FAQ

I provide services to adults (18 years of age and up). I work with individuals… men and women… to help them make meaningful changes in their life.

I offer sessions from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday through Friday.

All sessions are 53 – 60 minutes in length.

Each 53-60 minute session is $130.

Mountain View Counseling is not directly contracted with any health insurance plans, so our counselors are all out-of-network providers.

Since we’re not contracted to insurance companies, we can provide you with the level of service and confidentiality that is important to us. Together, you and your therapist will make decisions about your counseling without having to compromise an insurer’s parameters for type or length of treatment.

As a private pay facility, full payment will be due at the time of your session. Still, we can provide you with documentation for you to file for reimbursement you may be entitled to (depending on your out-of-network benefits for outpatient mental health services). Please note, however, that filing an insurance claim requires your therapist to assign you a mental health diagnosis.

To determine your eligibility for reimbursement, inquire directly with your insurance provider. Here are some helpful questions to ask:

• Do I have out-of-network, outpatient mental health benefits?
• What is my deductible, and how much have I already paid toward it?
• How many sessions does my plan cover per calendar year?
• How much does my plan cover per therapy session?

There are several ways you can set up an initial appointment.

You can call today to talk with Mark. In this conversation, you will discuss whether or not you’ll be a good fit to work with each other, and you can take the next step from there.

You can also email Mark, asking any questions you need to take the next step toward setting your appointment.

You can use our convenient client portal to find a time on your therapist’s schedule that also fits yours.

A few necessary steps (and a few optional ones) will make the intake go smoothly.

First, the necessary…

You and I will find time that fits in your schedule for your initial intake session. This can be done through the client portal, email exchanges, or over the phone. Once you have a time picked out, I will send you a link to the client portal, and you will need to fill out all the paperless intake forms (which usually takes less than 20 minutes). Then you’ll show up for your initial session.

Optionally…

You can also request a free 20-minute initial consultation to see if you and I will be a good fit for each other – both in terms of your personalities and my specialties. This is also a time for you to ask questions to help you decide whether to pursue counseling.

There will be no charge if a session is canceled or rescheduled at least 24 hours before the start of the session.

Fifty percent (50%) of the session rate will be charged if you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice but before 9:00 AM on the day of the session.

There will be a 100% charge if the session is canceled or rescheduled after 9:00 AM on the day of the scheduled appointment.

This policy goes two ways, as it applies to me too. So, if I have to cancel a session with you, the same structure applies (only you’ll receive a credit instead of being charged).

For too long, you’ve been holding this information inside you. You’re not sure how to express it all, and you desperately want relief from all the pain. So, you’ve decided to try talk therapy – after all, many people are now talking about how beneficial it is.

When you sit down in my office, we’ll engage in conversation, almost like having a coffee with a supportive friend. You’ll experience warmth and acceptance from me. No topic is off-limits – you can finally release all those thoughts and memories you’ve been holding all alone. I’m here to curiously listen, explore, and address the issues you’re facing. We’ll work together to find effective solutions to the problems that keep you stuck and entrenched.

If appropriate, I may also recommend that we try out EMDR therapy to supplement our talk therapy. This cutting-edge therapy is great at removing the stuck points in your mind that have prevented you from growing all these years.

There are three main types of therapy we use at any given time:

Firstly, we use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a newer, updated version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). ACT emphasizes a mindful experience of life as it is to stop avoiding its painful elements. This frees you to live a meaningful life based on your own values.

Secondly, we use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) with many clients who have trouble progressing in their healing journey. EMDR lets you change the way your brain responds to disturbing memories, feelings, and beliefs. Check out our EMDR page to learn more about this exceptional therapy.

Finally, we use Transactional Analysis (TA) to help clients understand and interact with the internal voices affecting how they perceive and respond in relationships.

I constantly reference a workbook called “Get Out of Your Mind and into Your Life” by Steven Hayes. I’ll frequently use the material, metaphors, and activities from this book in my personal life and in my therapy. Hayes helps people regain control of their lives by interacting differently with the voice in their head that keeps pushing them around.

Absolutely! It’s important that you know that I’m a real person sitting in the room with you. Therapy isn’t like all your other relationships in their typical give and takes conversation patterns. So it’s easy for us to accidentally fall into an unbalanced relationship where I know a lot about you, and you know very little about me. Sometimes, that can create a block in our work together. To protect us from these blocks in our work together, I encourage you to ask any questions you have – professionally or personally.

I deeply value adventure, and I serve it most in the kitchen. I’m obsessed with attempting to make foods I’ve never tried before.

Another big way I serve adventure is by getting outdoors with my family and friends. Hiking, fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and playgrounds with my kids are some of the ways I live a meaningful life.

In October of 2022 I began practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I’ve found this to be a meaningful way to connect with other men and women while getting great exercise.

When I read for fun, I aim to serve adventure, just like in my other activities. There are two incomplete trilogies I’ve recently consumed. First is the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfus. These epic fantasy novels are not only wildly entertaining, but they’re also exceptionally insightful about human nature and society. The second unfinished trilogy I’ve recently taken in was the Skyward books by Brandon Sanderson. While he’s best known for his epic fantasies, I’ve found I like these sci-fi books even more.

Using story, both authors ask profound questions about life that we all need to consider. Questions like: What makes me significant? Who am I when I’m in the midst of great trial? What do I do with great internal conflict? How can I become wise?

If you’ve got some time, both series are definitely worth a read!