Frequently Asked Questions

+ How much does therapy cost?

There is a range of cost to therapy and many factors that determine your cost for therapy. At The Journey Center, the cost range is $30-145. If you have insurance coverage, your plan will cover some or most of the cost if you are working with a therapist who is in network with your plan.

The first session, called an assessment or intake, will cost more than the remaining sessions - this session is at least an hour in length and the cost covers the additional time needed to complete the assessment, treatment plan, and review any tests that may be needed.

The following sessions are cost adjusted depending on the time spent with your therapist and the differences between individual, couples, family, and group therapy.

Another factor is your therapist’s credentials. Our interns and provisionally licensed therapists work on a sliding scale, with a range of $30-75 per session. Our licensed clinicians (those with a full license and postgraduate training) charge $125 per session. Only our licensed therapists are in network with insurance plans.

+ What if I need medication? Can you help with that?

No. As therapists, we do not prescribe medication. For many people, their primary care physician is more than willing and capable to help with initial trials and management of anxiety and depression medications. Talk to your doctor about this. For some people, who need a more tailored experience, working with a psychiatrist is the best choice. Sometimes mental health requires a more closely monitored medication regimen – this is best done with a psychiatrist who is specifically trained in psychiatric medications. Talk with your doctor or therapist about a referral to see a psychiatrist. You’ll still need to work with a therapist and your doctor. We can all work together to help you find the best support for your best self.

+ How long will I be in therapy?

Every person’s treatment and length of treatment is different. For some, brief and solution-focused treatment can last about 2-3 months. For some, with longer standing struggles, who have survived deep trauma, treatment can last much longer. It all depends on your goals, your participation, and how deep you want to work with your therapist. For most, a level of relief is felt after the first few sessions. And for most of the clients we work with – who have struggled for so long – we work with you for much longer. We are here to walk with you, completely through your healing process. This can take months to years. Sounds daunting, right? We get it. And we’re here to make sure you feel safe, process your thoughts and feelings fully, and are willing to walk the whole walk with you.

+ Why should I see a specialist? Doesn’t every therapist receive the same training?

Yes, for the most part, we all start with the same foundation of acceptance, compassion, and skills education in graduate school. A specialist gets extra training and supervision for specific issues or a more complex modality for intervention. Think of it this way - a therapist without extra training is more like a family doctor - great at addressing a wide range of issues or mild to moderate issues, but unable to address a specific need fully. A therapist with specialty training is like your physical therapist or chiropractor, able to address a specific problem fully, but not every problem.

At The Journey Center, we are a group of trauma-focused therapists who specifically treat many types of trauma and relational issues, in addition to some more common issues of anxiety, depression, etc. We do not have the specialized training to treat substance use, CSBD, personality disorders, custody or court issues, mental health crisis, or high acuity needs that require support beyond weekly therapy sessions. We have many resources in our community to meet all of these needs; you can find those referrals HERE.

+ What does evidence-based mean?

Evidence-based means that a particular therapeutic technique, or modality, has been researched and peer reviewed enough to provide concrete and repeatable evidence of positive outcomes as opposed to no treatment or a comparable treatment. This is a similar process to a medication going through a medical trial to make sure it is both safe and effective for use. Our modalities go through research trials to make sure the techniques are safe and effective, and to find out the areas where those techniques are contraindicated.

At The Journey Center, all of our work is from evidence-based training. Many types of training have been marketed as evidence-based and are probably known to the general public, like EMDR for trauma or CBT for depression. Did you know that Expressive Arts therapy is also evidence-based? As well as Brainspotting, The Bonny Method, and all of the other modalities we use. We are active in reading and making sure our work is current and effective, according to modern science.

+ What is therapy homework?

Showing up for therapy is a brave act of self respect. The work you do in session with your therapist has the ability to transform your life. Often, the work in session needs to be supplemented with personal work - homework - between sessions. Showing up for this in between work is courageous. Therapy homework might feel like a school assignment or task to complete, or it might be a practice of shifting your thoughts or perception during the week. Don’t worry - homework is not graded! Your participation is completely up to you. Do know that engaging with yourself in your healing between sessions will help you learn how to self-regulate, understand yourself, and advance your progress.

+ How do I know what type of therapy will work for me?

This is a tricky question. You may not know what you need - and your needs may change as you grow. This is all OK and to be expected. For some mental health or relationship struggles, particular modalities are recommended. For example, someone with a personality disorder will do best with DBT, CBT, or other more structured type therapy. For someone with complex developmental trauma, they may do better with a relational type modality like DARe, EFT, or a systems-based approach. And someone with OCD might do well with any of those listed! This is why an initial assessment session with a therapist is helpful. Together, you and your therapist can discover all of the nuances that make you unique and tailor a treatment plan to fit those needs. Occasionally, this means your therapist will need to refer you to another provider. While this can be disappointing, know that your therapist is using their experience and education to recommend the best type of therapy for YOU.

+ What does a good fit look like?

A good fit is important because this is the person you will be sharing your most intimate life memories with and entrusting them to help you heal those hurts. It is a very vulnerable state to share with another person. We honor the bravery of every client who asks for this kind of help. A good fit between therapist and client looks like trust, openness, and a felt sense of safety. Sometimes this can be felt within the first assessment session, and sometimes it takes time to build that trust and openness. Assessing for good fit is a conversation to have with your therapist. Sometimes there are things your therapist can do or change to make sure trust and safety are more present in the ways you need them. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out so easily. Maybe their personality doesn’t fit with yours, maybe you prefer to work with a male identifying therapist, or maybe you need a therapist who is far enough outside of your community to not risk running into them in public.

At The Journey Center, we know that not every therapist is a perfect fit for every client. This is why we aim to have a diverse array of therapists at our practice. We complement each other, offer different perspectives, and can support you or your family in many ways. And if we aren’t a good fit for you, we are always happy to have that conversation with you and help you find someone who will be better for you.

+ What happens in my first therapy appointment?

Your first appointment is an assessment. It is about 60 minutes in length and is a time for your therapist to get to know you. They will take your mental health history, ask a lot of questions about your physical and developmental health, assess your current mental health and relationship state, and begin forming a diagnosis if warranted. It tends to take several sessions to formulate an accurate diagnosis, so do not be alarmed if your therapist takes some time doing this. We want to be conservative and accurate when making diagnosis decisions. Your therapist might administer an assessment for anxiety, depression, or trauma. These assessments feel more like questionnaires that gather more specific information about your past and present. You will also begin to create a treatment plan with your therapist, if there is time. This is an agreement between you and your therapist about the goals you want to work toward and the treatment available by that therapist. If a particular treatment is not available by that therapist, you might be referred out to another therapist for more specialized treatment, or you might be recommended to engage in additional resources to supplement your work with that therapist. These are all recommendations made with your healing in mind.

This first assessment session can feel more structured and clinical than the subsequent sessions. This is normal and to be expected. Use the time you have in that first session and especially in the second session to get to know your therapist - understand their training and scope of practice, get to know their personality, and ask any questions you have about the process. They are here to help you.

+ What do I need to do to prepare for my first therapy appointment?

There is very little you need to do emotionally to prepare for a first therapy appointment. Naturally, the thought of being so vulnerable and open with someone new can bring up feelings of fear, anxiety, anticipation, or excitement. Remember that the first session is an assessment - to make sure you and your therapist are a good fit and for your therapist to gather as much information as possible to understand your unique needs. All that is required of you is to be present and open to the process.

At The Journey Center, we have a few administrative tasks that need to be completed before that first session. Once your appointment is set, you will be given a Client Portal Profile. All of our paperwork is located in your portal and should be completed at least 72 hours before your first session. This gives our team time to process the paperwork, check insurance benefits, and review any questions that might arise for you. If the paperwork is not completed by then, your appointment will be cancelled and rescheduled for a later date, after we have received your paperwork. We have a no-show policy that states we need 36 hours notice if an appointment needs to be cancelled or rescheduled. Please call our office at 423.408.801 if this is the case for you, so we can get you rescheduled as soon as possible.

+ How often will I meet with my therapist?

Meeting with your therapist is a unique experience to each client. Frequency varies based on phase of treatment, financial and logistical needs of the client, the need for more or less support, and the modality being used. This is a conversation between you and your therapist at the beginning of treatment and periodically throughout your journey. Your frequency may change over time, and that is to be expected. We don’t know what life will challenge us with, or the amount of support that will be needed along the way. Be flexible with yourself as your needs change and be sure to express those needs to your therapist so the two of you can make clear decisions together.

At The Journey Center, we almost always start with weekly therapy sessions. These allow you and your therapist to get a better sense of each other, assess the fit, create the treatment plan and an accurate diagnosis (if needed), and make good headway toward self regulation and early goals. These early goals set the foundation for deeper work later in the process. After some time (4-12 sessions), the frequency of therapy may taper off to every other week, monthly, or as needed, depending on your needs and goals. Be sure to make this decision with your therapist, as sometimes, we can prematurely want to end therapy before the integration phase of treatment.

+ I don’t understand insurance. Can you explain it to me?

Insurance is a contract between you and your insurance provider (like BlueCross or Cigna). You pay your insurance provider a monthly premium and they promise to 1. Negotiate lower fees for in-network healthcare providers and 2. Cover part of those costs for you. We, as healthcare providers, have negotiated fees for each service/session with the insurance providers we are in-network with. This fee is called a contract rate. Once the contract rate is set and we are credentialed as in-network healthcare providers, we are unable to change those rates unless we renegotiate our contract. We are unable to offer you, the client, a different rate, if you choose to use your insurance. The amount that your insurance provider covers is the contract between you and them. We are unable to negotiate or change that contract for you. Some insurance provider plans ask you, the client, to pay the full contract rate to your healthcare provider until your deductible is met. Some plans ask that you pay a copay or coinsurance for a portion of the contract rate. We submit billing statements after every session to your insurance provider to receive reimbursement for our contract rate and to apply your paid amount to your deductible. If we are in-network with your insurance provider, and you choose to use your insurance, we will never balance bill you for the difference between the contract rate and our full rate. If we are out-of-network with your insurance provider, we will charge our full rate and then submit billing to your insurance provider, who will then reimburse you for the difference.

Before your first session, be sure to call the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card to ask about your benefits. They will be able to tell you exactly what you will owe for each session. When we check benefits for you, the information we receive from your insurance provider is tentative. The only guaranteed fee information we receive about your plan is after we submit that first bill.

+ What happens if I don’t have insurance?

If you don’t have insurance, therapy is still possible. Or, if your deductible is higher than you are able to cover, therapy is still possible.

There are many free or reduced fee resources in our community for mental health coverage. You can find these listed on our resources page.

Another option is to space out your therapy sessions or work with shorter sessions to reduce the financial burden.

If individual therapy is out of your financial capability right now, there are support groups and therapy groups that can be tremendously helpful as well. These are listed on our resources page as well.

At The Journey Center, we try to make mental health treatment accessible. We are not perfect, but we certainly have a few options. First, we take all commercial insurance (BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Optum) and a couple of community insurances (TriCare and Medicare). Unfortunately, we do not take any TennCare or Medicaid at this time.

Secondly, we are credentialed with most EAP plans. EAP (Employee Assistance Plan) is a mental health service paid for by your employer. It allows each employee to have 3-6 free counseling sessions each year. Ask your HR department if they have an EAP plan you can use. Most employers give access to EAP services to all employees, regardless whether they have an employer-sponsored insurance plan. We cannot check this service for you - you must contact your HR department for details.

Third, we offer sliding scale spots for clients. All of our licensed therapists offer 1-2 sliding scale spots to clients who are uninsured through OpenPath. We have 2 provisionally licensed clinicians who exclusively work on a low-fee scale. This fee is $75 for assessments and $50 per therapy session. We also have 2 mental health interns, who are under direct supervision of the clinical director, who offer sessions for $30.

There are options and opportunities for growth.