FAQs

Counseling is a proven way of restoring and strengthening your overall well-being through improving your mental health. It is an opportunity to have a trained professional join you, wherever you are on your journey, to gain clarity and health.  For many, counseling is a way to reduce distress, feelings of overwhelming sadness or worry. For others, counseling is a safe place to recover and heal from past hurts and abuse. For some, counseling is a means of maintaining health and finding direction. In every circumstance, counseling is tailored to you.

There are many different approaches to counseling, as well as a variety of techniques. If you prefer a specific approach or technique (Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, etc.), please let us know. If not, your counselor is trained to provide the best approach for your concerns. At its core, counseling is consistent, helpful support for you to navigate whatever you are facing.

Counseling can be individual, as a couple, as a family or in a group. Check with your local CareNet center to see what would best meet your needs.

Making An Appointment
The first step in the counseling process at CareNet is making an appointment. This process is simple and involves the prospective client (or parent/guardian, if the client is a minor) contacting a CareNet center. You can share a bit about why you’re interested in counseling, as well as check on insurance, payment and scheduling. You will be matched to a counselor who fits your needs or you can request a specific counselor. Prior to your first appointment, there are a few intake forms for you to complete to assist your counselor in providing the best help for you.

Your First Appointment
At your first appointment, you will meet your counselor, and they will learn how they can best help you while they get to know you. They will review your intake paperwork, as well as complete a comprehensive assessment. You will collaboratively identify goals for counseling and decide on when your sessions will be.

The Counseling Process
During counseling, you and your therapist will work on the goals and hopes you identify. Let you counselor know what’s really helping, as well as if something is not. They are trained to adjust and adapt the process as it unfolds. Most counseling starts with weekly sessions, and the average length of treatment is eight to twelve weeks. However, length varies greatly based on the needs and circumstances of the client.

Completing Counseling
As you progress in counseling, you and your counselor will discuss when it is most helpful to transition from weekly sessions to biweekly or biweekly to monthly, as well as when to conclude counseling.  Counselors are trained to help you feel better and that means seeing you less over time; it is almost as if they are trained to work themselves out of a job! That’s how it works, and your counselor will celebrate with you when you’ve completed treatment.

Our counseling team at CareNet represents a wide variety of disciplines, including clinical psychology, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, substance abuse counseling and other defined area of expertise. In addition, each of our clinical staff members are licensed in their respective disciplines, and many are also ordained ministers.

CareNet is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. It operates as a department within the Division of Faith and Health Ministries and supports a network of spiritually-integrated counseling centers currently operating in 30 locations statewide. All of our counselors adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical practices. All sessions are kept 100% private, and all records are maintained according to today’s strictest privacy and confidentiality guidelines.

CareNet serves individuals, couples and families without regard to age, gender, ethnicity or faith. Each of our 30 centers’ clients include people within their communities who are dealing with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, grief, work-related stress, addictions, abuse, trauma, phase-of-life challenges, spiritual development concerns, relationship issues and a variety of other behavioral and mental health challenges.

CareNet is able to serve most clients who seek counseling. However, it is best to connect with your local center to confirm that they have the right counselors to support you. While we try to serve as many in the community as possible, there are times when clients require a higher level of care such as medication and/or hospitalization. If we feel that a person is likely to require these medical services and has no means of acquiring them, we cannot serve them. We will do our best to refer the individual to an agency that can provide such services.

We have counselors in many areas who specialize in drug and alcohol and other types of process addictions counseling (such as gambling, spending, video gaming, eating and sex) and are licensed or provisionally licensed as clinical addiction specialists. We can assess for these problems and can provide counseling in many cases. We are not a drug or alcohol treatment facility.

Generally, a counseling session lasts 45 minutes and the full charge for that session is $145. A longer session is needed for the initial appointment and assessment and that charge is $220. However, many clients who have insurance benefits will pay a fraction of these charges. Clients who are uninsured, underinsured or who are unable to pay for services due to financial hardship, may qualify for assistance. Contact your local center for complete information about payment options.

Our counselors can accept payment for services through most insurance and employee assistance plans. Clients who are uninsured, underinsured or who are unable to pay for services due to financial hardship, may qualify for assistance.  Contact your local center for complete information about payment options.

We are providers for many health insurance companies, employee assistance programs, and managed care organizations. Actually, there are countless insurance arrangements, and these are constantly changing. If you have mental health insurance coverage, you can call your local center and give us specific information about your plan. We will then check with your insurance company and determine what, if any, coverage you have, and what the actual cost to you will be. Ultimately though, it is up to you to fully understand your insurance coverage, and we will assist as we can. Some insurance companies and managed care organizations limit the number of providers. Thus, sometimes we have certain counselors who are providers for a company and other counselors who are not providers.

Because we see clients who are uninsured or underinsured and who need free or reduced price care, the payments from insurance companies do not cover the full cost of our services.

Each local center has counseling appointment availability at times which vary according to the needs of the community.  Please contact your local center for specific hours.

One of CareNet’s statewide roles is to act as an extension of pastoral care into the communities we serve. Our professional counseling staff integrates each individual’s spirituality and faith, based on the client’s own personal preferences and values, into the therapy process when the client expresses that it is an important aspect in their counseling.

In some areas, we also offer a Clergy and Congregational Care Program to provide counseling and consultation support for pastors and other church staff members. Additionally, many areas may provide informative behavioral health seminars and workshops for congregations.

We are a non-profit organization, and are financially supported by the generosity of churches, corporate partners, program grants and by the individuals within our communities.

Our supporting partners enable us to continue to provide the counseling services, programs and resources that are so vital to improving and maintaining the mental health across North Carolina and the surrounding area.

It is through our generous partners that we are able to continue to provide vital counseling services to North Carolina and four adjacent states. If you would like to partner with us financially, you can click here to donate.

You can also support us by volunteering at one of our many locations. We are always looking for passionate community-minded individuals to join us in our mission. Please contact your local center if you would like to find out more about volunteering, apply to serve on our board, or partner in community education.