Frequently Asked Questions
Learn what others have also wondered and feel free to contact us with any other questions or to request a contact from one of our counselors!
How do I know if I need counseling?
​People who have the need for counseling are often experiencing symptoms and persistent problems that they do not feel they can manage or overcome on their own. Often, people feel stuck and uncertain about how to deal with these concerns and will benefit from the wisdom and experience of a professional who is licensed and experienced to help with your particular problems and concerns.
What Is Counseling?
Counseling is an important partnership between counselor and client. Together, you and your counselor identify challenges and areas needing change, working to build healthy solutions and new skills to move into a new, more positive direction.
Counseling lays the foundation for individuals, couples, and families to build better communication, to promote behavior change and new ways of thinking, and to build a more positive view of relationships and self.
How can counseling help me?
At Family Life Counseling, we understand life can be challenging. We can often find ourselves struggling alone. We become isolated in our pain and can feel like we have nowhere to turn. We recognize people’s need for compassion, encouragement, and relationship. We will work with you and walk beside you, so you do not face your challenges alone. Working together, we can discover the path toward healing in your life.
Our focus at Family Life Counseling is to work with the whole person to find new ways to live in a healthy and successful way. We work to find real life, practical solutions. We want you to identify and build on your strengths, finding creative and innovative ways to use those strengths to not just survive struggles but to transform your life.
What can I expect in a counseling session?
Our therapies are individually tailored to meet each person’s needs and abilities. We don’t use a “cookie cutter” approach to therapy. You will find that we have a warm, welcoming environment that will challenge you to a better life. During your initial session, we will discuss your current situation and relevant history. In future sessions, we will work together to identify goals and build a treatment plan working during each session toward growth, insight, and change.
How long will I be in counseling?
This will be determined by you and your counselor based on your specific problems and issues. You and your counselor will build a treatment plan with goals for counseling, working to build skills, develop insights, and build new behaviors and ways of thinking that will help you manage your problems in more effective ways.
How do I choose a counselor?
Looking for a counselor with whom you feel a connection is very important to your therapeutic experience. Your counselor should be an individual you feel you can trust and is open to understanding your unique history, problems, and goals for change. Finding an experienced counselor that has dealt with problems and issues similar to your own is also key to a good counseling relationship.
What type of training do your counselors have?
Each of our counselors has a Master’s Degree or Doctorate in Counseling or Social Work and has been licensed or working toward a license to do counseling by their profession through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Each of our counselors is highly experienced and committed to the profession. Each counselor receives individual and group supervision as well as utilizing continuing education.
What do LPC, LPCC and LCSW and Psychologist mean?
To become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or a Psychologist (PsyD), an individual must complete a Master’s or Doctorate degree in psychology or a related field.
Do you offer counseling services for children and teenagers?
Yes. Children and teenagers are often helped by having their own individual sessions, sometimes in combination with family counseling sessions. Teenagers can play an active role in deciding what will work best for them. Younger children usually benefit most from play therapy. Parents are always encouraged to take an active part in their children’s counseling by attending a portion of the session to give input and get support in their parenting and encouragement of their child.
How much does counseling cost?
Our counselors are providers for many insurance plans and a variety of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). You will need to check with your individual insurance plan to understand your specific behavioral health coverage and benefit. Many people do have a deductible and/or a copay. Flexible Spending Accounts and Medical Savings Accounts are often used to pay for counseling fees. Check with your plan administrator to confirm this as an allowable expense. Check also with your employer to see if EAP benefits are available to you.
We also offer a reduced, reasonable rate for those who are paying out-of-pocket. Our rates are very competitive compared to other therapists.
*Please note, we are not able to work with individuals on Medicaid at this time
Are my sessions confidential?
Yes, within the bounds that the law and counseling ethics allow.
How long are appointments?
Most appointments are 50 minutes long. Longer sessions can be arranged and are often suggested for EMDR work.
​How can I schedule an appointment?
Please call us at 720.274.5270 or contact us online using our Initial Consultation Form. We will make every effort to return your phone call the same day. You can also Request a Contact now.
Are you available in the evenings or on weekends?
We do offer evening and/or weekend appointments. Space for these appointments is limited.
​Where are you located?
We are located in southeast Aurora in the Southlands Shopping Center. We are located on Main St. above Sephora, by the dental offices.
How long has Family Life Counseling been around?
Family Life Counseling was started in 1999. It has been at its present location at the Southlands Shopping Center since 2006.
​Do you have someone who can write prescriptions or conduct psychological testing?
We do not have a medical doctor on site to write prescriptions.
However, we do offer psychological testing. Feel free to look through our services here and contact us if you would like more information.
​What if I need to cancel a scheduled appointment?
Please note that we arrange a specific appointment time just for you. We ask if you do need to change a scheduled appointment that you contact us at least 24 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule. We do assess late cancellation and missed session fees. There is no charge for any session cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment time.
What is an actual EMDR session like?
The therapist and client work together to identify a specific problem as the focus of the treatment. The client brings to mind the disturbing issue/event and identifies what was seen, felt, heard, thought along with what thoughts and beliefs are currently held about that event. The therapist facilities the directional movement of the eye or other dual attention stimulation of the brain (bilateral stimulation), using hand movement, lights, taps or tones. At the same time, the client focuses on the disturbing issue/event and notices whatever comes to mind without making any effort to control direction or content. EMDR is unique and different for everyone because the healing process is guided from within the individual. Sets of the bilateral stimulation continue until the memory becomes less disturbing and is associated with positive thoughts and beliefs about one’s self. A client may experience intense emotions during the EMDR session, but usually by the end of the session most people report a reduction in their level of distress or disturbance. The upsetting emotion or memory often seems to fade into the past and lose its power.
A typical EMDR session can last anywhere from 50-90 minutes. The type of issues, life circumstances and the amount of trauma will determine how many sessions will be necessary. EMDR can be used along with standard “talk” therapy or as a treatment by itself.
How does EMDR work?
When an individual is very upset and/or traumatized, their brain cannot always process information as it typically does. The brain can become frozen in time so that remembering the trauma can feel like the original experience, which can negatively affect the way the person currently sees the world and how they relate to others.
EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way the brain processes information. After EMDR therapy, normal information processing is resumed so that a person no longer relives the images, sounds and feelings when the traumatic/distressing event is brought to mind. The person still remembers what happened, but it is far less distressing. EMDR seems to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.