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What Do Services Cost?
The Samaritan's fee is $90 an hour for. It is the mission of the Samaritan Center however, to adjust our fees as funding allows for those who need help but cannot afford the standard fee.
To cover below-cost care, the Samaritan Center seeks contributions from individuals, congregations, businesses, civic groups, corporations, and private and public philanthropic organizations. Their donations go into the Center's client assistance fund out of which subsidies are drawn to assist those in need.
Other Service Fees:
- There is a one-time administrative processing fee of $15.
- The fee for spiritual direction is $50 per hour.
- Premarital Counseling is $300.00 for the four session package and $350.00 for the five session package.
How do I know if I need counseling?
What if my loved one refuses to attend with me?
What's the difference between Spiritual Direction and Counseling?
What if i'm not looking for "faith-based" help.
Do you provide services to churches and clergy?
What is Counseling Like?
If you have never been in counseling before, it's hard to know what to expect. At its simplest, counseling is a helpful. formalized relationship with a knowledgeable person. It can also help to reduce stress, relieve emotional pain, improve family functioning, and clarity priorities and values. By coming to the Center periodically and sitting and talking with a therapist for about an hour, you actively enlist the help of trained professional.
All sessions are conducted in a confidential setting. The first step is for an interested individual to call the Center at (916) 456-4614 and request an appointment. A few brief questions will be asked to determine which counselor is best suited to your concerns.
We need to know about your availability (for scheduling purposes) and whether you prefer a male or female therapist. We will also ask for a brief explanation of your reason for seeking counseling at this time. We will inform you or our fees, ask about insurance (if any), and establish eligibility for financial assistance (if appropriate).
During the first appointment, you will meet with the therapist to discuss things like your family history, the current problem, the goals for therapy, and how often and when to meet. Under some circumstances, your therapist may ask you to sign a release of information from so he or she may gather pertinent information from other professionals like your physician or a previous therapist. All such consultations are only with your permission as needed.
Couple's therapy may begin with each individual having a private session with the therapist or with both of you attending together. Your therapist will discuss this with you on the phone before you come in.
The length (number of sessions) depends on the issues being addressed and the therapy goals you identify with your therapist. Both brief and longer-term services are available. The average number of sessions for clients at the Center is ten.
How do I know if I need counseling?
Most people wait until some kind of crisis occurs before going to counseling. Obviously, if you're having a crisis, you'll know it. But what about other times when professional help could be instrumental. Here is a partial list of questions to ask yourself when considering whether to enter counseling:
- Am I struggling with a relationship and confused about why it continues not to work?
- Have I recently experienced major life changes in my relationships, work, family, or health?
- Am I experiencing some of the symptoms of addiction, codependency, anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, or grief?
- Do I feel the need to talk about my concerns and problems but not know anyone I feel I can trust to hold my confidence?
- Have I been given an ultimatum by a spouse, employer, adult child, etc. that if I don't get professional assistance an undesirable consequence will result?
What if my loved one refuses to attend with me?
Sometimes the person you most want to attend counseling with is not willing to take part in the process. In this circumstance, we advise you to enter counseling alone at first. There you can discuss the problem with your Center therapist. He or she can help you explore other ways to communicate your needs and desires to your loved one. This may result in you both attending therapy together, or result in insight you can use to make important decisions about the your relationship with your loved one.
What if I'm not looking for "faith-based" help?
Although the Center welcomes people of faith, we also welcome people who either do not choose a faith or don't want to talk about they're spiritual life. The way you use our services is completely up to you. We do not impose our individual or collective views on others, rather, we create an open space for healing by hearing your story and offering guidance and support based on many years of training, clinical work, and our own experience.
What's the difference between Spiritual Direction and Counseling?
Generally, individuals who have an interest in both areas should address counseling-related issues first. This is because these issues tend to come up in Spiritual Direction anyway and if they have not first been addressed in counseling progress in your spiritual development can be impaired. For information on what Spiritual Direction is, click here.
Counseling helps you to explore, understand, address, and resolve problems in your relationships, personal psychological functioning, and general quality of life. Spiritual Direction helps you notice, attend to, and interact with the presence of God in your life.
Do you provide services to churches and clergy?
As a faith-based counseling and community resource Center, we provide a number of services to clergy and places of worship in the area:
- Clergy-sensitive counseling for pastors and their loved ones. An appreciation of the stresses particular to clergy and their families is present in the counseling setting. Pastors from a wide variety of denominations have taken advantage of this Center offering.
- Consultative services for pastors and their staff. Periodically it is helpful to have someone outside your congregation to turn to for advice. The staff of the Samaritan Counseling Center is a resource for such inquiries.
- Mediation services for staff, governing boards, thrift shops, choirs, etc. On occasion disputes arise within congregations that are awkward for the pastor to handle. The Samaritan staff has therapists experienced in doing mediation that are available to help resolve differences and encourage healing.
- Stephen Ministry consultation and training. The staff of the Center is available to assist pastors with their on-going training of lay ministers.
- Education resources Samaritan staff members regularly provide classes and workshops for congregations. Topics are customized to the needs of the requesting congregation.
What if I can't afford it?
The Center offers a variety of programs aimed at making our services available to all in need, regardless of income. These programs include:
- Adjusted Fee Schedule
- This allows clients with a gross household income of $17,000 and $63,999 to pay adjusted fees which range from $40 to $85 per therapy hour.
- Client Assistance Fund
- This funding source allows clients with a gross household income of $1999 and $16,000 to receive adjustments and subsidies which result in copayments ranging from $5 to $35 per session. Services under this fund are limited to five sessions per client per year and are contingent upon subsidies being available at the time of application.
- Grant Programs
- There may be a grant program administered by the Center for which you are eligible. If you apply for financial assistance, we will inform you of any special programs you qualify for.
- Church Support
- If your are part of a faith community, they may have money set aside to help with the counseling needs of parishioners. The Center has cooperative arrangements with several churches. If you wish, we can bill your church directly for the amount they agree to cover.