Individual Counseling

Individual counseling is a structured conversation between you and a counselor, where you bring a problem or a goal into the room and we work together to move you toward the change you want. Pivotal Counseling Center offers individual counseling in Woodstock, Lake in the Hills and Elgin, and online anywhere in Illinois.

What is counseling?

Counseling is not a space where we judge you or tell you to start or stop doing whatever you're doing. It's a collaborative relationship. We draw out your own understanding of your life and your relationships by asking thought-provoking questions that move you toward the change you prefer.

Counseling doesn't always have to be about moving away from a problem. Sometimes it's about something you aspire to, a dream or a goal, and counseling can be very helpful in moving you toward it. But often, counseling is about responding to something hurtful, unexpected or unknown in your life.

What brings people to individual counseling?

Relationships. Many of the issues we see are about relationships. Maybe it's a conflict that feels confusing and complex. Maybe it's: How do I communicate in a way that respects me, but also the other person? How do I listen attentively, or connect emotionally with someone I value? Maybe it's how to start a new relationship or keep the ones you have. Sometimes it's understanding when and how to end a relationship.

Life transitions. Moving from school to school, through adolescence into young adulthood, into college, the military or the workplace. Moving into a romantic relationship, a marriage or parenthood. Understanding how your role in your family is renegotiated as you become someone new in each phase of life. Sometimes it's divorce, and understanding who you are after profound change. Sometimes it's becoming a grandparent, or moving into the final stages of life.

Feeling stuck. Counseling is especially helpful when you're not sure what to do next. A counselor will ask deep questions, and with any luck you'll keep thinking about them long after you leave the office: what steps you might consider, what changes might be preferable, and how you might start moving toward them.

Mental health concerns. Counseling can help with depression, anxiety, anger, changing moods, trouble controlling the thoughts in your head, overpowering emotions, trouble eating or sleeping, and using or overusing substances like alcohol or cannabis.

When is it time to start therapy?

When people face a challenge, most try to solve it on their own first, or ask friends and family for advice. Sometimes the problem persists anyway. It may be time to start counseling when:

• You're exhausted from dealing with the same problem over and over
• The way you cope with the problem isn't working
• Your relationships or your marriage are being affected, or you've lost important relationships because of it
• You can't do the things you enjoy, you've lost interest in things that matter to you, or your routine is disrupted
• The problem is limiting your performance or opportunities at work or school
• People around you have told you something is wrong and you should get help
• You feel completely overwhelmed or stuck
• You're going through a major life change, even a positive one

Most importantly, start therapy if you don't want to wait for things to get worse. Sometimes the best thing we can do is get out ahead of a problem.

Why starting counseling can feel hard

It's a difficult thing to walk into a room with a stranger and start sharing your thoughts and feelings, from your deepest hurts to your biggest hopes for your life. Many people starting counseling for the first time worry that they'll be judged, or that the counselor will disagree with what they've done or the change they want. Some have never had the chance to express themselves in such a vulnerable way, or have never been asked these kinds of questions, and don't know what they would say. And many feel their problems aren't bad enough for counseling, that they should tough it out, get over it or bottle it up.

Counselors are mindful of these concerns. These conversations are an adjustment for many people, and being vulnerable in this way is hard. More often than not, the best way out is through. We know judgment isn't helpful. We'll work with you to build a relationship, to understand how you see yourself, the world and other people, and to understand where you'd like to go.

What happens in the first few sessions?

Your first session is an intake appointment. Your counselor will go over your history to understand the full picture: who you are, where you come from, and who the most important people in your life are. We'll ask where you grew up, where you went to school, what you do for work and in your free time. We'll ask about the difficult times and the wonderful times. We'll ask when the problem entered your life and how it affects you.

We'll ask whether the problem has gotten better, worse or stayed the same, and if it changed, what changed it. What works? What doesn't? We'll talk about your goals: what you'd like to change, and how you would know counseling was working.

Those first appointments are about understanding the problem and its impact on your life, and then starting to move toward the change you want. That might mean becoming more aware of patterns, understanding what's causing the problem, responding to it in new ways, building coping skills, clarifying your values, or building communication skills and relationships.

How do I find the right counselor?

You'll start by talking with our intake team. They know everyone at the practice, their interests and their skills, and will have a good idea of who might be a good match for what you're facing. The specific approach a therapist uses matters far less than the relationship they build with you. If you don't connect with your therapist, counseling won't be effective, so it's very important to us that you find the right fit, and we'll work with you to find it.

Common reasons people seek individual counseling

If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

We offer individual counseling in Woodstock, Lake in the Hills, Elgin, and anywhere in Illinois through online counseling. See Rates and Insurance for fees and the plans we accept.

Frequently Asked Questions About Individual Counseling

What is individual counseling?

Counseling is a structured conversation between a counselor and a client. The client brings a problem or goal into the room, and the two work together to move toward the change the client wants. A counselor doesn't judge you or tell you to start or stop doing something; we ask questions that help you understand your own life and relationships.

When is it time to start counseling?

It may be time when a problem keeps coming back after you've tried to solve it, when the way you cope isn't working, or when your relationships, work, school or daily routine are suffering. It can also help during a major life change, positive or negative. You don't have to wait for things to get worse.

What happens in the first counseling session?

Your first session is an intake appointment. Your counselor will ask about your history, the important people in your life, when the problem started and how it affects you, what has helped and what hasn't, and what you'd like to change.

How do I find the right counselor?

Start by talking with our intake team. They know every counselor at the practice and can suggest a good match for your concern. The relationship you build with your counselor matters more than any specific approach, so we'll work with you to find the right fit.

Do you offer individual counseling online?

Yes. We offer individual counseling in person in Woodstock, Lake in the Hills and Elgin, Illinois, and online anywhere in Illinois.

Does insurance cover individual counseling?

We accept most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Medicaid, Medicare, Optum/United Healthcare and Tricare. Every one of our clinicians accepts Illinois Medicaid. Self-pay sessions are $200 for 60 minutes, and a reduced fee is available.