Please check these FAQs for answers to common questions about counseling and our practice.
What is counseling?
Counseling is a process of self-exploration, development of skills and resolution of difficulties. People seek out counseling for a variety of reasons and concerns. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about your specific concerns.
How long will I be in counseling?
The number of sessions depends on your goals and varies from person to person. You always get to decide whether or not continuing to meet is beneficial for you. After the comprehensive assessment sessions, we can develop counseling goals and timeframes that feel comfortable for you.
How do I choose a therapist?
We offer brief phone consultations to help you decide if one of us is the right therapist to work with you on your journey.
Typically, developing a good therapeutic relationship with a therapist is the most important part of the process. This has been found to have a greater impact on the client improvement and growth regardless of the treatment perspective that the therapist uses.
What do your services cost?
As of 5/1/17 individual/couples/relationship/family sessions are 50 minutes for a fee of $125 Groups are offered on an as needed basis with each session meeting for 60 minutes for a fee of $50 per person per session.
What is your cancellation policy?
24 hour notice is required for all cancellations. Missed sessions, including no-show and cancellations with less than the required notice, will be charged the full fee for the session.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not currently accept any insurance in our practice. We are able to give you a receipt for your payment with the appropriate billing codes so that you may submit the paperwork to your insurance company for reimbursement. Typically insurance companies will reimburse you for 50%-80% of your out-of-pocket costs for services that are considered out-of-network. Please contact your insurance company to review your specific policy.
Where are you located?
Our offices are on the 1st floor at 75 Chestnut Street, the same building occupied by Nationwide Insurance. If you are looking at the front of the building, go in the door in the left. Once inside, go to your right, down the hall. The first door on your right is Pete’s office and Jeanette’s office is at the end of the next hall. We both have signs on our doors with our names listed.
Oneonta is a small area, how can I be sure that my counseling will be kept confidential?
We have both worked in human services in the Oneonta area for over 12 years. During that time we have stuck to the same personal practices regarding confidentiality regarding any client we have worked with. Everything regarding you and the services you are seeking is confidential including when you call just to ask a question as a “potential” client. We live in the area and when we see people out and about that we have worked with over the years, we never say hi first. We aren’t being rude, we are protecting their right to privacy. If an individual says hi, we are happy to wave back. We will never discuss your private information or situation in public even if the conversation is initiated by you.
What if I’m interested in individual counseling and it’s not for addictions or sex therapy?
We serve individuals as well as couples and treat a variety of presenting concerns. Feel free to check out our ‘about’ pages on the website to see the range of issues we each have experience treating. Please reach out so that we can discuss what is bringing you in to therapy right now and we can refer to you another therapist if we’re not the best match based on what you’d like to work on.
What if my partner and I have a history of violence in the relationship?
In the assessment process for relationship therapy, we meet with both partners for the first session and then each partner for an individual session. Part of the purpose of the 3 session assessment is to determine if the couple is currently appropriate for therapy. If there is a history of violence in the relationship and no current violence (typically for a minimum of 6 months to a year), it may be possible to try couples therapy. If the violence is more recent, it is likely that both partners would be referred to individual therapy initially and when appropriate, couples therapy could be attempted.