separately. This will depend on the client’s needs and the therapist’s recommendations.

We do not release any information about you without a signed release that gives the therapist permission to talk to someone of client’s choosing. Once you sign a release of information, we will be happy to talk with whomever you choose in order to coordinate your treatment and therapy goals.

Yes. We encourage you to communicate this with your therapist, but you can request to end therapy at any time. When you are ready to come back to therapy, just call the front office and tell them you were a previous client that now wants to restart sessions with your therapist again.

Just call our office and speak with one of our friendly front desk staff and they will help you get the process started. They will ask you a few questions to help determine which therapist would be the best fit for your needs. They will then send you a link to your email to our secure online portal in order for you to fill out demographics information and sign our intake forms. Once you have completed these forms, please follow up with our front office staff once again to get set up with an appointment with a therapist.

Most insurance companies cover most (if not all) mental health services. Once you have completed a phone intake and provide us with your insurance information, we can contact your insurance company to find out what your copay would be. You can also call the phone number on the back and ask about “mental health benefits” prior to making the appointment to find out what your copay will be and whether certain services are covered.

Our office accepts most insurance providers, except Medicaid and Medicare. Each therapist has their own individual contracts with certain insurance companies, so talking to our front staff can help set you up with a therapist on your insurance panel.

Yes. If the therapist you want to see does not accept your insurance, you are still able to see them, but you will have to pay the self-pay amount. You are then able to self-file with your insurance company, by completing a reimbursement form from your insurance company. Many times, you have access to out-of-network benefits that will reimburse you for part of the session costs. Our front office staff can help show you how to do this simple process.

Sometimes through your employer, you may have Employee Assistance Program (EAP) sessions. These are a limited number of sessions that are free for the client and are paid by your employer. Once the sessions are used up, you may choose to end therapy at that time, or continue using your regular health benefits. In order to access these benefits, you would have to contact your employer to find out if these are available to you.