The question is “Can you afford not to get counseling?” Addiction is Expensive. Divorce is Expensive! So is rage, anxiety and depression, which are leading causes of disability worldwide. Equally costly are poor skills for caring for yourself; resolving conflicts; choosing good relationships; nurturing good relationships; ending bad relationships; asking for what you want; calming down; getting excited, etc. Lost relationships, lost jobs, arrest, jails, institutions, illness and death can be the end results of unattended emotional needs.
Counseling can teach you skills and tools for caring for your mind+body+heart+spirit. Counseling can teach you strategies for building solid relationships with partners, children, family, friends, coworkers, clients, etc.
In Lakeland Florida in general, Individual, Couples and Family Counseling can cost from 60 to 180 dollars per hour. We charge 75-90 per hour. Weekly sessions are best for most situations, but twice weekly or twice monthly or less works for some.
Groups are among the most effective and inexpensive options for personal growth. Our groups cost 20-25 dollars per weekly session. Speak to Andy to apply for addictions groups: Teen Drug and Alcohol Recovery; Parents of Teens in Drug and Alcohol Recovery; Adult Men’s Sex Compulsion Recovery; and Adult Drug and Alcohol Recovery.
Workshops vary depending on the length and topic. Meditation workshops, located at the gorgeous Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales cost around 30 dollars for the room plus a donation for the teacher, in keeping with the tradition of Insight Meditation. Relationship Skills Workshops, located at our office in Downtown Lakeland can cost 75 dollars for a half day to 150 dollars for a full day seminar.
Andy accepts some insurances: United Behavioral Health and Cigna. Susan is on the ‘out-of-network provider panel’ for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Many other insurances will reimburse you for payments made to a therapist, even if the therapist is not on their panel. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to ask about your benefits, deductible, and co-pay for outpatient counseling.
We are on one Employee Assistance Panel, Horizon, which serves some of the larger private and public employers in Lakeland, such as Polk County School Board, Lakeland Regional Medical Center, and many government offices. Check with your Human Resources department. When available, these services are at no cost to the client.
We are vendors for two Florida State Agencies: Vocational Rehabilitation and the Attorney General’s Victim’s Intervention Fund. Both agencies can include therapy in their services to clients.
Some folks recognize the value and importance of counseling and simply pay by cash or check for services. One benefit of this method is the ultimate privacy which self-pay affords. The only record anywhere resides in our locked offices. Another benefit is that you can see whichever therapist fits your needs the best, rather than choosing from a list of contracted vendors. The ‘fit’ is a critical element in counseling success.
However you manage to afford counseling, it can be some of the best money and time you ever invested. The family harmony; the solid, satisfying relationship; the new adventure; the ability to forgive, accept and love yourself are truly priceless!
