How do I make an appointment?

Click here to request an appointment online. If you prefer, you may contact Clinical Director, Margaret McCray, at 612-332-7743 x222 with any questions and she can suggest which counselor may be the most appropriate fit for you. Each appointment is 50 minutes. If you have need for further or other professional help, we will make an appropriate referral.

Do you accept any forms of insurance? 

Our therapists are providers for HealthPartners, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UCare, Aetna, and Cigna.  We are not providers in the Medica network.  Currently, we cannot accept Medicare clients.  If your provider isn't listed contact us to see if you qualify.

Do I have to be a Christian to use the counseling center's services?

We welcome people of any or no faith. Some therapists are trained in theology and spirituality and in mental health and/or psychology and take an integrative approach to these. 

What role does religion or spirituality play in the counseling sessions?

Each therapist finds his or her personal grounding in their spiritual faith and while we believe that our lives and relationships find their meaning in profound mysteries of love and connection that are often best discussed in faith language, we do not impose our own beliefs on others. We are open to addressing our clients' faith questions and concerns. Some people come to us because of our faith base; many come because they trust us to respect them and their needs.

DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH TO RECEIVE COUNSELING?

No. We see many people from many backgrounds from throughout the Twin Cities.

How does your sliding fee scale work? What if I can't afford the fee you suggest?

The counseling center is committed to making our counseling available to all who can benefit from it. If you do not have insurance and have few financial resources, we will work together to find a fee that will be acceptable to you. But we expect every client to pay some amount.

Would I be committed to make a certain number of appointments, or can I just come for one appointment to see how comfortable I am with it?

We are happy to see you for an initial appointment to assess whether we can be of help to you. We want you to feel comfortable returning as well. We usually charge for this first session, but that is up to the discretion of the therapist. If we decide together that it is not a good fit, we would give you recommendations of other resources.

How flexible are your hours? Do you have evening appointments?

Each therapist makes his or her own hours. However, among us we are able to offer times from early morning to as late as 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Occasionally we are also able to make weekend appointments.

I've used antidepressants in the past, but was never able to get the prescription to work quite right. It seems like they could help, but I'm nervous to try again. Do you have anyone who could work with me on anti-depressant options?

We are not medical doctors, but we meet weekly with consulting psychiatrists with whom we share the medication questions and concerns of our clients. We can help you find the information and services you need for proper medication.

Do you do counseling with children? Or teens? If not, would you be willing to give us a recommendation on whom we might see instead?

We do see both children and teens.

I see that your counselors have LMFT, LPC, LP, and LICSW after their names. What do these letters stand for? Is there a difference? And does it affect what type of counseling they do?

These are licensing boards in the state of Minnesota who grant licenses based on the education and experience of the therapist. LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor; LP stand for Licensed Psychologist; and LICSW stands for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. All licenses connote a person who has sufficient education and knowledge to help individuals, couples and families deal with mental health and relationship issues.

I'm concerned about traffic and parking downtown. Do you have free parking?

The church has a surface lot on Marquette Ave. between 12th and 13th streets. It is open free of charge to anyone using the services of the counseling center.

How can I be notified of when and where you'll be holding education sessions or group sessions? Can I get on some kind of email notification list?

Please email Margaret McCray to be put on a list to receive notifications of specific group and educational sessions.

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