FAQs about Marriage Counseling in Rancho Cucamonga
Living in or around #RanchoCucamonga is wonderful, there’s so much to see and do in Rancho Cucamonga and the surrounding areas. There is also fantastic shopping and some of the best business in Rancho Cucamonga. But what happens when you and your spouse can’t enjoy all of what the city has to offer because you keep getting into the same ruts in your marriage?
When you know it’s time to see a marriage counselor, you probably begin by googling Marriage Counseling in Rancho Cucamonga, and you will find some amazing marriage counselors in Rancho Cucamonga! But the next step isn’t always so clear. You probably have a ton of questions and that is totally normal.
Not knowing what to ask can make you just stop in your tracks, but it doesn’t have to! I want you to get the best marriage counseling possible and know the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help you on your search.
Here is a list of FAQs that I hear from most clients who call for marriage counseling. I’m including things from conversations we have in our first few sessions and also things I wish clients in my marriage counseling sessions knew about the work:
Q. What is the fee for marriage counseling sessions?
A. In my practice, the fee for each 60-minute individual or couples session is $195. The fee for each 90-minute Discernment Counseling session is $295. You will find a range of fees in the area based on length of sessions and the experience of the therapist.
Q. How often should we come to marriage counseling sessions?
A. We have found that therapy works best when clients come in weekly. By the time many clients come to therapy they are really ready for a change. Having weekly sessions helps to get the process started, and helps to gain some momentum. Many things can be happening on a daily basis, and having weekly sessions allows opportunity to discuss those things as they happen and leaves less time for things to fester. My therapists continually evaluate the way things are going, and when you begin to feel relief and goals are being met, your therapist will discuss when meetings can become less frequent - typically in the termination phase of therapy.
Some couples prefer to come to marriage counseling every other week or less frequently. In my 16 years of practice working with couples as a marriage counselor, I have found that when couples come in less frequently their sessions become catch-up sessions. They check in and talk about all the things that have gone on during the past two weeks and then we have only a short amount of time to get into the meat of the important learnings and practices that are really going to create lasting change and help the couple reach the goals they set at the beginning of marriage counseling.
Q. How long should we continue to come to marriage counseling sessions?
A. Each person and situation is different and most clients come to therapy for 8-20 sessions, but the length of treatment is always up to you and your therapist. The length of treatment is based on the amount of change you want to make, how deep you're hurt is, and how committed you are to making lasting change.
In my practice I tell couples to plan to be in marriage counseling for at least 6 months. This is not an arbitrary number - it is the length of time it takes couples to begin to see lasting change happen. It is about the time the start to understand what is under their behaviors and when they begin to look at their triggers and unresolved trauma.
In the beginning, marriage counseling helps couples look at their issues from a behavioral standpoint and the satisfaction level increases because the couple is invested in doing the work and they feel hopeful about improving their marriage. They do their homework and show up to marriage counseling sessions and tend to be on their best behavior. But behavior change only lasts for so long and then the couple will find themselves engaging in some of their old patterns and things can feel a bit worse.
This is the point where my staff and I guide our clients and encourage them to truly lean into the process of marriage counseling. This is the point where the magic happens! It is where we help couples understand why it is so difficult for them to implement the behavioral changes - it typically has to do with unresolved traumas and attachment wounds and when we begin diving into those couples can truly transform their marriages.
Q. What if I want to use my insurance?
A. We do our best to keep our work in marriage counseling separate from insurance companies. In doing so, we find that clients are able to better reach their goals, and make more progress in therapy. Oftentimes insurance companies dictate the amount of sessions that clients need, and how work should be completed.
We believe that these decisions should be made by the client and therapist. Insurance companies also require that we make a clinical mental health diagnosis, which we do not believe is necessary in order for marriage counseling to be effective. While we do not provide insurance billing, we can however provide you with a receipt which is accepted from some PPO insurances, and a reimbursement may be provided.
Not working with insurance gives clients the utmost choice and control over their healing process, and it gives us the ability to set lower fees, and to have more time to focus on clients, which is what we really love to do!
If you need to use your insurance, that is totally understandable. Just make sure that marriage counseling is something that is covered directly by your insurance plan by calling them first and then asking them to send you a list of providers who take your particular insurance plan. That way there are no surprises once you get in to see the marriage counselor.
I hope this helps you find the right marriage counselor in Rancho Cucamonga. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call us at (909) 600-0306 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. We’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with marriage counseling, you can schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation here.
