FAQ

Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) are mental health service providers with master’s or doctoral-level education. They typically complete between 2,000 and 4,000 hours of supervised experience before obtaining full licensure. LPCs use a variety of therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques, and family systems therapy. Their goal is to help clients address emotional and psychological challenges, develop coping skills, improve relationships, and achieve personal growth.

Fortified Souls currently accepts most major insurance plans. However, it is highly recommended that you contact your insurance provider to determine if you have mental health coverage. When checking your coverage, it is important to get answers to the following questions:

• Does my insurance cover mental health benefits in a telehealth setting?
• Am I responsible for a deductible when using my mental health benefits for therapy?
• Do I have a copay or coinsurance for therapy?
• How many therapy sessions per year will be covered?
• Do I have out-of-network benefits if my provider is not in-network? If so, how much will insurance pay for out-of-network providers?
• Does my insurance require a referral from a Primary Care Physician to access my mental health benefits?

At this time, Fortified Souls is a fully remote practice. All sessions will be conducted via HIPAA-compliant phone or video platforms.

To schedule an appointment, you can give us a call at 412-532-8352, fill out our contact form, or send an email to [email protected].  A counselor will reach out to you within 48 hours to schedule an appointment, send you a link to our client portal to fill out online paperwork, and give you instructions on how to virtually attend your appointment. All paperwork must be completed before your first appointment. 

During your first appointment, your counselor will discuss confidentiality, practice policies and expectations, and what brings you to counseling. You’ll be asked questions about many aspects of your life, but the main goal of your first session is to get to know one another and establish a therapeutic relationship. In future counseling sessions, you’ll identify treatment goals and begin working to accomplish them.

We understand that every counselor isn’t going to be a good fit. If you find yourself in this situation, please let us know! If it wasn’t a good fit with that particular counselor, we will get you matched up with another counselor at Fortified Souls. 

When filling out your initial paperwork, you’ll be required to place a credit card, debit card, or HSA card on file. After appointments, you’ll receive an invoice via email and your card will be charged 24 hours after your appointment.

While we can’t prescribe medication at Fortified Souls, we are more than willing to work with other treatment providers, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or primary care providers. If you are already taking or interested in trying medication, let your counselor know and we will provide the continuity of care needed to support you. 

We try our best to accommodate all of our clients and it can often be several weeks until there is an available appointment. When a client does not show for a confirmed appointment, the time slot is lost and another client has missed an opportunity to be seen.

In order to minimize these issues, we have the following policy:

1. We request that you give your counselor at least 24 hours prior notice by phone or email in the event that you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment.

2. If you miss an appointment and do not provide at least 24 hours prior notice, we will consider this a missed appointment and you will be charged a $100 fee. This balance must be paid prior to scheduling a new appointment.

3. As a courtesy, our office sends reminder text messages and/or emails to remind clients of upcoming appointments. However, it is ultimately the client’s responsibility to remember a scheduled appointment.

The no-show/late cancellation fee will be billed to you directly and is not covered by insurance.

If you have questions that are not listed here, please feel free to contact us at 412-532-8352 or fill out our contact form and we can answer any additional questions you may have!