Frequently Asked Questions

While counseling does not make our emotions or difficult pasts go away, it can make them easier to navigate.

At Foundations Counseling, we believe emotions are signals, providing valuable information about the events we've been through and the events we're going through right now. We need to be able to experience our emotions safely, so that we can better understand what they're telling us. When we can notice and understand our emotions, we have the opportunity to respond to our needs in a way that's aligned with who the person we want to be.

Awareness allows us the opportunity to do differently. In our profesionnal opinion, most of the time, we do what they've always done because that's how we've learned to navigate the world. In other words, our learned behaviors become automatic patterns.

If we want to change, we've got to take an inventory of where we're currently at and where we want to go. Awareness allows us to pause, notice what we're experiencing, and better understand our circumstances, ourselves, and our goals. With awareness, we can notice our patterns with curiosity and compassion, then choose how we want to respond, rather than running on autopilot.

Of course not. People aren't machines. :)

At Foundations Counseling, we believe that our bodies don't betray us; they communicate to us. Our bodies and minds are constantly working to keep us safe and help us navigate the world around us through a process called homeostasis, meaning that the ways we think, feel, and respond to our experiences often develop as our body's best attempt to cope with the circumstances we were in.

Sometimes, the circumstances our bodies learned to survive in are very different from the circumstances we are living in today. A response that once helped us feel safe may no longer serve us in the same way today. That doesn't mean the response is wrong or that something in us needs to be "fixed". It means our minds and bodies are doing what they learned to do.

At Foundations Counseling, we believe counseling is an opportunity to better understand these patterns with curiosity and compassion. Rather than trying to “fix” you, we can work together to understand what your mind and body have been trying to accomplish and explore new ways of responding that may better align with you today.

At Foundations Counseling, we hope our clients leave counseling with greater understanding and trust in themselves. We want the women we work with to recognize that their ways of coping make sense in the context of their experiences, rather than feeling shame about their choices or pasts.

We hope our clients develop greater awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and patterns, learn and practice effective coping skills, and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their circumstances. With this understanding comes greater confidence, self-trust, and courage to make intentional choices. We want our clients to be able to pause, notice what is happening, and respond in ways that align with who they are and what matters most to them.

The first counseling session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other a bit. My role during our first session together is to help you feel comfortable and safe enough to begin identifying and working toward your goals. 

During the first session, I'll typically ask a few more questions than normal in an effort to understand what brought you to counseling, your background, and your goals. I'll provide information about the counseling process, the approaches I would recommend, and will start to work with you to create a plan. We'll also allow enough time to answer questions you may have about the concerns you're facing or what counseling could look like for you.

We do not accept or bill health insurance directly. However, if your insurance plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, you may be able to receive reimbursement for some or all of the cost of your sessions.

At the time of your appointment, you'll cover the cost of your session. If requested, we'll provide you with a superbill (an itemized healthcare receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. 

The amount your insurance reimburses depends on your specific plan, deductible, and out-of-network benefits. We recommend contacting your insurance company before beginning services to ask about your out-of-network mental health coverage and what you need to do to request reimbursement.

We do!

To participate in a telehealth session with Foundations Counseling, you and your counselor must be physically located in the Virginia at the time of your appointment.  

Click here to schedule your first session. 

Once you schedule your first session, your request will be submitted for approval. Once approved, you'll be sent an approval notification and a portal invite to your email address. Before your first session, use the portal invite to complete your brief intake forms.

Absolutely.

If you're experiencing an emergency, please call 911, 988, or go to your nearest emergency room. Once you are safe and have received the appropriate emergency care, please let us know what happened and how you're doing so we can help support you moving forward. 

For non-emergent needs, existing clients can message us through their client portal or leave us a voicemail us at 540-227-4544. We typically respond within 24-48 hours. Messages are not monitored continuously, as your counselor is in session throughout the day.

We provide one complimentary phone consultation over 15 minutes between sessions, if needed. If you feel that you need more time or additional clinical support between scheduled appointments, we are happy to talk with you about a way forward. Additional time may be billed at our current rates, depending on the length and nature of the call. If a charge would apply, we will discuss this with you before proceeding.

We ask that you make every effort to keep your appointments, and provide as much notice as possible when you need to cancel or reschedule. Appointments can be changed within your client portal or by calling 540-227-4544.

Because your appointment time is reserved specifically for you, cancellations and missed appointments with less than 24 hours’ notice may result in a fee:

• Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice: $75 fee

• Cancellation without notice or a missed appointment: $90 fee

We understand that life happens, and there may be times when illness, unexpected circumstances, or emergencies make it difficult or impossible to attend a scheduled appointment. If an unexpected emergency prevents you from attending your session, please contact your counselor as soon as you are able. We are happy to discuss the circumstances with you and determine whether the cancellation fee can be waived.

Our goal is not to penalize you when something unexpected happens, but to balance flexibility and understanding with the need to protect the time reserved for each of our clients.