Everything You Need to Know to Find a Family or Marriage Counselor
To those living in... McHenry, Cary, Algonquin, Schaumburg, Barrington, Woodstock and Crystal Lake, Illinois…
Affiliated COUNSELING
AND REFERRAL SERVICES (ACRS)
DR. Michael Shery, clinical
psychology
2615 Three Oaks Rd, Ste. 2A,
Cary, IL 60013
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“Since
1976, state-of-the-art counseling which treats the problem, not just the symptom…”
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FREE Taped Messages: Call 847 516 0899 (24 Hrs). To hear: How to Select a Counselor-Push 1; Emotional Stress Caused by an Accident or Injury-Press 2
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To those living in McHenry, Cary, Algonquin,
Schaumburg, Barrington, Woodstock and Crystal Lake, Illinois…
Everything You
Need to Know to Find a Family or Marriage Counselor
It is your life we are talking about…and your spouses…and your kids.
Take every necessary step to find the right counselor for your needs.
It can be very hard to do this, though, because of all the ads overwhelming
you and the multiple types of professionals soliciting you…psychologists…social workers,,,mental health counselors etc.
But, the fact of the matter is that you can find the right marriage counselor and
many of them are very good. Believe it or not, most of them, as their primary motivation, actually want to help you. Here are some of the
things to look for in your psychologist, therapist or marriage counselor. Just take these steps to find the perfect counselor for you.
Find a therapist that does mostly marriage or family counseling. This is
important. You will want someone who not only knows expert counseling methods, but also one who will
have experience in dealing with problems similar to yours. This simple principle can really make a large difference.
Many counselors have one or two particular areas of expertise and do other things as
well. If you find one who works mainly in marriage or family counseling, you are likely to be able to count on him/her to know more about how
to solve your problems than someone who works mainly with adolescents, for example.
To find a counselor that you can trust, look towards the American Psychological Association, the Illinois Psychological Association or the
Illinois chapters of the Mental Health Counselors Association or the National Association of Social Workers for recommendations. It helps to know
that someone knowledgeable is recommending the one that you are choosing. If you feel that you can, ask friends and family about their
recommendations as well.
Once you find a few names to consider, make sure that you research them. Ask about their relevant experience for cases like yours. While this
will not tell you whether your marriage counselor will be successful with you and your spouse, it is safe to say that it will give you some idea
of his or her skill level.
Consider how well the counselor will be dedicated to you and your spouses problems.
You can judge this by what he or she tells you and by how well he or she works with you. Does s/he accept your health insurance? Are your calls
returned promptly? Can you trust that your sessions will start on time? Ask them how many other cases similar to yours they are handling. Get to
know the degree of their dedication and expertise regarding your personal needs.
Perform an interview with the counselor. Ask the questions discussed previously. If at all possible make it an in-person interview. This will
help you to get a feeling for the counselor.
Ask about his/her therapeutic techniques. An experienced marriage counselor should be able to tell you what methods
are used and what distinct stages occur in the marriage counseling process.
Is it important to compare fees? Maybe…maybe not. If
your therapist does psychological counseling in the service of your marital issues… and if s/he accepts your insurance youll only have to make
the co-pay at each visit (it often ranges between $0 to $70 out-of-pocket each visit depending on your policy); your insurance will cover the
rest. However, if your marriage counselor doesn't do psychological counseling during your visit,
your insurance won't cover any of it. Out-of-pocket fees can then range from $80 to $150 a
visit. Whether the therapist does psychological counseling and not only marriage counseling is a
technical question, so be sure to ask.
Lastly, it is important to choose a therapist that you trust. If you do not feel
comfortable with a therapist, you shouldnt work with him/her. It makes sense that you and your spouse should be able to talk with him/her
easily and discuss all the intimate details of your problems. You should feel comfortable discussing everything that is needed. Trusting your
counselor will go a long way to helping you relax and relieve some of your stress.
The perfect marriage counselor? Is there really one out there? Who knows, but there is definitely
one therapist with whom you can feel comfortable and at ease. When you take the time to make sure that the counselor that you have chosen is a
good one, you can be sure that the future of your marriage or family is in capable hands.
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About The Author
Dr. Mike Shery is a licensed clinical psychologist and is affiliated with almost all health plans, including: ValueOptions, Medicare, Cigna, Cigna Behavioral Health, United Health Care, Aetna, First
Health, Healthstar, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, ComPsych, Magellan Health, HFN, Tricare, Humana, most union local
plans, most school district plans, Unicare, ChoiceCare, CAPP, Multiplan, Mental Health Network, Managed Health Network,
United Behavioral Health, PPONext, Private Health Care Systems, Humana-Military and Beech Street .
He has practiced clinical psychology for approximately 24 years and is board certified as a specialist in professional counseling by the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy. He is the director of Affiliated
Counseling and Referral Services and is a member of the American Counseling
Association.
The office is located in Cary, IL and in select cases phone consultations are
available for those who don’t live locally> Telephone Counseling.
To make an appointment> New Patient Registrationor to learn more about the psychological services he
providescall him at 1-847-516-0899 (24 Hrs).
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To make an appointment, schedule yourself now;
Click:
Make appointment for Cary Office: Therapy and Counseling
To return to: Marriage and Relationship Articles
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