If you have never been to counseling or therapy, then you may be a little nervous about your first appointment. Well, it is quite normal to have some of these anxious feelings! We want to do everything possible to help you to relax and make you feel comfortable. Christian Counselors of Mooresville is a judgment-free zone. We accept you where you are and help you to progress toward your counseling goals!
Below we have taken some pictures of our office to help you get better acquainted with what to expect.
Please Come In & Take A Seat
Once you enter the office, our door will make a chiming sound to alert your counselor that you have arrived. Please take a seat either on the bench in the hallway or in our waiting room. Your therapist will be with your shortly.
Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork
Before you arrive, please have your paperwork completed. You will need to go to our client forms page to download and print the appropriate forms. You will need to read and sign your counselor’s disclosure statement & informed consent along with our 24 hour cancellation policy. This will be the contract between you and the counselor.
You will need to sign the Notice of Privacy Practices asserting that you have read and understand your rights according to the federal HIPPA law of 1996. Lastly, we need information about you according to the type of counseling you are to receive – individual, couples, or minor counseling. Our clients form page will direct you to the appropriate forms.
Your counselor will come to greet you and take your paperwork. They will take your forms to their office to review them. After looking over your information, your counselor will escort you back to one of our counseling rooms.
In the Counseling Room
Your counselor will escort you to a counseling room. Each room has a window with blinds and incandescent lighting to give it a warm feeling. You may sit on a soft, comfortable chair or couch, whichever you prefer. Our goal is to make you feel at home and comfortable.
For the first session, your therapist will be gathering some background information from you. You may share whatever you feel comfortable sharing. This is just a time for the counselor to learn about what is bringing you to counseling and what goals you have for counseling.
Your therapist will proceed at whatever pace that you feel comfortable. As you speak, your counselor will provide reflective feedback. They may summarize what you had been saying or speak it back to you in a different way. This is your time to share what is on your mind and your counselor will be there to help you sort it out.
Homework & Scheduling Next Session
Toward the end of the session, you and your therapist will discuss homework to help you obtain your counseling goals. Some sessions you may not have any homework, but for many of them you will. Many times, the home work may not be extremely taxing.
For example, you may decide to journal if you are depressed or may challenge yourself to order a meal by phone if you are struggling with assertiveness. Some marriage homework may be going on a date or scheduling time to talk with your spouse. The homework is determined by the goals that you wish to achieve.
Also, at the end of the session, you will schedule your next appointment. Your counselor and you will discuss when your next session should be – next week, in couple of weeks, or a month out. All of this depends upon how you are doing and what will work best for your schedule and your goals.
Finish the Session & Paying
Your session will end 50 minutes from the time that it was scheduled. So, if your session was scheduled for 3:00pm, then it will end at 3:50pm. Your counselor will escort you to the front of the office where you will pay. We accept cash, checks, debit cards, and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, & Discover). Your therapist will give you a receipt for your session, which will also have your next appointment time written on it.
Note that we do not file insurance. We are considered an out-of-pocket provider. Let your counselor know if you plan to file, and they will provide a diagnostic code on your receipt. However, there are benefits of not filing insurance.
