FAQ

The counseling we provide is most effective when you incorporate the concepts discussed during sessions into your daily life, working on assignments between sessions, and living out the principles discussed from sessions. Sometimes things may get worse before they get better as you begin to uncover various emotions and experiences that have been suppressed. However, over time, clinically-informed biblical counseling will tend to produce positive results in many areas of life. If at any point you have any concerns about the effectiveness of your counseling sessions, please let your provider know as soon as possible so you can work with him or her to find ways for counseling to be more helpful; there are many different approaches that can be used, and communication is key when you are feeling stuck. Because of the nature of counseling, certain results cannot be guaranteed, and the timeline to achieve goals will vary and cannot always be accurately determined at the beginning of counseling. When necessary, to ensure you receive the appropriate coordination of care in conjunction with the counseling services you receive, with your consent, we will work with your physician, psychiatrist, and other individuals who care for your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual condition. To review the availability and particular approaches of each of our counselors, see Our Team page.

Yes! While all of our providers are evangelical Christians, the role of your provider is to help guide you to deal with your presenting concerns in a way that is consistent with Scripture, added by evidenced-based clinical approaches, irrespective of your particular denominational perspective.

Yes! While we believe that real change comes when people learn to see themselves and their problems in the context of a living, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, this does not mean, however, that you must be a Christian to profit from our counseling. Although we believe that deep and lasting change is brought about only by God, Himself, we never desire to bring the Bible to bear on anyone’s life or circumstances in an artificial or heavy-handed way. If at any point you have concerns about how the Bible is used in your counseling sessions, please communicate these concerns to your provider as soon as possible.

All of the providers at Bridgehaven work on a donation basis. We have made intentional efforts to keep our operating expenses extremely low. However, there are some expenses that are unavoidable. While the comparable-market-value for counseling services in the Raleigh-Durham area has increased in the last several years, we have been able to maintain our suggested donation range. For our staff counselors, our suggested donation range is $75 to $125 per 50-minute session with a minimum suggested donation of $50. For our counseling interns, we suggest a donation range of $50 to $75 per 50-minute session, with a minimum suggested donation of $25.

After your session, your provider will simply ask you how much you would like to donate for the service you received that day. You will receive a donation request via email for the amount you have agreed upon with your provider. The donation request can either be paid in-office with cash or check, or remotely by credit card or bank draft. Or, you may mail a check to the office for your donation. Please note: a $15 service charge is added to your donation for returned checks.

Donations should be in accord with what an individual has, not according to what he or she does not have. Therefore, no one will be refused counseling because of the amount of his or her donation. If you do not feel like you can make a minimum donation of $50 per 50-minute session for your staff counselor or the minimum donation of $25 per 50-minute session for your counseling intern at this time, we encourage you to either talk to your provider about what you may be able to commit to donating per session, or to ask your personal support systems for help (i.e. family, friends, your local church). Many churches are happy to help their members receive the care Bridgehaven provides. Please visit our Scholarships page for more information.

Bridgehaven is not currently paneled with any insurance provider. All counseling services provided by Bridgehaven are considered self-pay. We cannot file insurance on your behalf. Additionally, most of our staffed counselors have chosen to serve as non-licensed counselors. Thus, our staff counselors do not generally provide any medical or diagnosis codes, which is oftentimes necessary for insurance reimbursements. We do provide you an invoice for each session which you can use to try to file with your insurance provider. Any particular arrangements for reimbursements by an insurance provider, however, remain strictly between the client and the insurance provider.

Yes. As a part of your care, there may be times when either you or your provider may desire to involve the insights or participation of other individuals or professionals (mental health, medical, educational, spiritual) for the purpose of consultation or cooperative care. When required, we comply with legitimate requests for the process of legal proceedings (e.g., in the event of a subpoena). Or, there may be a time when you ask your provider to provide you a Summary of Record.

Consultation/Cooperative Care:
When necessary, either you or your provider may desire to involve the insights or participation of other individuals or professionals (mental health, medical, educational, spiritual) for the purpose of consultation or cooperative care. A signed Release of Information will be requested by your provider prior to involving any other individual or professional in the counseling process. Your provider will not initiate or respond to either consultation or cooperative care requests prior to receiving the signed Release of Information. Limited consultation and cooperative care sessions will be offered pro-bono. Additional donations, however, will be requested for regular or on-going consultation or cooperative care sessions (more than 3). Donation requests for regular or on-going consultation or cooperative care sessions will be invoiced to the client(s) in 30-minute increments at the rate of $45 per half-hour.

Legal Proceedings:
When required, we comply with legitimate requests for information for law enforcement purposes, and for the process of legal proceedings (e.g., in the event of a subpoena).

If your provider is requested to present information for court, he or she will give the least amount of information possible to fulfill the request. If he or she is requested to appear in court, your provider will talk with you about the requested information. Additional donations may be requested based on the amount of time required to respond to any court-related matters. Donation requests for court-related matters will be invoiced to the client(s) in 30-minute increments at the rate of $45 per half-hour.

Summary of Records:
Bridgehaven Counseling Associates (BCA) does not release to any client or their representative(s) full case-files related to services the client has received through BCA. When a request for records is made, BCA will provide a Summary of Records which will include: the duration of counseling; the primary and secondary goals pursued and concerns addressed in counseling; and any resolutions that were noted as having occurred through counseling. If your provider is requested to provide a Summary of Records, the summary will generally be provided within 30 business days from the time the request is received. If necessary the identification of the individual making the request will be verified to confirm the one making the request has the proper authority to make the request, either for themselves, or on behalf of the client(s). Additional donations may be requested based on the amount of time required to draft the Summary of Records. Donation requests for a Summary of Records will be invoiced to the client(s) in 30-minute increments at the rate of $45 per half-hour, not to exceed a 2-hour maximum.

Generally, no. The IRS has determined that, “If you receive a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, you can deduct only the amount of your contribution that is more than the value of the benefit you receive” (See IRS Publication 526). As such, when donations are made to Bridgehaven in exchange for personal counseling services, the donation is considered non-tax-deductible. Only the amount donated in excess of the maximum comparable-market-value would be deductible for a given counseling session.

While most of our providers see clients Monday through Thursday, 10-5, some offer morning hours, evening hours, and/or sessions on Fridays. Each provider also has certain slots on their schedule that are reserved for first-time clients. Once you have been seen for your first-time session, the rest of your provider’s availability is open to you. To review the availability and particular approaches of each of our providers, see Our Team page.

Yes! In fact, while most of our providers offer both in-office and online sessions, a few of our providers only offer online sessions. To review the availability and particular approaches of each of our providers, see Our Team page.

Yes! As a part of the in-take process you will have the opportunity to indicate if you have a particular staff counselor or counseling intern you would like to see. Our clinical director will review your intake paperwork and will typically try to pair you with the provider of your choice. If, however, the clinical director believes a different provider would better suit your needs, or if a particular provider is not currently available and another provider may be able to see you more quickly, alternative providers will be suggested to you. To review the availability and particular approaches of each of our providers, see Our Team page.

To initiate the scheduling process, please visit the Request Care page. Once all of your intake paperwork is received and reviewed, our office will contact you to schedule your first-time session with your provider. Each provider has certain slots on their schedule that are reserved for first-time clients. Once you have been seen for your first-time session, the rest of your provider’s availability is open to you. To review the availability and particular approaches of each of our providers, see Our Team page.

We require a 48-hour notice if you wish to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Please always contact your provider directly to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If you fail to provide a 48-hour notice, your provider may ask you to make a $50 donation for your missed appointment.

Our administrative office is open Monday through Thursday 9-3. The administrative office is closed Fridays and weekends. To get in touch with our administrative office staff, please visit the Contact page.

When you arrive at building 2304, you will find our glass door entrance at the right end of the building facing S. Miami Blvd. Enter in through the center glass door (Suite 222), which opens to the stairway to the second story office suites. At the top of the stairs, please enter the 1st door on your left – this is our waiting room. There is no need to check-in; just make yourself at home and your provider will greet you soon as he or she is available. Also please note that our office is on the second floor, and unfortunately, we do not have an elevator. If the lack of accessibility is an issue for you, please let us know.