Your safety and well-being is very important to us. If you are having severe panic, anxiety, or depression, please go to the nearest emergency room. Portland also has excellent crisis telephone lines, staffed by caring people.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Kaiser Crisis Line: 503-331-6425

Clackamas County Crisis Line: 503-655-8585

Multnomah County Crisis Line: 503-988-4888

Washington County Crisis Line: 503-291-9111

Clark County Crisis Line: 360-696-9560

Multnomah County Women’s Crisis Line: 888-235-5333

Your call or email will be answered by one of our compassionate Care Coordinators. Typically, we answer calls right away unless the phones are busy. We try to respond to voicemails within a 24-hour time frame, if we are really busy (except for weekends and holidays), otherwise it should be sooner than that.

Our Care Coordinators will work with you to find a provider that will be the best fit for you. They are happy to check your in-network insurance benefits, let you know what the cost will be for services, go over therapists’ availability, and answer any questions you may have about our services. Their goal is to assist you in getting scheduled for that first appointment. If we don’t have availability to meet your needs, they are happy to provide other resources to you.

Do you prefer seeing a therapist virtually or in-person? Would you be okay starting with virtual visits?

If you prefer to see a therapist in-person, which office location would work best for you? Southeast Portland, Tigard, or Canby?

Is there insurance we will be billing, or will you be paying out of pocket?

What is going on in your life that you are hoping to address in counseling? (This helps us determine which therapist may be the best fit for your needs?)

Visits range from $130 to $320 per session. They vary based on the level of education of your provider and how long your visit is. If you have insurance, you may either need to pay a deductible, a copay, or co-insurance towards your visit.

A minimum of 24 hours notice is required for rescheduling or canceling an appointment. Unless you reach a different agreement with your therapist, $130 will be charged for sessions missed without 24 hours notice. If you are unable to meet your therapist in-person, reach out to them to see if tele-health is an option so you don’t miss your appointment.

If you need to cancel your appointment, please call our Care Coordinators at 503-342-2510 or reach out to your therapist directly.

Counseling Services of Portland (CSP) accepts Kaiser, MODA, OHP Trillium, and PacificSource (some plans). At this time, CSP does not take any out-of-network insurance.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding insurance or billing, please call 503-342-2510 ext. 108 or email Christine Bjornstad at christine@counseling-pdx.com

The first appointment may be slightly different than future visits. You and your therapist will get to know each other. You may find it helpful to have some thoughts on what you want to accomplish. Give some thought to what makes things worse and what makes things better. It’s helpful to know when things started to get worse, and who you can call upon for support. We will be working together to create life-long solutions to help you create the life you really want.

Yes, CSP offers both in-person and virtual sessions. In-person sessions are available at all three of our locations. Our virtual sessions are run through Zoom. A link will be provided to your therapist’s virtual office in your Welcome Email prior to your first session.

If at any point you and your therapist agree that you need to change the way you meet, then your therapist may be able to accommodate you or switch you to a different therapist who may be better able to support you.

Check with your therapist if you can do virtual therapy and if your insurance will pay for it. See if you can keep your appointment or reschedule to a time that works for both of you.

Have an electronic device (laptop, computer, phone, or tablet) with a camera that can be used for Zoom and access to the internet. Telephone visits are not covered under CSP Kaiser referrals.

You will be sent a HIPAA compliant Zoom link through your Welcome email before your first appointment.

Your visits will be billed at the same rate as in-person office visits, and any copay/coinsurance and deductibles will still be applicable.

Please let your therapist know if you have any questions related to your sessions. If you are not comfortable doing virtual visits, please let your therapist know.

You should understand that by coming into the office, you are assuming the risk of exposure to COVID-19 (or any other public health risks).

The independently contracted providers have different qualifications and are all licensed in Oregon. They are psychologists (PhD and PsyD) and licensed therapists (LMFT, LPC, and LSCW). Many of them have extra certifications in topics like marriage counseling, addiction, and trauma. They also use different modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, etc.

If you are looking for a specific type of therapy, please call our office at 503-342-2510 and we will gladly find a therapist that fits your needs.

The average sessions last 55 minutes.

Most people find that 10 sessions can help them make important changes, when coming in for a tune up. If you are working on a major overhaul of your life, or a long-standing pattern, 6 months may help you make lasting change. If you are in some distress, weekly appointments will be most effective for you. The practice and repetition of weekly sessions will help you change gears. While you may start feeling better right away, it takes regular practice to sustain that state. It’s like playing a musical instrument or sport!

Every person is different. Our work is designed specifically for you. When you’ve accomplished your intended changes, you and your therapist are done.

You will start seeing small changes after your first few sessions. If you don’t, your therapist will help you plan the next step of treatment. You might need a different type of treatment. You might benefit from group therapy. You may need to see your doctor to rule out medical problems. You may also benefit from working with other holistic practitioners, such as Acupuncturists who work with your body’s imbalance, Naturopathic doctors for nutritional counseling, homeopaths, etc. Our contracted therapists collaborate to help you get the results you want.

Many gifted individuals have trouble adjusting to their environment. They may feel like it’s hard to fit in socially and find the right school or job. Exceptional endowments may feel like liabilities instead of assets. People with exceptional skills may have developed a few key areas and may find that emotional intelligence remains underdeveloped. Exceptionally gifted individuals may be seen by others as powerful and charismatic. Being revered and admired rather than isolated and rejected can also cause emotional conflicts. Our contracted therapists have experience working with clients with high IQs and know the challenges you may face. You are not alone and can be yourself.

You can make the most of your investment of time and money by doing a couple of things:

Be an active participant in the process. Speak about what is going on for you and ask questions.

Organize your schedule in a way that you can come to your appointments and be on time.

Budget for your investment in psychotherapy.

Catch yourself doing things right.

Catch yourself doing things differently.

Practice what you are learning.

Set small attainable goals, either daily or weekly, and report on your success.

Meet your inner critic and chuckle at the rule book your inner critic uses to indict you.

If you feel your therapist is not a good fit, our administrative team can help! Give our Care Coordinators a call. They are happy to help you find an alternative. They can discuss transferring you to another contracted therapist within our company, or provide you with other resources.