Frequently Asked Questions

How can therapy help me?

I hear a lot of questions about if therapy is the right option, “If I don’t have a traumatic event, do I need therapy?” “I’ve been thinking about therapy for a while but I don’t know if what I was going through was that bad or thinking that I would take away a spot from someone who really needed it.” Therapy is used for many things, not just traumatic events or recovering from mental health conditions. Sometimes things don’t feel quite “right” – there’s a dissatisfaction in your routine, you’re feeling less fulfilled, more drained, experiencing never ending exhaustion, or trying to figure out how to build a skill that’s been a struggle for you like making friends or trying to date. Therapy is a process of untangling the necklace of your life where you struggle the most with knots. Some knots you can handle on your own, others life will handle for you, and then those stubborn ones that have been following you around for some time like to make themselves known in not-so-fun ways.

I feel like I have my problems under control. Do I really need therapy?

Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. It is up to you to decide if what you’re experiencing right now you can tolerate for another year? 5 years? 10 years? What is left unchecked in your mind can maintain frustrating patterns for your daily living or grow like mold into disconnecting you from your values, what brings you fulfillment and satisfaction, and your ability to rest.

How will I know therapy is working?

You’ll notice more awareness of the “why’ you do things and how the patterns you’ve been in have been present/maintained for so long. You’ll be able to see what your needs actually are, how to meet them, and create space for yourself without sacrificing parts of who you are (you cannot set yourself on fire to keep other people warm). When you start connecting to your values, you’ll start to make different choices in how you do things, interact with others, and overall live your life. These small changes done consistently can give you the breathing space you’ve been looking for – you’re worth figuring out what changes need to be made and how.

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

Yes, with a few exceptions: if you are of harm to yourself (suicidal intent -/+ plan), harm to others (homicidal intent -/+ plan), if you’re endangering another who can’t protect themselves like a minor, a disabled person, or elderly person (abuse/neglect), as applicable by state laws, or releasing information for insurance reimbursement/medical billing purposes.

Can I decide to see a different therapist?

Yes! If you’re working with a therapist and concerned it’s not the best fit, let them know what is on your mind to see if there is a block in treatment, transference of some kind, or you may need more specialized care (not all treatments are created equal). Your therapist will help you in the direction you need to go – even if that is somewhere else or to a higher level of care to get the support you need – we’re here throughout the entire process for assistance.

Will you get tired of hearing me talk about the same things over and over again?

These are patterns that may not have been examined/exposed to another person in depth before, these things can take time to recognize the message and purpose of the pattern (or practice building tolerance with). Whether it’s ruminations, health anxiety, mental compulsions, a break-up, family resentments – we will talk about it as long as you need to.

How can I prepare for appointments?
  • Each therapist has their own style of work they ask for between appointments: answering journal prompts/reflections, reading books, reviewing step work or step workbooks, or practicing a new skill.
  • Christine recommends keeping a small notebook you can jot session insights and “aha” moments down in – it’s 2022 and you’re probably a bit fried from the stress in the world, it’s okay to take notes to read later vs. rely on a memory that is burned out remembering everything else you’re trying to take care of. A tiny notebook will be mailed to you free of charge at your request.
I feel I can express myself better in another language. Do you offer sessions in any other languages?

Currently, Christine offers some support in this area for clients who are Ukrainian or Russian speaking – she speaks at an intermediate level, but reads Cyrillic as fast as a first grader, so communication via writing will be slower.

How can I tell if a therapist is a good match for me?

A good match with a therapist is someone that can reflect an understanding of what you’re going through outside of reflecting feelings back to you. Someone who can look at your concerns and give you an idea of why you may be experiencing this, what you’ll have to be willing to do to change it, and then explaining the steps in between to help you believe you can. The right therapist may also tell you things you’re afraid to hear but you can trust they’re doing it because they know you’re capable of change. They will hold you accountable to the life you want to build. The right therapist will also have the training to back up what they claim they can help you with – click here to download our free Questions to Ask a Therapist PDF to get an idea of how to phrase these questions.

Will my insurance cover our sessions? How does that work?
  • Orchid House Counseling, LLC does not take insurance and is a private pay practice. Not accepting insurance provides clients more freedom in sessions (no denial of care or limiting sessions) and protects privacy (no one requesting your records, diagnoses lasting the life of your insurance chart).
  • Depending on your insurance policy, you may have out of network benefits that can cover the cost of therapy. Contact your insurer and ask to speak to your behavioral health case manager to review your out of network benefits to see if the cost can be offset by a reimbursement for sessions or if the cost can be applied to your deductible.
  • Orchid House Counseling, LLC will provide you with what’s called “Superbills” – a term used to describe a form that has a summary of the sessions you attended with payments applied.
  • Sliding scale slots are currently full.
Do you prescribe medication?
  • Orchid House Counseling, LLC does not contract with any medical providers or mental health professionals that are credentialed to write prescriptions.
  • Our clients are referred to Dr. Elizabeth Gnagy at Upside Psychiatry, who is currently accepting new patients, for medication management. Dr. Gnagy is a double Board Certified Physician in General Adult Psychiatry and Neurology as well as specialty training in Addiction Medicine. She provides telepsychiatric care for patients ages 6-64 in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. She accepts the following insurances: Aetna, Cigna, Optum, Oxford, Oscar Health, and United Healthcare. Patients are also welcome to self pay using a major credit card, FSA, or HSA. She cannot accept patients with Medicare or Medicaid at this time. Her information can be found here: https://www.upsidepsychiatry.com/
Do you have evening or weekend availability?

Each therapist has their own individual schedule that may include working evenings and weekends – please follow up during the consultation if the therapist you’re interested in offers this. Christine does not hold evening (5PM or later) or weekend appointments.

How do I schedule a consultation?
  • You can contact the individual therapist from their “About Me” page at the bottom which lists their phone number and email address or use the website contact form at the bottom of their “About Me” page.
  • All other inquiries – you can email Christine at christine@orchidhousecounseling.com , call at 407-584-1437 and leave her a message, or go to the “Contact” page and complete the form from there. All contacts are returned within 24hrs Monday – Friday. She’ll help you get the answers you need and help you book multiple consults to see which counselor is the best fit for you.
How do I schedule an appointment?

After meeting with your therapist during the consultation, you can inquire about their available hours and book individually with them.

How long will I have to wait to see someone for my first appointment?
  • Christine has a 1 week wait sometimes for consultations. This can extend to 2 weeks for intakes because they are 90min long.
  • TJ, Alyssa, and Andrea have immediate availability and can book your consult and/or intake within the week, permitting your schedule.
What will happen during my initial session? I’m a bit anxious about it.
  • Your initial session will be an intake session which is 90min long (rate $195). During this appointment, your therapist will be asking questions to gather your history regarding: family, social life, trauma, work, education, health, relationships, and ask other questions to assess your mental health (if a diagnosis is necessary). Sometimes you may need an additional session depending on your history – it is important the therapist has an understanding of what is most important to you and we offer as much time as you need to share it with us.
  • After the intake is complete, the therapist will let you know their treatment recommendations: weekly or biweekly sessions, if you need a higher level of care, types of therapy that can be used to help you achieve your goals.
  • Please note that you can do trauma therapy only (1-5 sessions or 12 sessions for CPT) – you are not required to do general sessions in between.