Most people, regardless of their life circumstances, can benefit from having an impartial person listen and offer guidance. Are you:

• Feeling sad, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, or irritable more often than not?
• Struggling with relationship conflicts or communication problems?
• Coping with a specific painful event, like the death of a loved one, a breakup, the loss of a job, or grappling with questions of identity or self-esteem?
• Experiencing distressing memories or painful recollections of your past?
• Feeling stuck in your career?
• Finding yourself turning to drugs, alcohol, or food to cope with unpleasant events?
• Feeling disconnected from the people around you?
• Feeling a vague sense that something is “off”?

If you relate to any of the above, you may find counseling immensely helpful.

Depending on your needs, a therapist may suggest weekly, biweekly, or monthly treatments. It is common for the first 6 to 10 sessions to occur weekly; however, schedule conflicts and demands may impact whether the session occurs weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Once the therapeutic relationship is established and you experience some relief from the stressor(s) that brought you in, switching to bi-weekly or monthly counseling is common.

Current research shows that about half of all patients need between 13 and 18 counseling sessions to see improved symptoms.

Of course! Feel free to explore our team of therapists. Alternatively, our support staff is exceptional at pairing clients with therapists based on need and availability. There are times when the therapist you have chosen online does not have availability. If this is the case, you will be given the option to be:

• Placed on a waitlist
• Connected to another therapist within our office
• Provided with other local resources

Our team takes great care in matching clients to therapists by considering your preferences and using our knowledge of each therapist’s style, approach, and personality to find the best fit for you.

The first session of counseling can be anxiety-provoking, and it’s normal to feel nervous or unsure of what to expect. Most therapists spend the first session asking general questions to get a sense of your background, your experience with counseling, and what issues you hope to address. Your therapist will likely discuss their counseling style and offer an outline of what you can expect. Other details, such as confidentiality, session length and frequency, and next steps, may happen in the first session as well.

After your first one or two sessions, you should feel as if your most significant questions are answered and that you have a basic grasp of what approach your therapist will be using. You should not expect to feel completely better or to have your problems resolved immediately. It is common for the therapist to invite you to schedule additional sessions, so having a good sense of your calendar/availability is helpful.

Once your therapeutic relationship is established, sessions focus on diving further into life stressors, patterns, and coping. Most clients find significant relief from being heard, supported, and encouraged, as well as new ways to navigate emotions, relationships, and stress. It is helpful to know that at the beginning of therapy, you may feel relief right away or no change at all. This is normal. At times, therapy might feel like hard work and can feel frustrating. This is normal and typically indicates that you are doing the work needed to make changes and shifts. Clients who keep going despite things feeling hard tend to experience greater relief and benefits in the long term. The struggle is worth the reward.

You will work directly with your therapist about when might be the right time to stop services. Once you feel like you have the tools to manage your stressors and emotions, many clients benefit from seeing their therapist every 4 to 6 weeks to maintain growth and receive general support as we know that life doesn’t stop happening and new issues and stressors can arise.

It’s important to find a therapist that meshes with your personality. There’s no surefire way to determine whether a therapist is a good fit, but most clients sense a strong alliance. If you’re unsure after the session, ask yourself:

• Do you feel comfortable speaking with the therapist?
• Do you have a good rapport with the therapist?
• Did you feel the therapist was trustworthy, likable, and respectful?
• Did they seem attentive to your concerns and focused on what you said?

If your answer to these questions is yes, it may indicate that you and the therapist have a strong therapeutic alliance, which is a great predictor of successful outcomes. If you primarily answered no, it’s okay. All the therapists at Hudson Counseling Services want you to get the help you need, and do not take it personally if it is not a good fit. In fact, any of our therapists and/or support staff would be happy to help you connectto a different therapist, either in our office or at another clinic.

Confidentiality is key in building a therapeutic relationship, as trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship. Clients often feel a sense of comfort in knowing that they can be honest in their sessions without having their privacy leaked to a third party. Our counselors are trained to protect our client’sprivacy. With very few exceptions, a therapist will only discuss their client with others when the client has given their written permission.
Exceptions to Confidentiality:

• Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
• If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming himself/herself or has threatened to harm another person.
• Court order/subpoena

Having your first session via online video or over the phone is very similar to having a session in person. Your therapist will likely ask you general questions to understand your concerns and help you determine the next steps. For the best outcome, we strongly encourage you to find a private, quiet space for the session. This can be your bedroom, your car, or even a closet. If conducting the session over a video-chatting platform, it may be helpful to test the platform beforehand to make sure that video and audio both function properly. Be prepared for your therapist to request consent to hold the sessions remotely. Also, they may ask for your location to contact local resources in an emergency.

Therapists are unable to prescribe medications or prescription drugs. That said, many times, therapists will work together with psychiatrists or other doctors to offer the best care and ensure someone gets the proper medication if needed.

For a quick guide, please see our rates and insurance.

In general, there are two ways to pay for therapy: either by using your insurance benefits or by paying out-of-pocket for services (private pay).
Insurance:
Hudson Counseling Services currently works with the following insurance companies:

• Blue Cross and Blue Sheild (BCBS) of Wisconsin
• Blue Cross and Blue Sheild (BCBS) of Minnesota
• United Health Care (UHC)
• Cigna
• Optum
• Health Partners
• Medica
• UMR
• Preferred One
• EAPs – we work with many EAPs. Call 715-808-8070 to find out more.

Note that we do not accept Medical Assistance, Medicare, Forward Health, or Badger Care currently.

Private Pay:
This payment method is very popular with many clients for different reasons, and it may not be as expensive as you might imagine. For a quick guide, please see our rates and insurance.

Please make every effort to keep your scheduled appointment. If you must miss a session, please call or email to notify us as soon as possible to make the time available for someone else who may need it.

If you do miss your appointment, you may receive a call from your therapist or our support staff to ensure that you are okay. Therapy is a relationship, and as with all relationships, communication is key.Please do your best to keep your therapist informed if your plans or schedule change.

We understand that life happens, and you may experience an emergency that keeps you from being able to attend your appointment. Late appointment cancellations due to hospitalizations, medical emergencies, accidents, deaths, and illness where a doctor’s note is provided may be excused without a fee.

Hudson Counseling Services requires 24-hour notice for canceled appointments. This allows us to contact clients on the waiting list for the week. If an appointment is canceled less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time, a fee of $75 may be charged to the client if we cannot fill that hour. This fee cannot be billed to insurance and will be billed directly to the client. If you can reschedule your appointment within the same week, no cancellation fee will be assessed. Please cancel by voicemail or email. You can leave a message with our main office or your therapist directly by calling 715-808-8070.

Online telehealth therapy appointments are available for regular sessions, as well as backup options if you are unable to attend in person. In the event you are unable to attend your appointment in the office for any reason, including inclement weather, illness, transportation, or childcare limitations, you do have the option to change your appointment to telehealth if this service is covered by your insurance. By having a session via telehealth, you can avoid a late cancellation and any interruption in therapy.

Yes! We use the Simple Practice App that is available for download on Apple and Google.



You can also access the client portal here: hudsoncounselingservices

We have several payment options.
1. You can send a check to: Hudson Counseling Service's 901 Dominion Drive Suite A Hudson, WI54016
2. You can pay in person by stopping by our office at: Hudson Counseling Services 901 Dominion Drive Suite A Hudson, WI 54016
3. You can pay online by logging into your client patient portal.
4. You can all 715-808-8070 to remit payment over the phone.

Yes! We have an easy-to-use client portal that existing clients can use to manage and schedule additional appointments. Simple login to your client portal

For new clients, we ask that you fill out our Contact Us form. Once you are established as a client, the client portal will be available.

Call us! Our support staff is here, ready to answer your call and any questions you might have. You can reach us at 715-808-8070.