WE BELIEVE GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS

The term “professional” means that your counselor has been specifically trained in psychology, counseling, or a related field with a minimum of a master’s degree in one of these areas. Additionally, they will hold (or will be working toward) licensure as a Professional Counselor. This licensure, granted by the State of Texas, indicates that your counselor has completed a graduate degree, has passed rigorous competency exams, is involved in continuing education, and has done a minimum of several thousand hours of counseling under clinical supervision. Promises also makes use of Practicum Interns to provide counseling. A Practicum Intern is a counseling student who is in the late stages of earning his or her master’s degree in the counseling field, doing counseling under the close supervision of a Licensed Professional Counselor. If you are assigned to a Practicum Intern, you will be informed during the intake process.

The “Christian” descriptor relates to both the type of counseling provided and the person providing counseling services. Each counselor on the Promises staff is a committed follower of Jesus Christ. The terminology also makes a statement about the counselor’s value system. All Promises counselors believe God is the author of life and relationships, and His Word (The Bible) provides the best “road map” toward understanding purpose and meaning in life. Your counselor will seek to understand where you are on your spiritual journey and will join you in discussion of personal, relational, and spiritual issues in a way that is meaningful for you.

Promises provides counseling services to children, adolescents, and adults through the Promises Counseling Center by offering individual, premarital, marital, and family counseling. Each counselor has areas of specialization. If you are addressing an issue that is not a specialization of a Promises counselor, the counseling center staff may be able to make a recommendation for a counselor who focuses in the area of need that you have identified.

To set up counseling sessions, simply fill out and submit a confidential intake form. Once we have received it, an office administrator will call you to set up your first appointment.

Promises does not provide insurance billing services nor do we interact with health insurance companies. You will be given a receipt for the counseling services you received at the conclusion of each session.

Confidentiality of information shared is of utmost concern to your counselor. Everything you discuss in counseling remains confidential with the exception of certain circumstances outlined for Professional Counselors by the State of Texas. Basically, these exceptions occur when a counselee shows intent to bring harm to self or others, in instances of child abuse, or in matters where a court of law would require information to be released. In cases where an intern is being supervised in counseling, he or she will discuss counseling issues with an approved supervisor.

Appointments are available at a variety of times including mornings, afternoons, and evenings Monday through Thursday. Limited appointments are available on Fridays or weekends. On occasions when counselors’ schedules are full, staff may make recommendations to other area counseling centers or counselors.

Individual sessions are 50 minutes in length and are usually scheduled weekly or bi-weekly. The per-session fee is determined by a combination of counselor experience level and a counselee’s ability to pay. Low-cost or no-cost counseling is available on a limited basis. The number of counseling sessions necessary varies with each client. Your counselor will do a basic assessment and then will talk with you about a recommended number of sessions.

Under Section 2799B-6 of the Public Health Service Act www.cms.gov/nosurprises, health care providers are required to give patients an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. According to this act, counseling clients have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the expected cost of services. Healthcare providers are required to provide clients an estimate of the cost of those services.

E-mail: FederalPPDRQuestions@cms.hhs.gov

Call: 1-800-985-3059.