FAQ

Questions people ask us

What people want to know before they reach out, answered in one place. If yours isn't here, bring it to your free intro call.

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Getting started Cost and insurance How therapy works here Kids and families Couples Groups Privacy and safety

Getting started

What happens on the intro call?

It’s a free, 30-minute call with the clinician we think fits you best, based on your request. You’ll talk about what’s bringing you in and what you’re hoping for, plus the practical stuff: fees, scheduling, and in person or virtual. It’s also a chance for both of you to sense the fit. If someone else on our team is a better match, they’ll make the introduction. You decide what’s next.

If you’re reaching out for your child or teen: It’s a free, 30-minute call with the clinician we think fits your child best, based on your request. You’ll talk about what’s going on and what you’re hoping for, plus the practical stuff: fees and scheduling. It’s also a chance for both of you to sense the fit. If someone else on our team is a better match, they’ll make the introduction. You decide what’s next.

For your family: It’s a free, 30-minute call with the clinician we think fits your family best, based on your request. You’ll talk about what’s going on and what you’re hoping for, plus the practical stuff: fees and scheduling. It’s also a chance for both of you to sense the fit. If someone else on our team is a better match, they’ll make the introduction. You decide what’s next.

For a group: It’s a free call with someone from our team, based on your request. You’ll talk about what you’re hoping for and whether the group fits, plus the practical stuff: schedule and cost. If a different group, or one-on-one therapy, would serve you better, we’ll help you find it. You decide what’s next.

How do I choose a therapist?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. You’re welcome to browse our team and ask for someone by name. Or leave it to us. We’ll match you based on what you’re facing, your schedule, and any preferences you share. The intro call confirms the fit.

How soon can I start?

Most people start in one week or less. Once you send the request, we reply within one business day to set up your free intro call, and you’ll get a link to schedule your first session right after it.

How do I know if I need therapy?

You don’t have to be sure. Most people reach out because something has gone on too long: a worry that won’t settle, a sadness that’s become normal, a fight that keeps coming back. If you’ve been wondering whether to talk with someone, that’s usually reason enough. The intro call is free, and it’s a good place to find out.

What’s the first session like?

In some ways, it picks up where the intro call left off. Your therapist will ask a lot of questions to get up to speed on your life, and you’ll probably tell some of your story. Behind the questions, they’re listening for three things: where you’re hoping to get to, where you are right now, and where you’re coming from. Those answers help the two of you work out the most effective way forward. It all goes at your pace, and you share as much or as little as you’d like.

Do I need a referral or a diagnosis to start?

No. We’re a private-pay practice, so you don’t need a referral from a doctor or a diagnosis on file to get started. Just send the request.

Are evening or weekend appointments available?

Evenings, yes. Appointments run Monday through Friday, with the last at 8 p.m. Weekend times are limited. If evenings matter to you, mention it in your request, and we’ll keep it in mind as we match you.

Do you offer virtual sessions? Who can use them?

Yes, by video, or by phone if you’d rather. Our clinicians are licensed in Virginia, so virtual sessions are for clients who are in Virginia at the time of the session. If you live in DC or Maryland, you’re welcome to see us in person in McLean.

Where are you, and is there parking?

We’re at 6862 Elm St., Suite 820, McLean, VA 22101. Parking is free, in the surface lot and the garage behind the building.

Cost and insurance

Can I use my insurance?

Often, yes. We’re an out-of-network provider, and many of our clients get part of the cost of each session reimbursed. Here’s how it works: you pay at the time of your session, and we give you a superbill, a detailed receipt you submit to your insurance company. A quick call to your insurer can tell you what your plan covers. You can also pay with an HSA or FSA card.

Do you offer a sliding scale?

Yes. Our Institute exists for exactly this: supervised Clinical Interns see clients for $50 a session, or as little as $10 with an application based on household size and income. Our staff clinicians can also see a limited number of clients at a reduced rate, set by the same short income-based application. We’ll talk through your options on the intro call.

Will I get good care from an intern?

Yes. Your intern uses the same approaches as the rest of our team, with a supervisor’s eyes on the work. If your needs ever call for a more experienced clinician, we’ll tell you and help you make the move.

Can I book at $50 without applying?

Yes. Choose the Institute on the form, and that’s it. The application is only for a lower rate, and filling it out is up to you.

What’s your cancellation policy?

We ask for at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule. If you cancel with less notice, or miss a session, you’ll be charged the full session fee. Your time is set aside just for you, and a late opening is hard to fill.

How therapy works here

How long does therapy usually take?

There’s no set length. It depends on what you’re working on and what you want from it. Some concerns ease in a focused stretch; deeper patterns take longer. Your therapist will talk about this with you early and check in as you go. You set the pace.

What ages do you work with?

We see children from early elementary school, teens, and adults of every age. We also see couples and families. With younger children, our clinicians use play-informed approaches, and parents stay closely involved.

Are your therapists licensed?

Our licensed clinicians and our Residents in Counseling are credentialed by the Virginia Board of Counseling, part of the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Our Clinical Interns are graduate students in counseling who see clients through our Institute. Whoever you see, your therapist is in ongoing supervision and consultation, led by our Clinical Director, who is an NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a team of Virginia board-approved supervisors. Each bio lists the details.

What if my therapist isn’t the right fit?

Tell them. We work hard to match you well, and sometimes we miss. If it doesn’t feel like a fit, say so, and we’ll help you find someone who is, on our team or elsewhere in the community. We promise our feelings won’t be hurt. Telling us beats ghosting us, and it gets you to the right person sooner.

Do you offer faith-informed therapy?

Yes. For many people, faith is part of how they make sense of their lives, and it can be part of therapy too. Every one of our clinicians can integrate it when you’d like. If you’d rather keep faith out of it, that’s just as welcome. We’ll follow your lead and honor your convictions.

Do you prescribe medication?

No. We’re counselors, not prescribers. If medication is part of your care, or you’re wondering whether it should be, we can consult with your primary care doctor, psychiatrist, or another specialist who can prescribe, with your permission.

Is there anything you don’t treat?

Not much. We treat nearly all of what brings people to therapy in our outpatient setting. If you need more support, like an intensive outpatient or residential program, we’ll help you find the right one.

Kids and families

Will I stay in the loop?

Yes. With younger children, you’ll be closely involved. With teens, privacy is what makes therapy work, so we’ll usually ask you to let the details stay between your teen and their therapist. You’ll still hear how things are going and how to help at home. When you need to know something, we’ll tell your teen first, then you. And if safety is ever a concern, you’ll hear from us right away.

Can you work with my child’s school?

Yes, with your written permission. Your child’s therapist can talk with teachers or the school counselor to share what helps and hear what they’re seeing. That way, home, school, and therapy pull in the same direction.

Can you see my child quickly if the school needs an assessment?

Yes. Sometimes a school asks for a safety assessment, or proof that your child is in therapy, before they can return. Call us at 703-677-8243 and tell us it’s for school. We can often see you within days, and sometimes the same day. If your child is in danger right now, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.

What if someone doesn’t want to come?

That’s common, especially with teens and grown kids. You can start with whoever is ready. When part of a family changes, the rest often feels it, and people who held back sometimes join later. Your therapist can help you think through how to invite them.

Can you help us figure out which kind of therapy fits?

Yes. The intro call is the place to start. Family therapy tends to help most when the hard part shows up between people: the same conflicts on repeat, a big change everyone’s adjusting to, or one person’s struggle shaping life for all of you. Someone may also need care of their own: therapy for your child, individual therapy for a parent, or couples therapy. Any combination is possible, and your clinician will talk it through with you.

Do you work with adult children and their parents?

Yes. Families don’t stop being families when the kids grow up. Grown children and their parents come to us to close the distance, talk about things that have gone unsaid for years, adjust when someone moves back home, or plan together for an aging parent’s care. Siblings can come too. If you’d also like a space for yourself, see Individuals →

Do you offer co-parenting counseling?

Yes. Parents who live apart still share the job of raising their kids. Co-parenting counseling is a place for the two of you to plan, make decisions, and handle disagreements, so the kids aren’t caught in the middle. You don’t have to be friends. You just need a way to work together.

Do you offer reunification therapy?

Yes. It helps a child and a parent reconnect after time apart, often following a divorce or a long stretch without contact. The work is careful and paced to what the child can handle, and it often includes the other parent, so everyone can support the relationship.

Couples

Can I start if my partner won’t come?

Yes. Plenty of people start on their own, and it can help: when you change your part in the pattern, the relationship often shifts too. We’ll match you with an individual therapist for that work. If your partner joins later, you’ll usually begin couples work with a different therapist, someone who meets you both at the same time. That keeps the work fair to both of you.

Can couples therapy help before things get really bad?

Yes, and that’s often when it helps most. Small patterns are easier to change before they harden. Couples come to us at every stage: engaged, a few years in with young kids, or decades in and feeling distant. Others come in the middle of a crisis, and we can help there too. Couples therapy isn’t a last resort. Think of it as a way to keep your relationship from needing one.

Do you offer premarital counseling?

Yes. The best time to build good habits is before you need them. We use Prepare/Enrich, a widely used assessment you each take online. It shows your strengths as a couple and where to grow, from communication and conflict to money and family. Then you and your therapist work through the results together.

Do you offer discernment counseling?

Yes. It’s for couples where one of you is leaning out and the other wants to stay, when regular couples therapy can stall. Discernment counseling helps you both get clear on what’s next: keep things as they are, separate, or recommit to working on the relationship in couples therapy. It’s short and focused, with time together and one on one.

Can I use insurance for couples therapy?

Sometimes, yes. Coverage for couples work varies from case to case. Some of it qualifies as family therapy, which insurance can reimburse. Bring it up on your intro call, and we’ll talk through what might apply to you.

Groups

How is a group different from seeing a therapist on my own?

In individual therapy, the whole session centers on you. In a group, one of our therapists guides a conversation among a few people facing something similar. You also see how others handle what you’re handling. For many people, hearing their own struggle in someone else’s words is a relief all its own. A group also costs less.

What if I’m nervous about talking in a group?

Most people are, at first. It’s fine to spend your first meeting mostly listening. Your therapist keeps the conversation kind and on track, and speaking up tends to get easier as the weeks go by.

Can I join a group and see a therapist one on one?

Yes. The two often work well together: individual sessions give you room to go deeper, and a group gives you people to practice with. Your therapist can be one of ours or someone outside our practice. Looking for a therapist of your own? See Individuals →

Does a group cost less than individual therapy?

Yes. Group prices vary, and each group’s page lists its cost. You can pay with an HSA or FSA card, and out-of-network benefits can cover part of it. Want lower-cost one-on-one care? Our Institute’s Clinical Interns see clients for $50 a session or less, and our staff clinicians can see a limited number of clients at a reduced rate. See our Institute →

How does confidentiality work in a group?

Your therapist keeps what you share confidential, with the same few legal exceptions as individual therapy. Each member also agrees to keep what’s said, and who was there, within the group. At the first meeting, your therapist talks through these agreements, and you choose how much to share.

Privacy and safety

Is what I say confidential?

Yes, with a few exceptions the law requires. For example, we must act if someone is at serious risk of harm, or if a child or vulnerable adult is being abused. Your therapist will explain these limits before you begin. Our Notice of Privacy Practices describes your rights in full.

What if I’m in crisis?

Please don’t wait for an intro call. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to the nearest emergency room. If life is in danger, call 911. Our contact form isn’t a crisis line. When you’re safe, we’re here for the work that comes next.

Didn't find your question? Send it with your request, or email hello@mcclerrengroup.com, and we'll cover it on the call.

Request a free intro call

In crisis? Call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.