If you are interested in scheduling an appointment you can visit Our Therapists page to see which
therapist seems like a fit for your needs.

Scheduling an appointment is easy!  Call 573-644-7909 ext 0 and we will help you with insurance questions and scheduling.  

Below are some frequently asked questions that you too may have..

Paperwork can be found here. 

• How do I make my first appointment?

• Maybe you have been contemplating therapy for awhile now, or maybe you have done therapy in the past. Either way, we understand that setting up that first appointment with someone you have never met can take some courage. Be assured that once you do you are on your way to good changes. You can read about our therapists and their specialties here.
  
  
  
• What is the cost for therapy?

• Master's Level Therapists

  Individual counseling and family sessions are $100 per 45-60 minutes. The first session is billed at $120.

  Doctorate Level Therapists

  Individual counseling and family sessions are $120 per 45-60 minutes. The first session is billed at $150.

  Marriage Counseling

  Marriage counseling is typically not covered by insurance unless the counselor finds you or your spouse dealing with a mental health disorder (i.e., depression, anxiety). If that is the case, insurance can be billed because the counseling is considered medically necessary to treat the marriage in regards to the disorder.

  Other Services Fees

  Lifesong for Growth and Wellness also offers Group Counseling, Psychological Testing, Presurgical and Bariatric Evaluations, and various other assessments. Please call 573-230-8573 to inquire about fees for these services.
  
  
  
• How do I pay for my counseling visits?

• Payment is required at the time of service. We accept VISA and MasterCard, debit cards, checks and cash. At your first session we will ask that you provide your credit card, so that we can file the information to make payment easier for you.
  
  
  
• Will my insurance cover the costs of counseling?

• We recommend that prior to your first visit with us you call your insurance company to find out what your benefits are for counseling. You may do this by calling the customer service phone number listed on your insurance card. Please ask the following question, “What are my outpatient mental health benefits?” The information you obtain should include:
  • Your co-payment or coinsurance
  • Your deductible amount and how much has been applied to the deductible
  • If preauthorization or certification is required
  • If there is a maximum number of visits you can have per year or lifetime
  • If marriage counseling or family counseling is covered
  • If there are any restrictions on your policy
  If we are not a provider listed with your insurance, they may pay out of network for you to receive services here.
  
  
  
• What should I expect at my first appointment?
  How long is it?

• The first appointment is the time that we get to know each other. You will discuss what has brought you to us and what you would like to work on during counseling. We will then discuss with you our approach to addressing your concerns. We want this to be a positive fit for you on your personal journey. If you have not completed the paperwork found online beforehand we ask that you come in 20 minutes early to complete the forms.
  
  Generally speaking, counseling sessions last between 45 and 50 minutes. This period of time is often referred to as a "billable hour," as it allows for the completion of necessary paperwork documenting the session. Your initial appointment should last approximately the same amount of time. In certain cases, it may be necessary to meet for up to 90 minutes or as briefly as 30 minutes. The frequency of your scheduled appointments will be determined collaboratively with your therapist.
  
  Appointments for psychological evaluations have varying lengths based upon the reason for the evaluation. More comprehensive evaluations will demand more time than less complicated ones. The total time for the evaluation will include any time spent face-to-face, plus the time involved with administering, scoring and interpreting and testing that may be necessary, plus the time involved in writing the report. A good rule of thumb is to plan for several hours, unless you have first spoken with the person completing the evaluation and learned a different amount of time.
  
  
  
• What should I tell my child about coming to counseling?

• Preparing for the First Visit

  You may be concerned that your child will become upset when told of an upcoming visit with a therapist. Although this is sometimes the case, it's essential to be honest about the session and why your child (or family) will be going. The issue will come up during the session, but it's important for you to prepare your child for it.
  Explain to young kids that this type of visit doesn't involve a physical exam or shots. You may also want to stress that this type of professional talks and plays with kids and families to help them solve problems and feel better. Kids might feel reassured to learn that the therapist will be helping the parents and other family members too.
  Older kids and teens may be reassured to hear that anything they say to the therapist is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone else, including parents or other doctors, without their permission — the exception is if they indicate that they're having thoughts of suicide or otherwise hurting themselves or others.
  Giving kids this kind of information before the first appointment can help set the tone, prevent your child from feeling singled out or isolated, and provide reassurance that the family will be working together on the problem.
  
  
  
• Do I need to stay for my child’s appointment?

• When working with children we believe that it is critical to have the parent’s involvement. We view ourselves as partnering with parents to make change. So it is always important for the parent to be active in their child’s counseling and to be at each session. There may be times that we will need to meet with the parent alone, to discuss things without the child present. At those times, we will ask that another adult is present to watch the young child in the waiting room.
  
  
  
• I am in counseling and I have small children, can they come into my sessions or may I leave them in the waiting room?

• This is a time for you to work on yourself, without distractions. You may experience some intense emotions that would be confusing to your child. We ask that you not bring your children to sessions that are for you. We ask that you not expect to have your child stay in the reception area. If a child is under the age of 13 an adult would need to be present. We find that children want to be with their parent, resulting in interruptions with their counseling session. Your child would be much happier to be able to stay at home.
  
  
  
• What is your cancellation policy?

• We ask that you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation so that we have time to offer your appointment to someone else. Missed appointments will be billed to you directly. We understand that events arise that would cause a late cancellation, after the first late cancellation all other late cancellations will be billed to you directly.
  
  
  
• What are your hours?
• Our providers are available Monday through Saturday between 8:00am and 7:00pm. Availability within those times varies with each individual therapist.

tel:5736447909