Common Questions

You are at the heart of what we do. We will make taking the first step into therapy easy for you. We spend time getting to know you and your situation so that we may best understand how it is that we can help you achieve your goals through counseling and therapy. We see therapy as a collaborative process between you, an expert of your own life, and the therapist as an expert in facilitating change.

Therapy is based on communication providing an opportunity to develop awareness of problematic cognitions and behaviors so that you may learn new skills to respond more effectively and manage stress.

Confidentiality is of paramount importance to foster a safe, healing environment. Sometimes, just having a ‘safe place to talk’ is all a person needs. In therapy, you and your therapist work to discover patterns of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that may be contributing to your feeling ‘stuck’. We will then work to uncover hidden strengths and develop new, more helpful patterns that reinforce the individual goals that brought you to therapy.

As counselors and therapists, we focus on providing both support and direct feedback about what we observe in our therapeutic relationship. If you would like to know more about how counseling works, email our office at: info@eugenetherapy.com

Nothing is more important than feeling safe and understood. Counseling is unlikely to be helpful unless you connect with your therapist on this level.

All the experience and training in the world can’t overcome the importance of a good connection with your therapist. Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with can be a challenge. We will match you with a therapist who is compassionate, and highly qualified to help you achieve well-being.

Oregon Counseling is here to help you find the best connection with a licensed counselor. We believe that it is extremely important to discuss your expectations for counseling with your therapist early on and be honest with him/her about whether or not you feel as though your expectations are being met as the process develops.

It is possible to save your relationship even if your partner is not willing to come to therapy. Ultimately the way to change any relationship is to start with oneself. If one person in the relationship changes, the other has no other choice but to change in response. Often, such change benefits relationships.

Additionally, one of the treatment goals for individual counseling can be to motivate your significant other to attend counseling as a couple. Part of the individual therapy sessions can be devoted to exploring your partner’s hesitation, as you’ve experienced it, and problem-solve ways to effectively communicate your desire for him/her to come to couples counseling.

Learn more about how you can enhance your relationship through individual and couples counseling.

Absolutely not, any distant or conflict relationship can benefit from relationship counseling. Our therapists have worked to help restore trust and intimacy in the following relationships:

• Parent and (adult or adolescent) child
• Heterosexual marriages/partnerships
• LGBTQIA+ marriages and relationships
• Siblings
• Boyfriend and girlfriend
• Fiancés
• Friendships
• Business partners
• Even multiple families
• Learn more about how you can enhance your relationship through couples counseling.

No, not unless you have told someone or have authorized us in writing to release information. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of safe, effective mental health treatment. If you are 18 years old or over, we cannot and will not reveal to anyone what you have discussed, or even the fact that you are in treatment without your permission unless you sign a written authorization form that meets certain legal standards. Our clinicians have an ethical duty to assure clients of privacy and confidentiality. There are however, five exceptions to the privacy standard that include:

• Reporting suspected child or elder abuse
• Reporting imminent danger to client or others
• Reporting information required in court proceedings;
• Providing information concerning case consultation or supervision
• Defending against claims brought by a client.

Your therapist will explain more about confidentiality in your first therapeutic meeting.

Several of our practitioners specialize in the treatment of children. Our intake coordinator can help you find the best match for your child.

We require that at least one custodial parent present at the initial visit and that both custodial parents complete intake paperwork for counseling services. In the event of a custody decree resulting in only one parent having legal custody of the child, that parent must provide a copy of the decree signed by a judge before treatment of a minor can begin.

We understand that this is an inconvenience, and that most stepparents play an integral part in the child rearing process. However a custodial parent has to be present at the initial visit. Of course stepparents are always welcome to bring the minor patient to the appointment as long as the custodial parent has signed a consent form and presented for the first session.

We will not voluntarily participate in any litigation, or custody dispute in which a client is involved. Because the client-therapist relationship is built on trust with the foundation of that trust being confidentiality, it is often damaging to the therapeutic relationship for the therapist to be asked to present records to the court, testify whether factual or in an expert nature, in court or deposition.

We will also not make any recommendation as to custody or visitation regarding our clients. We will generally not provide records or testimony unless compelled to do so by a court. Should a provider at Eugene Therapy & Oregon Counseling be subpoenaed, court appearances are billed at $250.00 per hour with a minimum charge of eight (8) hours, for a total of two thousand ($2000) dollars.

Do you accept insurance?

We currently accept the following insurance:

• PacificSource
• Providence Health Plan
• Regence BCBS
• Moda
• Aetna
• Meritain
• Kaiser NW
• First Choice Network
• Samaritan
• United Healthcare/Optum/UMR
• Oregon Health Plan (OHP) – PacificSource Community Solutions, Care Oregon, and HealthShare of Oregon only

For others, you can call us at 541-868-2004, and we can check for you.

Medicare

We apologize but we currently do not accept Medicare.

Self-Pay

We also accept self-pay clients for insurances we cannot bill and for those who are concerned about privacy related to insurance company involvement in treatment. We are happy to bill your insurance or provide receipts for you to bill yourself or use for a health savings account (HSA/FSA).

We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and most health savings account (HSA/FSA) cards. We are no longer able to accept personal checks or cash.

Yes. We offer online counseling services anywhere within the State of Oregon.

For security purposes, we use a (256-bit) encrypted software platform to ensure complete confidentiality. In some cases, insurance may not cover this service, however we are happy to do a benefit check for your specific plan. During the session, our therapist is located in a private therapy office (the same offices we use for traditional counseling sessions).

We will NOT provide online counseling if you: are experiencing suicidal thoughts, thoughts of self-harm or harming others, have substance abuse issues, are experiencing domestic violence, or are in the midst of an acute crisis.

Please contact us at 541-868-2004 with any additional questions

We value diversity and believe that all people have the right to be free from discrimination and oppression. Our practitioners are experienced and trained to provide sensitive, appropriate, and effective therapy that considers each person’s culture, ethnic background, religious and spiritual beliefs, gender, sexual identity, age, and socioeconomic status, as well as issues of disability, mental or physical illness, or discrimination. We also recognize that we are not experts at every existing culture or subgroup, and take time to educate ourselves and learn what we need to in order to serve each client.

Yes, some of our clinicians at our various locations offer weekend and evening hours. Please specify your preferred days/hours when speaking with our Patient Access Center team and we will do our best to match you with a clinician that fits your needs. We also offer convenient lunch hour therapy appointments.

Therapy requires an ongoing commitment to creating lasting change. Best results are achieved through consistent (usually weekly) appointments with your therapist.

When you make an appointment you are reserving that time for yourself. We make every effort to schedule a time that will be convenient to your schedule. If you cancel an appointment with more than 48 hours notice, this provides us time to fill the space, and you will not be charged.

However, if you cancel an appointment with less than 48 hours notice (or no notice), you will be charged a $100 fee for the missed appointment (insurance will not be billed for missed sessions). This same policy applies for our medication management appointments. Finally, please note that appointments that start late will on most occasions end on time.

It is the policy of your psychiatric provider to provide their patients with enough medication to last until your next appointment.

If you are prescribed medication, it is important to take your medication according to your prescriber’s instructions. Do not risk running out. For routine prescription refills, please CONTACT YOUR PHARMACY AND MAKE YOUR REQUEST AT LEAST 5 (FIVE) BUSINESS DAYS prior to the expiration of the prescription. Your pharmacy will either fax your psychiatric provider with a refill authorization request (our fax # is 541-868-2003) or send them an electronic refill request. Once the pharmacy has contacted your psychiatric provider, they need 48 to 72 hours to process your refill. Because of the volume of requests received each day, this office cannot personally call you to let you know that your prescription has been refilled. Simply check with your pharmacist at the end of the business day for the status.

Patients not seen in the past 3 months may be asked to schedule an appointment prior to a medication being refilled. Your psychiatric provider has the right to decline any refill request until you are seen. Medications will not be refilled on the weekends, holidays or after hours.

If prior authorization is required, your psychiatric provider will respond to the request from your insurance company. These requests can take up to 2 weeks to process by your insurance company. Neither your psychiatric provider nor Oregon Counseling LLC is responsible for your insurance company’s decision to pay for your medication.

Schedule 2 controlled substance medications cannot be called in and require a scheduled appointment and a new written prescription from your prescriber.

We are not available on-call and do not keep emergency hours. In order to provide consistently good service to our clients, we set limits on availability. We will always try to return phone calls or emails within a few hours when possible, however, for true emergencies, such as contemplating suicide, we advise people to call 911, or go to their nearest emergency room for safety, and ensure they get immediate attention.

How do I contact Oregon Counseling?

You can call or text us at 541-868-2004. You may also email us at info@eugenetherapy.com.

(Rescheduling or cancellations may only be done by phone or text).

To request a first-time appointment

Please contact our Patient Access Center (PAC) team by pressing 1 on our phone tree to be directly connected with them. They will work with you to find a clinician that meets your needs. Please check our insurance and payment tab to view a list of insurances that we are currently accepting.

If you are experiencing a mental health emergency

Please consider the following resources:

• Call or text the National Suicide Hotline at 988
• Text HOME to 741741
• Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room