Frequently Asked Questions

We have some evening appointments available. The best way to determine if evening appointments are available for you is to give our office a call at 575-249-2561. Remember, our support staff is always willing to help towards setting you up with appointments which meet your schedule needs.

You do not need a referral to set up a counseling appointment at PBCG.  All you will need to do is give us a call at (575) 249-2561, and our support staff will guide you through the process of setting up your initial intake appointment and will help you select a counselor in line with your current needs. When you contact our support staff to set up your initial appointment, you will be asked to provide the following information:

• A phone number we can use in order to reach you in case we need to reschedule your appointment
• Client’s first and last name
• Client’s date of birth
• Client’s Social Security Number (needed in order to verify insurance coverage)
• Client’s address
• Insurance, name on insurance card, insurance number and group number
• If the client has a secondary Insurance, we will also need that information

Our therapists tailor their interventions to each client so the frequencies of appointments and length of treatment vary based upon the needs of each client. Our average number of sessions for clients is about 5 sessions. A full course of CBT will typically be 12-16 sessions. CPT is around 12 sessions.

Most of our clients come once a week or once every two weeks. Therapy works best when it is more frequent in the beginning, then as progress is being made, it gets spaced out more. For clients dealing with suicidal thoughts and/or PTSD, we often recommend twice each week.

The cost of therapy will vary according to your insurance coverage.  At Permian Basin Counseling & Guidance we offer a sliding scale system in order to accommodate those clients who do not have insurance or that might struggle with meeting the cost of having a co pay. We have payment assistance available to help offset the cost of therapy. Assistance might be an option to help with copays, even if you are covered by insurance. Ultimately, we don't want someone to miss out on getting the help they need just because of cost.

When you come in for your initial appointment, which is referred to as an intake appointment, you will be asked to fill out our intake packet which will be provided to you as you check in on the day of  your initial appointment. Our intake packet can also be downloaded and printed by clicking here. If you choose to fill out the intake packet at the office on the day of your initial intake appointment, we suggest that you plan to arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment in order for you to have plenty of time to fill out the intake packet. Additionally, when checking in for your intake appointment, you will be asked to provide your insurance card. If the client is a minor who has been named in a divorce decree or custody agreement, such documentation will also be needed for the initial intake appointment.   

After you check in and fill out the intake packet, you will meet with your counselor. During your intake appointment, you will be able to talk to your counselor about what brought you into counseling in order for you and your counselor to determine counseling goals which are relevant to you. If the client is a minor, the counselor will typically meet with the parent or guardian during the opening of the intake appointment prior to the counselor meeting with the minor. Meeting with the parent or guardian during the intake appointment is very important towards building collaboration between the counselor and the parent or guardian. Additionally, by meeting with the client’s parent or guardian during the intake appointment, the counselor will be able to gain a better understanding of the struggles faced by the client, client’s history and guarantee that the parent or guardian gain understating of the counseling process especially when it comes to confidentiality.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a common type of mental health counseling.  With cognitive behavioral therapy, you work with a trained counselor in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. By helping you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking, cognitive behavioral therapy allows you to view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be a very helpful tool in treating mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression. But, not everyone who benefits from cognitive behavioral therapy has a mental health condition. It can be a very effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations.

Cigna
Magellan
United Healthcare
Medicaid
Medicare
Friday Health Plan