Check out common FAQ’s. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us via phone, text, email, or by filling out the contact form on our website. We will respond to your inquiry within 48 hours of submission.
Had a negative therapy experience in the past?
On the fence about starting therapy?
Try out WEC! I am confident that after just one session with one of our counselors, you will already feel motivated + hopeful that you can improve your quality of life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you’re unsure or to share your concerns. We are happy to offer guidance, information, or support as you decide if you’re ready to start your healing journey.
We would love the opportunity to address your concerns and reassure you that you can do this! There are so many ways to contact us (email, text, phone, social media, contact form on our website), so choose whichever you feel most comfortable with and reach out today!
Why going to therapy does not mean you're weak or flawed.
Therapy is like a cardio workout for your brain! Just as we have our physical health, our emotional +mental health are just as important, and are interconnected with our physical health. It takes emotional strength, courage, willingness, authenticity, honesty, introspection, and open-mindedness to participate in therapy!
Therapy provides you a safe, non-judgmental, unbiased space to talk about literally whatever you want. While you may have friends or family who support you, their emotional attachment to you creates a bias. Their feedback is often based off their emotional attachment to you and what they would like to see for you. The hardest part about therapy is the reality that you will outgrow people in your life as you start making progress and changes in your life.
Help us in breaking this stigma! Therapy doesn’t mean you have a problem, diagnosis, or illness, or that you’re “crazy”! People in therapy often have more insight than those who don’t participate in therapy, and this insight will help you become more successful in your life.
WEC's view on "diagnoses / disorders"
Diagnoses are a symptom of something greater, not the problem itself. For example, you can learn to cope with anxiety, but unless you explore, identify, + resolve what’s causing anxiety in your life, it will continue to manifest in other ways.
Women Empowerment Counseling provides holistic care in our therapeutic approach. This includes decreasing the need to diagnose. It’s our approach to learn about who you are as an individual, human-being, in life, and rule out potential contributing factors that can easily look like a mental health diagnosis. Most “diagnoses” have a root cause, and our goal at WEC is to help you explore and identify those root causes and resolve them.
The truth is diagnoses don’t actually help you! For example, if you’re presenting with anxiety in a session, the anxiety will be addressed regardless of the specific “anxiety disorder”.
Diagnoses can also be misleading and cause people to become self-defeating. Our goal at WEC is to empower you to overcome your challenges, allow you to become the best version of yourself, and find complete wellness + happiness in your life.
No Labels Needed!
How our own struggles made us better therapists.
We all have a past! At WEC, we believe that we are SURVIVORS rather than victims. Our own unique challenges and barriers that we have overcome is what led us to become counselors. We want to empower you to overcome whatever challenge you may be facing because we know that you can with the right support, guidance, knowledge, and learned insight through the therapeutic process. We are not a “one-size-fits-all” approach!
Let’s Get Well Together!
What to expect in your first session.
Our first session is called an Initial Assessment, which just means we learn about who you are as a whole person by exploring different areas of your life– past, present, and future goals. This may sound intimidating, but we make the process comfortable and easy by allowing you to fill out the majority of that information on your intake form in your Client Portal before the session. Your counselor will review your intake questionnaire prior to your first session, then use that information to guide the initial conversation, explore areas further (if needed), and focus on your goals for therapy. You can learn more about our Initial Assessment by watching a brief video below.
You are in control of your therapy process. Whatever you’re ready to share is where we’ll start. We do not pressure, or pry into your life in any way. You are the expert on your life; we are just the guide on your journey.
What is an initial assessment? Is it a free consultation?
The initial assessment is completed during your first appointment. It is not a free consultation; it is a necessary assessment to determine treatment recommendations and to create the best treatment plan for you. Watch our short video to learn more about what to expect during the initial assessment.
I want to use my insurance, but WEC doesn't accept it. What do I do?
Check with your insurance provider to determine if you have Out-of-Network (OON) benefits. If you do, Women Empowerment Counseling will provide you with a super bill that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. This means you pay Women Empowerment Counseling & then your insurance provider will reimburse you according to your individual benefits.
We also accept HSA & FSA cards as form of payment, so check to see if you have that benefit through your employer as well.
You also have the option not to use your insurance benefits & self-pay for our services. We offer package rate options, too. Check out the benefits of being a private pay client here.
Keep checking back for updates on our Rates & Packages!
How do I know if I need Individual Counseling or Recovery Life Coaching?
Recovery Life Coaching is for the individual who is free from substances and needs support in making lifestyle changes and following through with daily actions to maintain their sobriety.
Individual Counseling is for the individual who believes they may display early signs of addiction or is currently sober but realizes she may have unresolved issues that could result in the use the substances to cope or self-medicate, thus resulting in repeated relapses.
For example, individual counseling may be needed to process unresolved trauma or grief, or to manage depressive symptoms. Recovery Life Coaching provides mentoring and support to maintain sobriety and cope with present day life stressors.
Please note, if you or your loved are actively using, weekly individual counseling is not the recommended level of care or treatment. Depending on the substance used, amount, and frequency of the substance use, medical intervention/detox and or Residential/PHP/Outpatient treatment may be needed. You can refer to 211 for substance use treatment resources.
How do I know if I or my loved one needs substance use counseling?
Substance Use Counseling is for the individual who believes they display early signs of addiction or is currently sober but realizes she may have unresolved issues that result in the use the substances to cope or self-medicate, thus resulting in repeated relapses.
For example, individual counseling may be needed to process unresolved trauma or grief, or to manage depressive symptoms.
More often than not, substance use starts with experimental use of alcohol/drugs in social situations. And for some people, the use becomes more frequent. As time passes, a person may feel the need to use more of a substance to get their desired effect, and over time the individual becomes physically, and emotionally, dependent on it resulting in daily use to function in day-to-day life activities.
Common Substance Use/Addiction symptoms and behaviors include, among others:
Feeling the need to use the drug regularly, which can be daily or multiple times a day
Having intense urges for the drug
Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect
Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities
Doing things you wouldn’t normally do to get the drug, such as stealing
Focusing more and more time and energy on getting and using the drug
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug
Failed attempts to quit using the drug
Please note, if you or your loved are actively using, weekly individual counseling is not the recommended level of care or treatment. Depending on the substance used, amount, and frequency of the substance use, medical intervention/detox and or Residential/PHP/Outpatient treatment may be needed. You can refer to 211 for substance use treatment resources.