(253) 499-4239

Frequently Asked Questions

​Balance Counseling and Wellness
26461 104th Ave SE
Kent, WA 98030-7668
(253) 499-4239 scheduling
​(253) 242-8828 clinical & coaching issues
​​Fax (253) 248-6134

​What kind of time commitment is necessary for successful therapy?

The number of sessions varies widely depending on your personal goals and other factors.  If you’ve struggled with multiple problems or have faced your challenges for a long period of time, therapy will usually take more time than if you are working on a single issue that is only minimally stressful or that is new to you. No matter what your goals, in order for therapy to be most successful, I strongly recommend taking the time to work on the things we talk about both during our sessions and at home in between appointments. According to research studies, people who believe that therapy will be successful, have a good working relationship with their therapist, and work on their issues during and between sessions are more likely to achieve the results they want in a shorter period of time.

Are you seeing clients online or by telephone? 

I provide services by using  Simple Practice. This is a secure telecommunications platform that is similar to Skype or Zoom, but is recommended for healthcare use.

Are you seeing clients in person? Where is your office located?

The vast majority of appointments are held via telehealth. I am no longer physically located at the Kent office. In-person appointments are available on occasion at the Executive Support Center, 14900 Interurban Ave. S.,  Suite 271, Seattle, WA 98168. Email alisa@experiencebalance.com if you are interested in scheduling an appointment at the office. In-person appointments are subject to an additional surcharge to cover hourly office rent and travel time.

How much do your services cost?

My standard fee is $250 for a 60-minute diagnostic interview and report and $200 for a 53-minute therapy session. In addition to scheduled appointments, I charge $200 per hour for most other professional services you may need, though I will break down the hourly cost proportionately if I work for periods of less than one hour.

Will my insurance cover your services?

Many of my services are covered by most insurance plans, and my billing office will do the insurance billing for you if you decide to use insurance. We will provide you with an estimate of your insurance benefits upon request.

Do you work with children?

Although I do work with adults on parenting issues, I do not work with children.
 
I'm not sure whether couple or individual therapy would be best for my situation. What are your thoughts?

If your concerns revolve around interactions within your relationship and you and your partner are both interested in working together to improve the quality of your relationship, then couple therapy will probably be more helpful to you. I usually prefer to have at least one session with each of you individually as part of the couple therapy so that I can more fully understand the life experiences each of you brings to your current relationship.

It is important to understand that if we work together in individual therapy for a significant number of sessions, if you decide at a later date that you would like to have your partner begin joining us in session, the focus will still be on your individual issues. Your partner can learn how to be more supportive to you in these sessions, but this is not the same as couple therapy, in which my goal is to understand each of your individual concerns and to help both of you experience a more rewarding relationship. I would probably find it impossible to understand your partner's viewpoint as thoroughly as yours if I am just getting to know him/her and I have known you for several weeks. If this situation were to come up and you decided to begin couple therapy, I would be happy to assist you with a referral. Of course, you would be welcome to continue working with me on an individual basis at the same time if you choose.