Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
My office is located at 973 73rd Street, Suite 24, just off Highway 235. Your GPS might get confused because it used to be in Windsor Heights but now is in West Des Moines. Suite 24 is on the same side as the Walnut Creek YMCA.
Your Website seems like it is mostly about career difficulties and organizations. Do you see other types of clients?
Yes. My other areas of specialty include trauma recovery, anxiety, and stress management. I also provide treatment for depression and relationship counseling. I work with adults, adolescents, and teenagers.
Most of my experience with teenagers and adolescents comes from time that I spent exclusively working inside the schools with students in middle school and high school.
What if you don’t take my insurance, but I want to work with you?
I can provide you with what we call a super bill. Most insurance companies will reimburse you for what they call out-of-network. This means that they will pay a lower percentage of the allowable fee for each session. It is usually about 10% less. You would pay for the session at the time of service and send the super bill I give you to your insurance company for reimbursement.
How long is a session?
Typically, sessions are 50 minutes.
How many sessions do I need?
This is a very individual answer. It depends on what your goals and treatment plans are. Some clients can be done in a few sessions, and other clients come to therapy for years.
How do I make an appointment with you?
You can make an appointment with me by calling (515) 442-5611.
You can also email me at michelle@therapyatavenues.com.
You can schedule an appointment and fill out intake documents by copying and pasting the address below into your web browser:
Can I talk to you before setting an appointment? I have more questions.
Absolutely! I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit to work together.
How would you describe yourself as a therapist?
I would describe myself as experienced, knowledgeable, solution-focused, non-judgmental, and caring.
What are your credentials?
I have over 18 years of experience in the counseling field. Before that I worked in university administration.
My organizational work has developed other skills in me most therapists don’t have that I find useful in therapy, such as administering career and personality assessments. I am certified in the Myers Briggs and have been trained in the Mayo Clinic Stress Management program with Dr. Amit Sood.
I have a graduate degree in education and counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and am a licensed therapist, LMHC, in the state of Iowa.
Do you just ask me how I feel, or are we really going to make some progress?
While I will most certainly care about how you feel, it is not the focus of therapy. I am very solution-focused. I want to know why you are coming to therapy, what your goals are, and how we are going to achieve them. You may not know your goals in the beginning, but we will get there. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time or money.
What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept all major credit cards, checks, and cash. I also accept Wellmark BCBS of Iowa. I require credit card information from every client when they sign up in my portal even if we decide you will pay by another method.
My practice management system is capable of auto-billing after completed sessions either the full session amount or co-payment. This has proven to be an easier method of processing payments leaving us to focus on the important work of therapy and only deal with the payment processing once.
What is your cancellation policy?
Like most therapists, I require 24-hour notice for cancellation. If you don’t show up for the session without cancelling or cancel late, your credit card will be charged for the full amount of the session.