Golden West Counseling, PLLC

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Seattle, WA
Golden West Counseling, PLLC

Counseling/Therapy Services in the Washington, California, Oregon and Arizona Do you find yourself isolating yourself from family and friends?

Are you finding it hard to get through the day without feeling sad, anxious, or even angry? Has is become difficult to get along with others? Are you worried, frustrated or disappointed with certain situations in your life or feel pain over old events that are resurfacing? We have a passion to work with individuals who struggle to work through their anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues. Our passion also includes working with couples and families struggling in their relationships. We will assist you with developing a plan to work past and current situations, so that you can function more effectively. Individuals, couples, and families are unlike any other client, and our approach will take into consideration your values, experiences, cultural identity, and all important factors that make you - you. We work side by side with clients in order to help them flourish and make changes in having a more fulfilling life and meaningful relationships. We welcome your call, and will personally discuss your needs and set up your first appointment.

01/19/2023

Call your insurance company. Not all health plans cover mental health counseling, plus benefits vary by state and plan. If you're unsure of your mental coverage, start by calling your insurance provider and ask these questions.

● What mental health benefits your plan covers.
● What is your deductible?
● Are you required to fulfill your deductible before your mental health insurance plan pays for mental health benefits?
● What is your copay/coinsurance?
● How can I make an out of network reimbursement claim and are there restrictions to who I can see for mental health services? (Some insurance companies will not reimburse providers with provisional licenses).

Seeing a mental health provider might be more affordable than you thought! Call us today to be connected with one of our skilled Counselors and begin making changes toward your New Year goals!

Did you know that not all health insurance plans require you to pay your deductible first to receive mental health services? Meaning you maybe only required to pay your copay/coinsurance? Tell us in the comments!

Read our latest blog by clicking our profile link: Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Mental Health

01/18/2023

Can My Copay/Deductible be Waived if I Can't Pay?

It’s possible, however you must apply and qualify with your insurance company. The way this works is that the insurance company will evaluate your financial situation and determine whether they are willing to negotiate with you on your bill. You might be required to provide documentation supporting your claim, depending on what kind of waiver option the insurance plan offers.

Waiving these costs without approval from your insurance company is considered insurance fraud and could result in legal consequences for both the client and counselor involved.

What is confusing about health insurance that prevents you from calling a mental health counselor? Tell us in the comments!

It's always best to check with your insurance company about your options.
Read our latest blog by clicking our profile link: Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Mental Health

01/17/2023

The Difference Between a Deductible, Copay and Coinsurance

Deductible: the amount you pay before your insurance coverage kicks in. If you have a $500 deductible and go to therapy for three sessions at $100 per session, then your total out-of-pocket cost is $300. You’re responsible for paying the deductible amount before your insurance kicks in and covers a portion or all of the cost of services.

Coinsurance: The percentage of cost that you are responsible for when visiting an approved provider. If your plan has 20% a coinsurance requirement, then you are responsible for 20% of each claim submitted by your providers.

Copay: The set amount that you are responsible for when visiting an approved health care provider.

What would change if you understood your health insurance better? Tell us in the comments!

Read our latest blog by clicking our profile link: Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Mental Health

01/12/2023

Do you know what your insurance plan entails? If not, call your insurance provider or us! We can help you sort out if we accept your health insurance for mental health counseling!

Do you find it easy or hard to understand your health insurance? Tell us in the comments?

Read our latest blog by clicking our profile link: Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Mental Health

01/11/2023

Options for paying for mental health therapy

Private insurance. If you have private health insurance, it's likely that your plan will cover at least some of the cost of mental health therapy. That said, not every service falls under this category and there may be limitations on what is covered. For example, some plans cover a certain number of sessions per year, and some may only cover certain types of therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy).

Government insurance. Government programs such as Medicare cover many types of treatments for mental health issues—but there are still limitations on what is covered and how much it may cost you. You can check out the Medicare website or call them up directly if you're interested in finding out more information about what services are covered under their program by calling 1-800-MEDICARE during standard business hours (Monday through Friday from 7am - 7pm) or visit their website at https://www.medicare.gov/. (Golden West Counseling currently does not accept Medicare or Medicaid insurance plans)

Superbill. You can also sign up for insurance reimbursement if your counselor doesn’t accept your insurance. Insurance reimbursement means that you'll pay up front for your mental health therapy session, submit a Superbill (aka receipt of payment) to your insurance provider, and then your insurance provider will reimbursement you.
Check out Advekit. They are a service that helps clients navigate around seeking insurance reimbursement for mental health services and they make the process simple and easy to follow.

Self Pay. If none of these options work for you, there's always self-pay. Self-pay means that you are paying out of pocket and not using insurance to cover any part of your care. Many people choose this option for reasons outside of not having mental health insurance benefits. For some individuals they value the privacy that self pay offers, especially in terms of keeping clinical notes private from insurance companies.

Read our latest blog by clicking our profile link: Understanding Your Insurance Benefits for Mental Health

Did you know that our counselors hold a limited number of reduced rate sessions? Contact us today to schedule your complimentary consultation. Click on our link in bio!

01/10/2023

Is There a Way to Get Free or Low Cost Therapy?

Did you know that our counselors hold a limited number of reduced rate sessions? Contact us today to schedule your complimentary consultation. Click on our link in bio!

01/05/2023

Sunday scaries is a common feeling of anxiety that comes up on Sundays. It’s a feeling of anticipatory anxiety, where we stress about the work week ahead. Use these tips to lessen Sunday Scaries Anxiety.

Read our latest blog: When Evening Anxiety Hijacks your night

Does your Sunday Scaries show up on Sunday or before? Tell us in the comments!

01/04/2023

We all experience anxiety differently. For some, they wake up struggling through their anxiety. While they may feel their anxiety throughout the day, the majority of their anxiety is felt in the morning.

But then there are others who experience their anxiety worsen in the evenings. They too have anxiety throughout the day, yet during the evening hours their anxiety spikes as they wind down.

When anxiety ramps up at night, it can be a serious annoyance that takes a toll on your ability to sleep and focus on the next day’s requirements.

Which technique will you be trying out this week? Tell us in the comments!

Read our latest blog: When Evening Anxiety Hijacks your night

01/03/2023

Courtney Bennett McDuffee

Every journey is unique. My person-centered, culturally conscious, approach to therapy aims to honor every individual’s personal path that leads them to today.
My therapeutic method is based in Drama Therapy, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the therapeutic relationship. With Drama Therapy, we utilize story and embodiment to connect to our feelings, ourselves, and the world and relationships around us. I offer a holistic approach to therapy that leans into clients’ strengths and creativity to set goals and enhance individual abilities and ‘tool kits’ to cope with struggles and explore new paths and potential solutions.

Click on the link in our bio to be sent our website and learn more about Courtney Bennett McDuffee, LMHCA and our services.

12/29/2022

Similar to slowing your car down by easing on the brakes for a smoother stop, slowing down your brain in the evening in a similar fashion can significantly decrease evening anxiety. Here are some tips to relaxing mind at night:

Schedule an evening wind down start time: In the 1 to 2 hours leading up to bedtime create a routine that begins to signal to your brain that it’s time to slow down. Brew a cup of chamomile tea, listen to calming music or meditation, brush your teeth, shower, wash your face, brush our teeth, direct your attention away from your phone, or read a book.
Put distracting thoughts on paper: Taking a few minutes (even 5) to get your worries on paper and out of your mind can make it easier to relax your mind. This may look like a to do list, brain dump or evening planning out your next day.

Remove engaging with exciting or over stimulating content: Avoid excessive scrolling and nail biting entertainment. Endless thumb scrolling, cliffhanger TV shows and video games that tempt you to have “just another 5 minutes” cause cognitive arousal.

Take a warm bath or shower: While it sounds counterintuitive, warm water can help lower your body temperature, which is shown to promote sleep.

Dietary changes: Certain foods wake some people up at night or even cause acid reflux. Be mindful of hidden caffeine in drinks and reframe eating food close to your bedtime hygiene routine.

Read our latest blog: When Evening Anxiety Hijacks your night at goldenwestcounseling.com

12/28/2022

There are a number of reasons why you might find your anxiety worsen in the evenings. The evening tends to bring less stimulation or distractions to your mind, therefore the opportunity for worrying thoughts increases. During the day you may find that daily tasks occupy your brain and keep anxiety in the background, but once the evening hours rolls around and you begin to settle for the day, there are less things your attention is able to latch onto.

Thinking about not being able to fall asleep, health concerns, stressors from the day or anticipating stressors for the next day keeps you from falling asleep at night

Read our latest blog: When Evening Anxiety Hijacks your night at goldenwestcounseling.com

12/27/2022

Andrew Ohlstrom, LMHC

Are you finding life has lost some of the passion you once knew?
Whether it’s problems at work, in relationships, or in your personal life, I am here to listen and to help you. Maybe you have recently felt lost at work and need help providing some context for what you are experiencing. We will explore these and other issues in therapy providing you with insight into the inner workings of some of the deep rooted issues that can happen to us all. We will explore these issues in a safe environment that also provides life giving space from the issue itself.

Click on the link in our bio to be sent our website and learn more about Andrew Ohlstrom, LMHC and our services at goldenwestcounseling.com

Address

Seattle, WA

Telephone

+12062573810

Website

http://www.goldenwestcounseling.com/

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