If you have tried calling and the phone is not answered, it is because the intake coordinator has several duties to fill. To get a call back, you have to leave a voicemail.

If you do not want to wait for a call back, you can click the "Request a Consultation" button at the top. This will take you to the portal, where you can schedule a free 20-min phone consultation. You will be asked some questions that will help the therapist when it comes time for the consultation call.

If you are calling to see if your insurance is accepted, please call your insurance company to see if the therapist is on your insurance list of approved providers. Or you can go to the rates page to see the list of insurance the provider accepts. This does not mean that it is a guarantee the provider is listed on your insurance plan. Always call your insurance company to verify.

If you are calling to see what the rate is, please go to the rate page, where the rate for service is listed.

If you are calling to see what your copay will be, you need to call your insurance company and ask what your copay will be since there is no way to verify your insurance benefits or what your copay will be without the intake paperwork being completed.

We work with clients who are 8 years or older.

Please check the therapists page to see what age they work with.

Accepted insurance is:

Aetna

Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama

BlueHPN

Expanded Psychiatric Services (EPS)

PEEHIP

Tricare

New Directions/Lucent

Viva Commercial

United Health Care UHC | UBH

Optum

United Medical Resources (UMR)

If your insurance company is not listed, please call your insurance company and ask if you can submit a superbill to be reimbursed for services rendered.

Always check with your insurance company to see if the therapist you want to see is listed as an approved provider.

If the therapist is not listed as an approved provider, ask your insurance company if you can send a superbill to your insurance company for reimbursement for out of network provider.

If your plan is listed as a Medicare or Medicaid plan under one of the above insurance companies, your insurance company will not pay for claims submitted for services rendered, even if the insurance company states the provider is an approved provider. This has happened too many times, and clients do not like to find out they owe a bill when they thought their insurance plan was going to pay.

Life Recovery Counseling does not accept Medicaid or Medicare. Even if the insurance company states the therapist is an approved provider, the insurance plan will not pay. They deny payment of every claim submitted that is under a Medicare/Medicaid plan.

Alabama residents for Medicare, please visit this LINK

Alabama residents for Medicaid, please visit this LINK

Life Recovery Counseling will only file claims to your primary insurance company.

Issues that we work with:

Agoraphobia

Anger

Anxiety

Chronic Illness/pain

Depression

Forgiveness

Grief and loss

Relationships/marriage issues

Spirituality/Church related issues

History of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, ritual, occult, etc)

Stress

Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Complex PTSD

Pornography addictions

Gambling addictions

Sexual issues

Dissociative Disorders

Ministry/Clergy hurts

Spiritual growth

Life challenges

Sexual assault recovery

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Relationship and attachment concerns

Betrayal trauma and affair recovery

Boundaries

Yes. Please check the therapists' individual page to see if they work with couples.

Please be aware that insurance will not cover couples counseling.

At this time, Life Recovery Counseling does not prescribe medications for any mental health issue.

Yes. If you live in Alabama, and are unable to come to the office in Pell City AL, online (telehealth) therapy may be a better option for you. Online therapy is not suitable for everyone, and can be discussed more during the consultation call.

Proof of residency is required for online counseling.

If you will be using insurance, you need to call your insurance and check if telehealth (online) therapy is allowed.

Alabama - both in-person and telehealth --all of our therapists can provide services for residents of Alabama.

Florida - telehealth only --only Denise can provide services for residents of Florida.

Unfortunately, it is against the ethics and code of the Alabama Board of Counselors and the Florida Dept. of Health to provide therapeutic services to individuals who do not live in the state the therapist is licensed in. Proof of residency is required to establish services.

Florida's telehealth information can be found at this link.

If you will be moving to Alabama or Florida within one month and would like to establish services, then schedule a consultation call. Please make sure you note this in the consultation form that you are moving within one month of the consultation call.

If it will be more than a month before you will be relocating to Alabama or Florida, you can schedule a consultation call closer to when you get ready to move (within one month). If you need therapy sooner before you move, please go to Psychology Today to find a therapist in the state you currently reside in.

If you are not a resident or will not be moving to Alabama or Florida, then go to Psychology Today at this link and enter your zip code. Use the filters on the left that apply to you to narrow down options for insurance type, current issues, sexuality, gender, age, language, faith, types of therapy, and ethnicity served. By using the filters, you will be provided with a more defined option for therapists suited to fit your specific needs.

Possible evaluations or court-related services provided at Life Recovery Counseling:

- independent psychological evaluations

- disability evaluations

- workers' compensation evaluations

- testimony for client treatment, attendance, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment recommendations, observations

Life Recovery Counseling does not provide evaluations or court-related services for:

- child custody,

- parental visitations,

- parental fitness,

- or parenting time.

Please see the rates page for fees for evaluations and court-related services. -

Absolutely! You do not have to be a Christian to receive services at Life Recovery Counseling.

When you fill out the intake paperwork, you will be asked about your religious/spiritual history. This is only to help your therapist have a better understanding of how your upbringing in your family of origin may have developed your current views and beliefs.

If you are only looking for the first available therapist in your area, then your probably not going to find a therapist who will be a good fit for you to work with. Life Recovery Counseling provides quality care for those who are invested in their therapy. Finding the first available therapist DOES NOT guarantee you will find a therapist who is a good fit for you.

To find the first available therapist, go to Psychology Today and enter your zip code. Use the filters on the left that apply to you to narrow down options for insurance type, issues, sexuality, gender, age, language, faith, types of therapy, and ethnicity served. By using the filters, you will be provided with a more defined option for therapists suited to fit your specific needs. 

1) Getting in touch with a therapist can be challenging. It's not that a therapist doesn't want to answer your call but many times, they aren't able to answer your call because they are in a session with a client, and/or they don't have a receptionist to answer their phone for them. Your time is valuable, you probably don't enjoy leaving a message, waiting for a callback, or playing phone tag when you're needing to schedule an appointment.

As a courtesy, and to avoid the waiting game or playing phone tag, please schedule a free consultation by clicking the "Request a Consultation" button at the top of the page. The consultation will allow the therapist to answer any questions you may have and are REQUIRED for all new clients.

2) Pick a day and time for your free consultation. Consultations are offered between 10 am to 3 pm. If you do not see any current appointment that is available, then the schedule is booked. Once you schedule your consultation, you will receive either a confirmation or denial email of your consultation.

3) You will be asked questions that will be beneficial for the therapist during the consultation call, and will allow the therapist to review any questions or concerns you have before your consultation.

4) If you receive a confirmation, add it to your calendar so you don't forget.  If you receive a denial email, please don't take it personally. There may have been a conflict in scheduling. Please request another available time. 

If you are being referred from another provider (another therapist, psychiatrist, doctor, etc.) and do not see a time that works with your schedule, are needing something sooner, or don't see an available time, please contact me via email at info@liferecoverycounseling.com with your referring provider's name and the date/time you would like to schedule.

For additional resources to find a therapist near you, use any of the sites below.

The American Psychological Association

The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation

Good Therapy

Network Therapy

Theravive

The Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists

Absolutely NOT! Many people come to therapy when they have situations in life they struggle with or because they just need extra support, not because they are viewed as “crazy”.

Please be available 5-mins prior to your scheduled time in a private and quiet setting. I will be calling at your scheduled time and will be calling from 205-259-6838. If you do not answer, a message will be left for you stating your name; the name of the therapist and they are calling from Life Recovery Counseling; the time of your consultation; and follow-up instructions.

During your call, the therapist will discuss any concerns or questions you have. The purpose of the consultation call is to make sure you are comfortable talking with the therapist and to make sure both are a good fit to work together.

If you feel like you would like to continue for therapy, then you will be sent intake paperwork. You will receive an email with a link to the secure client portal for your intake paperwork which will need to be completed before you can schedule your intake appointment.

Once your intake paperwork is completed, you will be contacted to schedule your first appointment. If you need time to think about what was discussed first before you schedule your first appointment, that is okay too. If for any reason either of you or the therapist doesn't feel it's the best fit, then you can request some names of other therapists that would be a better option for you. It's nothing personal because sometimes people don't always mesh well together or sometimes people aren't quite ready to start counseling. It's perfectly okay to ask for some referrals but the therapist will need a little more information so you can be provided with therapists who are better able to meet your needs. 

Since you will complete your paperwork through the portal, you will not have to download or print off any paperwork to bring to your first appointment. You will need to upload your driver's license and insurance card (if using) in the portal. You will also be asked to have a card on file for payment of your sessions.

Your intake paperwork will need to be completed 72 hours after your consultation call and before your intake appointment can be scheduled. The intake appointment is to cover as much ground as possible, and will provide your therapist with as much information as possible about you, the reasons you're coming to therapy, any symptoms (physical, emotional, stress-related, etc.) which you may be having, and any situations both past or current that have taken place in your life. Forewarning, there are several documents that are part of the intake paperwork so allow yourself some time to complete the paperwork. Some of the documents are short. If you can't complete everything in one sitting, fill out what documents you can, and then come back to the portal later to complete the rest.

**Important, paperwork must be completed before the intake appointment can be scheduled.**

Your first therapy session will usually take longer because it is an intake session, and allows you and your therapists to become comfortable with each other.

During your first session, you and your therapists will spend time going over your paperwork to discuss your history, any concerning issues or symptoms you have, your family dynamics., and the goals you would like to reach.

Intake sessions are 90 minutes. Follow-up sessions are 50 minutes.

Longer sessions may be needed if having a longer session (i.e., 75-mins, or 90-mins) is found to be more beneficial and productive for you as a client.

If you would like a longer session but are using insurance, then you will be responsible for the remaining time that insurance does not cover. Please feel free to discuss this during the consultation call.

How long you will need to come to therapy will depend on many factors. Long-term therapy is usually due to the severity of an issue and the length of time (i.e., years compared to months) the current issue has been a concern. Another factor is if you are using insurance, the allowed number of sessions per calendar year.

Because of the nature of the work in therapy, a client may feel worse before they begin to feel better. Think of the process of therapy as cleaning out a closed-up, infected wound. If the wound is deep and has been infected for a long time, then opening the wound to be drained will be painful. As the infection clears out, then the pain will lessen and healing will happen.

Since every client is different, it is ridiculous to use the exact same method of treatment for each client when each client does not have the exact same issues or exact same personality styles. Your therapist will use a therapeutic integrative approach that is designed specifically for you, and will best fit your needs as a client.

Absolutely! In fact, at Life Recovery Counseling you are encouraged to ask your therapist questions which are appropriate during the first session.

Some clients use this time to “interview” their therapist because they want to ensure their therapist is a good fit for them.

Two options for a sliding scale/reduced rate.

One option is with our intern, who is a graduate student and is in the process of becoming a therapist. The intern is under supervision. Sessions are $10 for individuals and $30 for couples.

The second option is through Open Path. At this time, there is a limited number of sliding scale spaces available.

Therapists who are approved providers have agreed to reduce their rate for members who qualify. There is a limited number of available spots. You will need to become an Open Path member which has a one-time membership fee but gives you lifetime access to approved Open Path providers who have agreed to reduce their fee for Open Path members.

For those who are approved as an Open Path member, the Open Path rate is $70 per session for individual, and $80 per session for couples. To become a member of Open Path, go to the Open Path, complete the membership application, and pay the one-time fee to Open Path.

Once you are approved, you will email a copy of the approval email with your unique Open Path member number at info@liferecoverycounseling.com.

The Open Path website can be found HERE, just click the "join open path" button.

If you would like to schedule a speaking engagement or you are a therapist needing a consultation concerning a client you are working with, please email info@liferecoverycounseling.com with your questions and contact information. You will be contacted within 72-hrs. 

If you prefer in-person, the location is near Triple G in Pell City, Alabama.

New clients will receive the exact location once the intake has been scheduled.

Yes. Life Recovery Counseling is hiring licensed therapist in Alabama for the Pell City location.

If you are qualified to practice in the state of Alabama, please submit a cover letter, and your resume or CV to info@liferecoverycounseling.com