Prepare For Your Visit
Everything You Need To Get Started at SamaraCare
At SamaraCare, Getting Started Is Easy For Everyone
By scheduling and preparing for a visit, you’re taking the most important step towards improving your mental health. Your first visit is known as your intake session. If you’re seeing a psychiatrist, two intake sessions may be necessary.
Telehealth
For telehealth visits, please download and install the necessary video conferencing software before your scheduled appointment. For in-person visits please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. Bring or email a photo ID and health insurance card (if applicable) both front and back. In addition to credit cards both cash and checks are accepted.
Session Duration
Counseling sessions are typically 45-53 minutes. Psychiatry appointments vary in length. Feel free to ask your care provider any questions about the treatment process and your expectations. Your counselor or psychiatrist will ask about the concerns you want to address, how long you’ve been experiencing them and what you’ve done, if anything, to treat or cope with them.
Intake Forms
Once you schedule an appointment, we’ll send you a personalized and confidential link to an online portal where you can set up an account and complete all pre-visit forms. If you don’t receive that link, please contact our Business Office at (630) 357-2456.
Common Inquiries
Most Asked First Questions
How will I benefit from counseling?
Of course, everyone’s experience is different, but the vast m ajority of our clients find counseling to be a force for meaningful positive transformation in their lives. Counseling may result in getting a different perspective on your experiences; exploring and discovering new things about yourself; changing unhelpfu l patterns of thinking and behaving; processing difficult experiences; and/or learning healthy coping skills. Most clients experience an enhanced ability to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease.
What happens during your first appointment?
Your first appointment is referred to as your Intake session. At that session, you and your care provider will begin to get to know each other. Your care provider will want to hear about what brought you to seek treatment as well as some general information about yourself and your current life situation. You may share your main concerns and your hopes for the outcome of your work together. Feel free to ask any questions and by the end of the appointment your therapist will provide initial thoughts about what to expect moving forward.
What if I can’t afford counseling?
Our Mental Health Access Program provides reduced cost care for qualifying clients. For more information, please see our “Reduced Cost Care” page.
Do you have staff who can prescribe medication if necessary?
Yes, we have licensed psychiatrists and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who can prescribe medication when appropriate. Medication management is one tool out of many that we can use to help you successfully resolve your challenges and concerns.
Telehealth Options
In-Person and Virtual Counseling
We offer both in-person and/or virtual counseling sessions. Both are HIPAA-compliant. Virtual (on-line) therapy consists of meeting with your therapist via a video conferencing platform on your computer, tablet or phone. Virtual counseling (teletherapy) is a relatively new way to receive care. If you’re thinking about it, here are some benefits to consider:
- Convenience in meeting with a therapist from the comfort of your own home
- No time spent traveling to appointments
- Access to care providers with specialized expertise regardless of their geographic location
Many insurance companies now cover virtual therapy. Always check with your insurance provider regarding your coverage for mental health services.
Frequently Treated Issues
These are the most commonly treated issues at SamaraCare:
Family Situations
- Adult Children of Addicts
- Divorce, Remarriage & Blended Families
- Elder Care
- Family Conflict and/or Abuse
- Marriage & Pre-Marital
- Parenting
- Sexual Dysfunction
Emotional Concerns
- Anger & Aggression
- Anxiety & Panic Disorders
- Depression & Stress
- Grief & Loss
- Impulsivity
- PTSD
- Self-Esteem
- Trauma Recovery
Other Challenges
- Addiction
- Adult ADD & ADHD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Chronic Illness
- Domestic Abuse
- Eating Disorders
- Life Transitions
- Self-Injury
- Spirituality
- Substance misuse