Frequently Asked Questions

Counseling & Therapy

Is what I say in counseling kept confidential?

Calming Wind Counseling Services therapists follow the professional, legal and ethical guidelines of their respective professions with the company as a whole abiding by the American Counseling Association code of ethics and the laws of Virginia. This means that information about your counseling sessions is not shared with anyone without your expressed written permission. There are some exceptions to confidentiality, however. If there is the possibility of harm to the client or another person, or in cases of child or elder abuse, therapists are mandated to report certain information to the appropriate authorities. Please ask your therapist for more information about confidentiality.



How can therapy help me?

People see a therapist for a wide range of reasons including but not limited to stress management to a specific diagnosis. Sometimes an event occurs that causes an individual to seek out help, while for others, they may attend therapy because it provides a trained objective person to help them work through some issues they may have been struggling with for years. Counseling can be beneficial because a client may feel a sense of control in their life and have the tools to be able to make better decisions or changes in their life. Therapists can provide support, problem solving skills and coping strategies for a wide range of issues. Therapists, being objective, can provide a different or a fresh perspective on a problem that you have been struggling with. Benefits of therapy depend on your commitment and level of readiness. Some benefits can include, boosting self confidence or improving self esteem, improving communication skills, learning/finding new coping skills, attaining a better understanding of yourself, changing old patterns and developing new ones, or managing your emotional feeling such as sadness, anger or other highly charged emotions you may be feeling.



What is the difference between seeing a therapist, a psychologist, and a psychiatrist?

As mental health therapists / counselors the scope of treatment is talk-therapy. Typically therapists have their masters degree, and do yearly continuing education in order to maintain their education and license. While, psychologists also provide counseling services they also provide psychological testing for schools, courts and other entities. Psychologists typically have a doctorate degree and do yearly continuing education in order to maintain their education and license. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specializes in behavior that can utilize medication and talk therapy together. Psychiatrists tend to limit their talk therapy / counseling services and are typically available for medication management. If your therapist feels that you may need medication, they will provide you with a referral to doctors that they may recommend.



How do I schedule an appointment?

If you are new to our practice you can call 804-416-5052 to speak to our staff, register on our online client portal by clicking "New Clients" or clicking here, or send an email to info@calmingwindcounseling.com in order to schedule your first appointment. If you are a returning client you can go to your client portal by clicking " Existing Clients" underneath the Calming Wind Counseling Service logo.



Insurance & Payments

How can I pay for my therapy sessions?

Therapy sessions are able to be paid by insurance or self-pay at Calming Wind Counseling Services. For a list of our accepted insurances click here When it comes to self-pay we work with clients to find the most affordable option that is available to them. Please contact us at info@calmingwindcounseling.com for further information about individualized payment options.



How do I know what my insurance coverage is?

We would be happy to help you understand more about figuring out what your insurance plan is able to cover in terms of individual, couples, family, and group sessions along with any potential employee assistance program benefits that you may have. You can ask any questions you may have around insurance coverage to billing@calmingwindcounseling.com. For information on this topic you can check out our blog articles about insurance here



Online Groups

How do I register for an online group?

You can register for an online group by going to the online groups page and finding the group that you would like to register for. Once you have found the group you would like to register for click on the "click here to register" link for the group of your choice. Fill in the form and submit. You will receive confirmation about your group registration within 24 hours of your submission.​Alternative financial arrangements to help make the groups more affordable are available by emailing groups@calmingwindcounseling.com. To finalize your registration for the group we will be sending you an invitation to our client portal where you will be able to fill out any documents regarding acknowledgement of our policies, etc. Once your paperwork has been completed in your client portal you will receive a confirmation email from the group leader stating your registration is complete and have the zoom link.



Will your groups ever be in person?

At this point and time during the COVID-19 pandemic our groups will be facilitated online through HIPAA compliant Zoom until we are able to safely operate groups. If you are interested in hearing when we will be offering in person groups please email info@calmingwindcounseling.com



Technical Support

Why am I having trouble accessing my telehealth appointment?

We have communicated with Simple Practice Technical Support in order to further learn why there may be such issues with being able to access an appointment video. At this time they have highlighted that: "Telehealth links are only valid about 15 minutes prior to an appointment and about an hour after the end of the session time." As a result, please make sure that you are attempting to open the link (we would suggest through the client portal if the emailed link did not work) within this time frame. If the appointment still does not work for you please contact your therapist and request that they create a new appointment so you can get a new telehealth link.



How do I login to the client portal?

The first time that you log in to the Client Portal, click the link found in the welcome email you received from your clinician. Clicking the link will open a new tab in your browser where you’ll automatically get logged in. To log back in: Go to your provider's Client Portal website. Click the I’m an Existing Client button.
Tip: Bookmark this page so you can log back in easily in the future. Enter the email address associated with your account. Click Email Me a Link.
Check your inbox to find the sign-in email. Keep in mind that the link in the email is valid for 24 hours and can only be used to sign in once.

For a full detailed getting started guide from Simple Practice click here



How do I pay my bill through the client portal?

For a detailed explanation of how to view your billing history, documents such as invoices and statements, and how to pay your bill you can read an in depth guide by Simple Practice here