- 1. Since I can usually handle my problems, do I really need counseling?
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Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, counseling is for people who have enough self-awareness to know when they are in too deep to go it alone, and that is truly something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are at in life and making a commitment to change the situation for the better by seeking help from a trained professional. Counseling provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to recognize and avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.
We usually don't hesitate to call a professional plumber, car mechanic, or bookkeeper when we need help in those areas of our lives. When we need help in personal matters or relationships, why wouldn't we also call a professional to help? - 2. How can counseling help me?
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A number of benefits are available from participating in counseling. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Counselors can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem, or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from counseling depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from counseling include:
- Getting a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communications and listening skills
- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
- 3. Is medication a substitute for counseling?
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In some cases, a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action. Working with your medical doctor, you can determine what is best for you. It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional challenges and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Therefore, instead of just treating the symptom, counseling addresses the cause of our distresses and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative and holistic approach to wellness.
- 4. How long will I/we need to be in counseling?
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How long you remain in counseling is a matter best left in your hands. Counseling is a process and change does not happen overnight. For instance, you will be given homework periodically and asked to apply what you are learning to your everyday life. So a good way to look at the process and time frame is to be sure you are putting as much into it as you can in session and outside of the session as well. However, if at any point you feel that counseling is not helping, please inform us and we will work together to find out what we can do to help the process be more effective.
That being said, counseling goals can be accomplished in a few short weeks or can take a year or more. Our goal that our help would not be needed by you anymore. When that has been accomplished, we are content because you are. - 5. What is counseling like at RCS? What should I expect?
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You can expect a very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Our counselors pride themselves on making you feel right at home. You will also be able to set the pace of the sessions… no one will force you to go where you aren't ready to go. They may encourage you for your own good, but you will not be forced.
Every counseling session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during counseling sessions. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around fifty minutes or more depending on your needs. The counseling process can can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain emotions. It is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life between sessions. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. People seeking counseling are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives. Here are some things you can expect out of counseling and your counselor:- Compassion, respect and understanding
- Perspectives to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings
- Real strategies for enacting positive change
- Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance
- An unbiased, objective, and fresh perspective on the issue you are struggling with
- 6. Is counseling at RCS Biblical?
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Your faith is an important aspect of who you are, and we respect that! In fact, our counseling services can integrate biblical principles in addition to the findings of scientific research.
If you prefer to keep your counseling sessions secular, that's not a problem either. We will always do what's best for you in helping you to reach your goals in a manner that you are most comfortable with.
The counseling is about you and for you, not about us. Our only agenda is to help you the best way that we can. - 7. My spouse and I need counseling, but he/she refuses to come. What should I do?
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We realize how disappointing it is to not have your spouse want to participate with you in counseling. But you do not have to go through this alone!
Although it would be beneficial if your spouse did attend relationship counseling with you, your relationship can still improve by working on your contribution to the relationship. Your RCS counselor will work with you to explore what patterns have developed that are keeping you and your spouse from experiencing the marriage you both desire. We will discuss the ways that you can change and feel better about yourself which many times increases the chance that your spouse will want to join you in the future. - 8. Is counseling at RCS confidential?
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In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and therapist. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. However, there are a few exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:
- Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person, the therapist is required to notify the police.
- If a client intends to harm himself or herself, the therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.
- 9. What is your cancellation policy?
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Here is our official policy on cancellations:
"For all of us at RCS to work efficiently and to keep our fees reasonable, we require a minimum of 24 hours notice to cancel an appointment scheduled Tuesday - Saturday.
We require a minimum of 48 hours notice to cancel an appointment that is scheduled on a Monday.
If a timely notice of a cancelation is not given, you will be charged for the scheduled appointment.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and understanding."
We feel that this is the fairest way for us to respect each other's time. - 10. How do I get started at RCS?
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We prefer that you contact us by phone at (909) 255-1250. This way we can be sure that we have answered all of your questions and helped you find the counselor who is the best fit for you. Additionally, you can use the general "Contact Us" form here.
If you call, we will usually offer to set up a FREE 20 minute phone consultation with no obligation whatsoever. It really is the best way for us to break the ice with you and address some of your concerns.
You can schedule your first appointment using our convenient online scheduler by clicking here, but we do ask that you call us first so that we can help you find the right counselor for you. The schedules, specialties, and fees of our staff counselors varies greatly.
Be sure to visit the Helpful Forms page (if one is available for your counselor) to download your Intake Form, Limits of Confidentiality Form, and (if needed) the No Secrets Policy. If applicable, fill out each form and bring it with you to your first appointment. Your counselor will usually instruct you on which forms to bring with you to your first appointment. - 11. Does RCS accept insurance?
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We do not bill any insurance companies. There are several reasons for this and they benefit you (our clients) in very important ways.
We are a fee-for-service counseling office, which means that you pay for service when you come in and we do not file insurance claims on your behalf. Nevertheless, if you decide to file your own claim for reimbursement from your insurance company, we will be happy to provide you, as a courtesy, with the super-bill* you will need. In this scenario, you are dealing with your insurance company instead of us. Many of our current clients do this. We recommend that you contact your insurance company in advance to see if they will reimburse you for "out-of-network counseling" or "out-of-network neurofeedback" if this is important to you.
Also, by having you fill out and mail the insurance claim form instead of us, we can keep our rates reasonable. This arrangement also allows our counselors to spend more time in session with you instead of filling out insurance forms! Most other counselors will give you 40-45 minutes for an appointment, at Restoration Counseling Service you will get nearly 55 minutes every time! That's about 25% more time working for you. The truth is that we don't enjoy filling out those forms any more than you do, but do you really want to pay someone else to fill out your forms or to focus on solid, helpful counseling? We agree.
Because we don't divert our attention to deal with insurance companies, you will benefit from shorter waiting room times, more focused attention from your counselor, longer appointments, and overall better care. Furthermore, when insurance companies are involved, their needs and procedures often become the driving force of the counseling, not what is in the best interest of you, our client. Do you want your counselor spending their time meeting the needs of your insurance company or answering solely to you?
Additionally, many insurance companies will have a set number of sessions they allow per diagnosis. In other words, if your marriage is in trouble the insurance company may allow you 6 sessions of marriage counseling per their policy. How can they determine that you need 6 sessions when they don't even know what your specific challenges are or the magnitude of those challenges? This is like an auto mechanic who has never seen your car saying that an oil change will fix your car after the transmission fell out!
Lastly, some insurance companies do not cover Associate Marriage and Family Therapists. We do have several associates at RCS. If you plan to get reimbursement from your insurance company, be sure you know how they handle reimbursement for associates on our staff as well.
In summary, we do firmly believe that your counseling needs are best determined by you and your counselor only, without an insurance company in the middle.
*If you would like to request a super-bill, you must initiate this with your counselor. We suggest that you request a super-bill for no fewer than 4 appointments since including less than 4 will multiply the time needed from everyone involved (our office staff, your counselor, any supervisors at RCS, and you). Once you have made your request, and the counselor notifies our client ambassadors of the proper coding for your super-bill (length of time may vary depending on counselors work schedules, vacation time, etc.), we will put your super-bill together and work on getting the signatures required to complete the document your insurance company will need. It may take up to another week to get the signatures required and insurance companies often require multiple signatures per super-bill. We appreciate your patience and we will do our best to get the completed super-bill to you in a timely manner. This whole process could take us up to four weeks. Also we can only provide super-bills for sessions during the previous 12 months. - 12. What are your fees and what kinds of payment do you accept?
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Understanding Fees
We actually offer different fees depending on what your needs are and which one of our counselors is the best fit for your needs. We don't expect you to know how to pick the best counselor for you, we pride ourselves on being the experts in that regard and would love to help yo with the best fit when you call us at 909-255-1250.
To find each counselor's fees, go to our "Fees" page. (You will find it below the "Schedules" link in the navigation bar near the top of the screen.) Additionally, you can schedule a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation with one of our counselors to be certain if they are a good fit for you. Finally, a phone consultation will give us the opportunity to find out more about you and your situation and to see if what we have to offer would be the best option for you.
Methods of Payment
You can pay for your counseling by cash, check, credit card, or RCS gift card. As far as credit cards are concerned, we accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards. Also, whether you prefer to use a credit card or not, your credit card information will be needed to secure your online appointments. Additionally, if you decide to pay by credit card, this will allow us to quickly process your payment at the end of your appointment and you will receive maximum session time from your counselor.
About Credit Card Security
We use a large and well-established and reputable credit card processor that is PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliant. While there'll always be some degree of risk associated with handling and transmitting sensitive data, processing credit cards with a reputable payment processor is vital to keep that risk minimal. Once your credit card data is entered into our system (either by you or a staff member), that data becomes encrypted and is not accessible by anyone on our staff.
The payment system we use runs a “preauthorization” for $1.00 to make sure each credit card is valid before use. This pre-authorization never actually gets charged and is more like an inquiry on your account. While this is a fairly standard credit card practice, not all companies are transparent with what happens in the background – we are happy to say that we are. - 13. Is there a way for me to help someone with the cost of their counseling? [GIFT CARDS]
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Gift Cards
We are often amazed by the kindness of people who want to help others find healing and wholeness in their lives by paying for a portion of their services at RCS. The only problem with this is that our counselors are legally bound to confidentiality laws which means we are unable to acknowledge if the person you want to help pay for is a client or not! We have come up with a solution. E-gift cards.
Here's how it works:- You can purchase e-gift cards in any amount up to $800 each.
- You text or email the e-gift card to the recipient (or you can send it to yourself and print the gift card, then give it in person).
- They use it at RCS (and only RCS) just like cash
- Confidentiality is maintained for the same of our client.
- You can give anonymously by sending the gift card to yourself, then forwarding to our office (just call us before you do).
Just click on this link or on the picture below:
https://www.giftfly.ca/shop/restoration-counseling-service
You can also use the link above (click on the gift card) to check the balance of any purchased gift card by using the "Check Balance" feature in the top-right corner.
- 14. Does RCS offer low cost or no cost counseling options?
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We cannot offer low cost or no cost options for our premium services. The old saying, "You get what you pay for" certainly applies here as well.
We have chosen not to bill insurance companies which we believe allows us to offer better counseling and better service than anyone else in the Inland Empire. See Do you accept insurance on this page for more information on how to use your existing insurance to pay for our services.
Nonetheless, we want to help those who need it even if Restoration Counseling Service is not the right fit for you. Below are four counseling options that offer no/low-cost counseling services. We do not have information about which insurance companies they bill, since this changes often.
1. County of San Bernardino Dept. of Behavioral Health - (909) 381- 2420
2. The Community Counseling Center - (909) 537- 5569
3. Catholic Charities - (909) 763- 4970
4. Loma Linda Social Action Community Health System - (909) 382- 7100 - 15. What if I need a receipt of my appointments/payments for tax purposes?
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The most accurate way for you to get an accounting of what you spent at RCS for tax purposes (or something similar) is to search your credit card or banking statement for Restoration Counseling Service. Most banking websites will let you run a report and/or will also let you search and sort by dates too.
Since we don't bill insurance companies directly, we really don't have a need for the kind of accounting software needed to run this report for clients. The way we see it, when we are able to run efficiently and save money on things like this, that means we are keeping our fees reasonable for you. - 16. Can you help me to understand what an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist is?
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That is a great question and we would expect that most people would have little idea of how this works.
The process for becoming a state licensed counselor (either a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist [LMFT] or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor [LPCC]) is a long and arduous one. A person must complete both an undergraduate degree and a graduate (masters) degree. Next, they must seek many hours of counseling themselves so that they can accurately understand what counseling is like from a client perspective. At this point, they can become a Trainee, working closely with a state-certified supervisor. Once this stage has been successfully completed, a trainee can become an associate. By this time, most people in this field are about 5 years into their formal education and are ready to begin their associate status. From this point, it usually takes 3-4 years to acquire the 3000 hours needed to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.
So, when you see that some of our counselors are associates, that should mean several things to you:- This person has been in this field for many years.
- This person has a reasonable amount of experience in this field.
- This person works closely with a supervisor which gives you the benefit of two professionals working on your behalf.
- This person is usually able to offer a lower fee.
- This person is already a good counselor or they never would have made it this far in their education and they never would have been added to our team at RCS!
If you ever have questions about our associates, please reach out to Nichoel Kimmerle, the director at RCS at nichoel@restorationcs.com. - 17. What is Neurofeedback? What conditions can be treated?
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Neurofeedback is systematically teaching the brain to forget bad habits and learn good habits instead. Neurofeedback is possible using a high-tech computer system that allows your brain activity to be monitored on a computer screen. After the areas where the brain is misbehaving are identified, it can be retrained.
Once you understand HOW it works, it makes perfect sense WHY it works. For Restoration Counseling Service it represents a new set of tools in our "Helping you to become all that you were intended to be" toolbox.
Correctable conditions include:- stress
- headaches/migraines
- diagnoses of ADHD/ADD
- Autism and developmental delays
- speech delay
- anxiety
- seizures
- anger outbursts
- oppositional defiance
- depression
- insomnia
- nightmares
- night terrors
- bedwetting
- teeth grinding
- TMJ or “Lock jaw”
- narcolepsy
- daytime sleepiness
- dyslexia
- cerebral palsy
- restless leg syndrome (RLS)
- and more.
If you have questions that you would like answered before you get started with neurofeedback, please contact one of our client ambassadors at (909) 255-1250. You can learn more about neurofeedback at a special web page devoted to it here. - 18. Does the staff at RCS provide video counseling, telehealth, as an option to in-person therapy?
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Video counseling, often referred to as telehealth, has gained considerable momentum in recent years. For about the last five years now, we have studied whether or not this counseling option would be beneficial to our clients. To figure out whether or not we offer telehealth an option for our clients will always be driven by one core question, which is, "What is best for our clients and their counseling progress?"
Let's discuss what is best for our clients. We all would agree that there is a certain convenience to video counseling for both clients and their therapists, nonetheless there are drawbacks to consider in any balanced approach. When it comes to what is best for our clients, we must acknowledge that these drawbacks would be a hinderance to providing the kind of helpful, engaged, consistent quality counseling that we are known for. Chief among those hinderances are:- inherent latency issues (the time lag when streaming video)
- having to deal with technical issues (devices, software, internet connection, etc.)
- those technical issues resulting in lost therapy time
- the ability to guarantee secure, encrypted internet access from both sides of the conversation
- confidentiality often cannot be controlled on the client side
- counselors will have diminished capability to "read" their clients when not in the same room
- sessions not as productive with these barriers to communication
We would all agree that relationships on social media are not as rich as they are in person. We feel that this is a fitting comparison for Telehealth as well – that a relationship between a client and their therapist is better in person. Unless there are considerable advances in quality and simplicity, we cannot feel confident about offering telehealth as a permanent alternative counseling option to our clients.
On the other hand, there are certainly times when someone cannot come into our office for counseling because they are sick, they are having transportation issues, or various other reasons. Furthermore, there may be times when one of our staff cannot meet in person. When this is the case, we do want to bring the kind of quality counseling we are known for into these sessions as as much as possible. This is the reason why we will offer both video and phone sessions as an option whenever in-person sessions cannot be reasonably accommodated.
In summary, we remain committed to the benefits of in-person counseling, but video and phone sessions can be a temporary alternative for someone who wants to stay consistent with their appointments, but is unable to do so in person for a time. - 19. The person who answers the phones at RCS is called a Client Ambassador. What does that mean?
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We are so glad this question gets asked!
In most places of business, the person who answers the phones is called a receptionist. Our Client Ambassadors do so much more than merely answer phones. In fact, we want our Client Ambassadors to work for you, hence a name that denotes they are ambassadors, or advocates, for you, our clients.
Let's be honest, calling the office of a counselor can be intimidating. You don't know what to expect or what questions to ask or even if a counselor is what you need. And that is precisely the reason why we have a highly trained staff that works for YOU when you call us.
Our Client Ambassadors are easy to talk to, they understand a great deal about counseling and our staff of counselors, they will guide in all of the right questions, and ultimately help you connect with exactly the right counselor for you. They do this very specialized job so well that we refer to them as our office ninjas — ninjas who are here to fight for you, not against you!
If you need help with a challenge, but have no idea where to start, who to call, or what to ask, then just call our office at (909) 255-1250 and see what we mean when you put our Client Ambassadors to work for you.
Common Questions or Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ's]
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