FAQ

Where is your office located?

555 Dayton Street Suite C, Edmonds, WA 98020

What are your fees?

My standard rate at this time is $165 per 50-minute session for individual weekly counseling.

For comprehensive counseling, my rate is $520 per month, which includes two 90-minute sessions and customized homework to help you on your journey every month. This is a very special program – it’s holistic in the life issues that it addresses covering your vocational, therapeutic, and spiritual needs. It’s generally ten months long, so you have a definite end with milestones that will come at that point.

For many people, my comprehensive program can help with a large number of life issues, including those not directly related to job or career. I help you understand yourself and your life so that you can know what has you stuck, what’s not working, and how you can change that.

The work in between sessions is customized to help you do just that and to enhance our sessions together. Plus, I provide emails based on our sessions when appropriate to guide you in what’s happening in our time together so that you can understand and change your life outside of session.

I’m with you every step of the way. It’s really the best therapy, pastoral care, and vocational counseling that you can get all rolled into one. It’s a ridiculously good value for what you get. So, you’ll want to talk with me about it when you call.

I accept check or cash at the beginning of sessions so that we can get to work free of distraction and get you what you need. I do accept card payments via Square with an extra 3% charge to cover the cost of the convenience.

What’s the difference between Comprehensive Counseling and Individual Therapy?

Great question! The short answer is that individual therapy focuses on a specific problem or problems that need healing, such as, but not limited to, depression and anxiety. Comprehensive counseling focuses on who you are as a person, what kind of restoration you need, and what you are meant to do in the world vocationally. When we ask questions that are that big, we learn a lot about ourselves, and a lot of therapeutic healing takes place.

On the other hand, comprehensive counseling is simply for people who are really unsatisfied with their life in general and/or with the work they do and feel stuck, and need healing. They have a nagging sense they are meant for more, but don’t know how to find it.

Comprehensive Counseling is a bit more structured. We meet twice a month for 90 minutes and you will have in-depth homework to do in between sessions, plus emails from me, when appropriate, that address our work in session, and how you can understand and apply it in your life. Don’t worry, the homework is usually really fun and my clients can’t wait to do it.

In general, individual therapy is for folks who have been experiencing some deep hurt for a long time that just isn’t changing, e.g. anxiety, depression, anger, etc. But they are generally satisfied with the rest of their life.

On the other hand, Vocational Counseling with Therapy is simply for people who are really unsatisfied with their life in general and/or with the work they do and feel stuck. They have a nagging sense they are meant for more, but don’t know how to find it.

Finally, some clients complete comprehensive counseling, and decide to continue with individual therapy for a few months for some specific healing. Others who begin with individual therapy then decide that comprehensive counseling is the next best step. Others just start with one, and are done. I am open and happy to help you find just what you need.

You are welcome to give me a call and find out.

Can you tell me about your faith?

Yes! I’ve been a Christian for about twenty years, though I can see God’s hand in my life before that. I started attending church when I was in college and was baptized. Since then, I have always attended a church, studied the bible, and spent lots of time in fellowship and prayer.

My faith journey has been one that’s always centered around healing. In other words, how do we change, and who are we supposed to change into?

I found that becoming a disciple of Christ answered those questions. That’s why I became a counselor, so that I can help others with that healing and change.

Why Therapy? Is it even a Christian thing?

Yep. I’ve asked this question many times myself.

The answer is, it can be, and the therapy I practice is indeed a Christian thing. Let me explain…

Counseling has been around as long as human beings have. The Holy Spirit is often called Counselor. However, as you know, human beings haven’t always followed God, and often tend to twist things. Counseling is no exception.

Therapy is just another word for counseling that involves deep healing. Therapy can be Christian, or not. It really depends on who practices it and what they believe.

My practice is Christian, because I actually start from Scripture and use it as a basis for all that I do. That doesn’t mean that I ignore psychology, but rather test all psychology against truth. This has allowed me to gain a level of expertise so that I can not only help you, but explain to you exactly what is happening in your life from a biblical perspective and why the techniques that I use help and are of God.

I love talking about this, and I am more than happy to answer any specific questions you have, so don’t hesitate to call me.

Why am I having such a hard time calling?

Change is hard. It’s also vulnerable. That’s why it’s so important to me to give you a free, no-pressure 30-minute consult and an obligation free first session to make sure this is right for you.

Also, some therapists are weird. Especially some of the ones in movies. But, you won’t be laying on a couch while I smoke during our sessions. I promise I’m a very normal guy. I’ll relate to you as a unique person, and bring my expertise in a way that makes sense because it rings true.

Beyond that, nothing worth doing in life comes without a cost. On the other hand, not changing and staying stuck, and in pain, is also a cost. So we have to make decisions, which start with small steps. Perhaps this is the time to say that you are worth it and get the healing and life you need. Call me and we can talk about how you can find what you’re looking for.

How long will this take?

It depends on which type of counseling or therapy is right for you.

If you need individual therapy, there is no set-in-stone time limit. Healing is something that we can encourage, but the rate at which we heal differs for everyone. In general, therapy lasts in the neighborhood of nine-months to a year or perhaps more. But, that really is a very rough estimate. Most of my clients begin noticing a difference after their first session, and a really big difference after a month or so.

What matters most is that if you begin individual therapy, you do the work, and stick with it until the healing you need happens.

On the other hand, if you need comprehensive counseling I generally set up a 10-month curriculum customized for you. This by no means limits your ability to continue individual therapy after you complete the journey of comprehensive counseling, but it does allow us to have some structure that is really important for helping you get where you need to.

What makes you different than other therapists?

First, I’ve spent my whole life learning what really helps people to change and heal.

Second, I’ve spent countless hours during that time finding out what therapeutic techniques are biblical and which aren’t, and ultimately what helps people not only cope or change, but actually transform. I believe that last part, transformation, only happens with God’s help.

Third, I’m pretty down to earth. It’s unique to find a therapist that understands the relationship between therapy and being a disciple who can communicate in a down to earth way that makes real healing possible. That’s one of my favorite things about this work: giving you both the experience of transformation and the knowledge to understand it so you can continue the journey in the rest of your life.

Why do you do this for a living?

I love it. It’s what I’m made to do.

I’m a person that is naturally wired to help people heal and to teach them how they can be well, do what they were made to do, and walk with God.

Do you work with insurance?

I do not work with insurance companies. I am considered “out-of-network.” However, if you would like to seek reimbursement on your own, I am happy to provide a bill with the necessary information.

Insurance companies can be very limiting to your healing in that they limit who you can see, how long you can see them, and often pay counselors less than their going rate. None of this makes anyone very happy, let alone get you the kind of care you need. When you come to counseling, you need to find the best possible person that can help you find the maximum healing and make the investment necessary for that. It’s an investment that’s worth a major change in your life.

Also, for insurance to be used your insurer decides what’s “medically necessary.” That means you must have a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. If you are seeking help and don’t have a mental health disorder, your insurer may not pay. Basically, I think it’s quite good if you can get help as early as possible and without managed care looming it’s shadow.