We would like you to know that our counseling is distinctly biblical and that our counselors are not licensed medical professionals, but instead are “pastoral counselors”, lay-counselors who offer care as a ministry of The New Church. If you have significant legal, financial, medical, or other technical questions, you should seek advice from an independent professional. More specifically, we urge our counselees to properly care for their physical bodies and mental health and to seek proper treatment for all physiological/mental health problems. Our counselors will assist you in responding to such problems in a godly manner, but our counsel is not intended to replace the services of a qualified physician/specialist where organic problems are present or where medication has been prescribed.Our pastoral and lay counselors will be happy to cooperate with such advisors and help you to consider their counsel in the light of relevant scriptural principles. If you would like this type of Biblical counseling, please read this Informed Consent thoroughly, ask us any questions you may have, and sign and date it prior to your first counseling session (you may do so electronically, or bring a signed copy with you to your first session).After an initial meeting, we will determine whether or not we feel we can provide you with the appropriate services and level of care needed. We may feel you need to be referred out.

The goal of pastoral counseling is to help an individual think Biblically about their current struggles, in the context of a confidential, caring environment. A pastoral counselor relies on the power of God, the grace of Christ, and the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Guided by Biblical principles, the counselor's role is to utilize guided questioning, empathetic support, problem definition, reflection, encouragement, and prayer to provide wise, Biblical counsel to those who are hurting and in need.

Your counselor will adhere to commonly accepted codes of privacy and confidentiality in the American Association of Christian Counseling code of ethics. However, there are situations in which the law requires that certain information be revealed without your consent.

Limits

If we have cause to believe that a child under 18 has been or may be abused or neglected (including physical injury, substantial threat of harm, mental or emotional injury, or any kind of sexual contact or conduct), or that a child is a victim of a sexual offense, or that an elderly or disabled person is in a state of abuse, neglect or exploitation, the law requires that we make a report to the appropriate governmental agency, usually the Department of Family Protective Services. Once such report is filed, we may be required to provide additional information.If we determine that there is a probability that the patient will inflict imminent physical injury on another, or that the patient will inflict imminent physical, mental or emotional harm upon himself/herself, or others, we may be required to take protective action by disclosing information to medical or law enforcement personnel or by securing hospitalization of the patient. If such a situation arises, we will make every effort to fully discuss it with you before taking any action and we will limit our disclosure to what is necessary. 

Rights as a Client

You are entitled to information about procedures, methods of counseling, and techniques used during counseling.You have the right to end counseling at any time without any moral, legal, or financial obligations.You have the right to expect confidentiality (not anonymity) within the limitsDescribed.You have the right to authorize your counselor to consult with other professionals about your counseling in writing.Child Supervision

Children under the age of 15 are required to have a responsible adult on the premises at all times. Children under the age of 8 should be directly supervised in the waiting area by a responsible adult when the therapist is meeting with a parent. Contacting your Counselor

Due to our work schedule, we are often not immediately available by telephone. We will make every effort to return your call on the same day you make it, with exception of weekends and holidays. If you are difficult to reach, please include in your message, times and days that you will likely be available. If you are unable to reach your therapist and feel that you can’t wait for them to return your call, contact your family physician or the nearest emergency room.

Use of Email

Communicating with clinicians directly through text messaging or unencrypted emailing is not recommended due to the insecure nature of the mediums and therefore does not meet the highest standards of confidentiality. On rare occasions, clients may want to provide information to the clinician via email but it is our policy that counselors provide only a response that simply acknowledges the receipt of the message.

Non-voluntary Discharge from Counseling

A client may be terminated from appointments with a pastoral counselor non-voluntarily if: (A) the client exhibits physical violence, verbal abuse, carries weapons, or engages in illegal acts on site.

Sessions and Fees

Counseling sessions are approx. one hour in length. The standard session cost is $125/hour and $250 for couples. We offer sliding scale pricing.

We can accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, check or money order.

Cancellation Policy: please give 24 hour advance notice whenever possible if you must cancel a session. (If you have several incidences of last-minute cancellations, we will need to fill your spot with someone else and place you on the wait list before we resume counseling you. We will determine this at our discretion.) Consistent missed appointments will be considered termination of counseling.