Frequently Asked Questions

How is TCI adapting to COVID-19? Will it impact my treatment? 

At TCI, we are following all COVID safety guidelines in accordance with CDC recommendations to protect our staff and guest.

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We will continue to provide tele-health services to any and all clients that prefer. Clients always have the option to switch over to cash-pay options if their insurance does not participate in tele-health services.  

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Is what I say in counseling confidential?

The Counseling Initiative staff members follow the professional, legal and ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association and the state of Pennsylvania. This means that information about your counseling sessions is not shared with anyone without your expressed written permission. There are some exceptions to confidentiality, however. If there is the possibility of harm to the client or another person, or in cases of child or elder abuse, TCI staff are mandated to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. Please ask your therapist for more information about confidentiality.

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Do you accept insurance? How does insurance work?

To determine if you have behavioral health coverage, the first thing you should do is check with your insurance carrier. Check your coverage carefully and find the answers to the following questions:

• What are my mental/behavioral health benefits?

• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

• How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?

• How much is my co-pay for each appointment?

• How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?

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What if I don’t have insurance or don’t want to use it?

For a variety of different reasons, occasionally clients occasionally do not have health insurance coverage or wish to not use their benefits to cover our treatment. Some of these reasons include:

• High deductibles

• Privacy concerns

• No mental health plan coverage

• Lapse in medical coverage

Regardless of the reason, TCI works hard to ensure that we have a variety of therapists that can assist a wide variety of client needs. We have insurance based therapists as well as cash based. This means, that whether you have insurance or not, we can treat you. Appointment pricing is on a sliding scale that is custom fit for each cash paying client based on a variety of factors.

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What is medication assisted counseling?

Medication assisted counseling is specifically designed for clients participating in buprenorphine (suboxone) or methadone treatment programs that either do not offer counseling or the client may feel the counseling is ineffective. The scope of MAT counseling is vast and can range from the very beginning stages of understanding triggers and relapse prevention all the way through a successful taper process.

Aside from the effectiveness of MAT counseling in relation to the recovery process, often insurance providers also mandate counseling services in order to cover the monthly medications. At TCI, we coordinate all paperwork with the MAT office and ensure that all criteria for medication prior authorization are being met on the counseling basis. We work closely with the MAT office to achieve the highest level of success for our clients.

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How is life coaching different from traditional counseling?

Traditional Therapy:

Helping people address and resolve problems that make them feel bad emotionally, or are impairing their ability to function well. This can include healing from Anxiety, Depression, Mood Disorders, Trauma, issues with their family of origin, their relationships, ADHD, Addictions and many other common problems.

Life Coaching:

Helping people achieve their goals. The basic presumption of coaching is that coaching clients are in a good place mentally and emotionally, and ready to receive guidance and instruction on how to make changes that will help them achieve their goals. The work focuses on creating and maintaining motivation for change, exploring obstacles to change, and creating plans for change.

Most clients begin in traditional counseling and then advance to life coaching, or do a combination of the two to maximize results.

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What is Tele-Counseling?

Tele-counseling enables any client with a phone, computer or tablet to participate in quality counseling services. Tele-Counseling can be conducted in the following ways:

• Skype or other video chat

• iMessage/Text messaging

• Phone calls

• Emails

*Clients participating in this form of counseling/therapy must understand that they are responsible for wifi/phone services that are secure to ensure their privacy is being protected. Any technology outside of TCI office space cannot be guaranteed protected and thus is the sole responsibly of the client.