Immediate availability for UnitedHealthcare, Optum, & Aetna commercial members.
1935 Dominion Way, Ste 101 Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918, United States
FAQ
Is Counseling for me?
How do I know if therapy is the right choice?
Deciding whether or not to start therapy can feel completely overwhelming. It is entirely normal to feel hesitant, or to wonder if your struggles are "big enough" to warrant professional support.The best place to start is simply by taking a gentle inventory of what you are experiencing. Therapy is a valuable tool for a vast range of human experiences—whether you are navigating everyday life stressors, experiencing relationship or family distress, or managing a severe clinical mental health diagnosis.While only you can decide when you are ready to begin, the choice usually comes down to a simple desire for change. To help you reflect on your readiness, take a moment to ask yourself these four questions:
- Do I feel like something in my life or my patterns needs to change?
- Is a current struggle negatively impacting my daily routine, work, or relationships?
- Have I tried navigating this on my own, but feel ready for fresh tools and support?
- Are trusted family members or friends expressing gentle concern about my emotional well-being?
If you answered "yes" to any of these, you don’t have to figure out the next steps alone. Growth begins with curiosity, and our care team is here to support you whenever you are ready.
Finding the right fit doesn't have to be hard.
Starting therapy is a profound step toward wellness, and it should be an easy process. Ideally, you want to partner with a licensed professional who possesses specific experience in the exact areas you are looking to navigate. But decoding clinical profiles, searching directories, or calling down an insurance list when you are already stressed can feel exhausting. We believe you shouldn't have to do the heavy lifting alone. We take the guesswork out of the search by guiding you through three simple steps:
- 1. Say Hello (On Your Terms): Taking the first step should match your comfort level. If making a phone call feels too difficult right now, that is completely okay. You can reach out silently and securely using the contact form on our website.
- 2. Get Hand-Matched: You don't have to scroll through dozens of clinical resumes to guess who fits your needs. Our warm intake coordinator reads your preferences, checks your insurance compatibility, and collaboratively hand-selects the therapist on our team best equipped to support your goals.
- 3. Test the Connection: Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. The relationship between you and your counselor is the most important ingredient for healing. That is why we encourage you to start with a casual, low-pressure 30-minute phone consultation to check the fit, or skip right to a first appointment. If you don't feel a strong connection, we will gladly help you transition to another provider—no questions asked.
Things to think about as you begin:
As you prepare to reach out, take a quiet moment to consider your ideal scheduling availability, whether you prefer the convenience of virtual telehealth or the comfort of our cozy in-person rooms, and if you intend to utilize your insurance benefits. Our care team will help you coordinate the rest.
Does Mindful Connections Mental Health, LLC take Insurance?
At Mindful Connections, accessibility is a core pillar of our mission. We believe that financial stress should never stand in the way of high-quality mental health support. To help accommodate your budget, the vast majority of our clinicians proudly accept a wide range of insurance plans. Because insurance compatibility varies by individual provider, our care coordinator will work closely with you to pair you with a therapist who is fully in-network with your specific benefits. If you prefer to bypass insurance, or if your ideal clinical match is out-of-network, we offer several flexible paths to keep your care sustainable and stress-free:
- Transparent Out-of-Pocket Options: Straightforward, flat-rate session fees with no hidden costs or surprises.
- Compassionate Sliding-Scale Fees: Reduced rates based on financial eligibility to ensure care remains within your reach.
- Community Grants & Networks: We proudly collaborate with local grant programs like Heartspace Kids for specialized pediatric referrals, and maintain dedicated, limited slots for Open Path Collective members.
A Gentle Note for Medicaid Recipients: In accordance with Colorado state guidelines and Medicaid regulations, individuals covered by Medicaid are legally unable to pay out-of-pocket or self-pay for services. If you utilize Health First Colorado, our intake team will strictly connect you with a clinician on our staff who is fully credentialed with your specific Medicaid network so your care is entirely covered.
What is a Sliding Scale Fee?
A sliding scale fee is a reduced fee based on a household income scale. Individuals who are in need of a reduced fee may inquire about the process. Generally speaking, clients will be asked to provide proof of household income or financial hardship and to fill out an application.
How long is a session?
Standard sessions are generally 50 minutes in length. However, dependent upon need, sessions can be shorter or longer in length. This will be discussed between client and provider.
In Person or Tele-mental Health?
Whether your come in person or attend sessions virtually, you can rest assured your care will be dedicated to your needs. Take a look at your full explanation of our telehealth option to help you make the best decision.
Does MCMH prescribe Medications?
Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Candidates for licensure cannot prescribe medications. However, Mindful Connections' belief in collaborative care ensures that we work with a variety of other health care providers who can assist with medication management if necessary.
What Does it mean to Consent for Treatment?
Consenting for treatment is an important aspect of mental health treatment. Prior to starting counseling, clients are given written information regarding their rights and responsibilities, their provider's rights and responsibilities, and the policies of the agency. Clients must be mentally capable and of age to review and sign the documentation verifying they accept the outlined information before we are able to provide treatment. Age of consent for treatment in Colorado is 12 years or older.
Approaches to counseling
There are so many approaches to counseling and our providers are diverse in this area to ensure our clients are able to be fit with a modality that will work for them.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A form of behavioral treatment, aimed at problem solving. Helps a client understand the relationship between thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors. Can be more direct and concrete.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Derived from CBT. Teaches clients to live in the moment through mindfulness, regulation of emotion, distress tolerance, and interpersonal relationship functioning.
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT): Tends to be short-term and is aimed at helping clients focus on the positive and through identifying and implementing solutions to problems.
Person-Centered Therapy: Is a less direct and humanistic approach to counseling, encouraging clients to find their own solutions through empowerment and guidance.
Narrative Therapy: A form of therapy that views a client as separate from their problems and behaviors and empowers clients to explore and reshape life stories.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A therapy form that is action driven and aims to build self-awareness, create self-control, learn mindfulness skills, and increase sensitivity to self and others.
Play Therapy: Often helpful in teaching and encouraging children to understand and express emotion. This is done through the implementation of play techniques.
What do all the credentials mean?
We know the different letters behind a professional's name can be confusing.
Licensed Psychologist (LP): In Colorado a Licensed Psychologist is someone who has completed the academic requirements for a doctorate as well as the necessary requirements for licensure.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): In Colorado, an LPC is someone who has completed, at minimum a Master's degree in counseling or similar as well as the necessary requirements for licensure. This person may hold a doctorate but obtained license at the LPC level.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT): In Colorado, an LMFT is someone who has completed, at minimum a Master's degree specific to marriage and family therapy and has completed the necessary requirements for licensure.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): In Colorado, an LCSW is someone who holds a minimum of a masters degree in social work and completed the necessary requirements to counsel and the necessary requirements for licensure.
Intern: A student, who has not completed their degree requirements but are working under the supervision of a licensed provider and towards the completion of their degree requirements (MCMH does not employ interns).
Unlicensed Psychotherapist: Formerly known as a registered psychotherapist, Colorado allows those who started their licensure requirement journey to practice under supervision. They were once referred to as Registered psychotherapists and were grandfathered in when the rules changed. Unlicensed Psychotherapists at minimum hold a master's degree in counseling or related fields, are under supervision by a licensed provider and are working toward their licensure requirements.
Candidates (LPC-C, LMFT-C): Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are required to register as Candidates while completing the necessary requirements for their licensure. These individuals have completed their degrees, are working under supervision and are working toward licensure.
Licensed Social Worker: Licensed Social Workers are, in fact licensed to work as social workers. However, they do not hold the clinical designation and therefore are not permitted to provide counseling services. Individuals must complete the necessary requirements for the clinical designation and the licensure requirements to reach LCSW.
Why would I want to see an unlicensed professional?
We often get questions or concerns about the experience and abilities of unlicensed or candidate providers. We would love to clear some things up for you because seeing an unlicensed provider or Candidate may actually be a benefit to you!
First, we would like to shed some light on the rigorous requirements mental health providers go through to obtain their degrees. Academic requirements for mental health providers include at least one year (two in some cases) of practicum experience which starts a provider's experience. They work with clients under the supervision of licensed providers, honing their skills in counseling techniques, documentation, ethics, and more. In addition, an internship of one to two years is also required. This usually starts, following completion of practicum requirements and coursework. So, by the time a mental health provider graduates, they have a minimum of 2 years' experience working with clients in clinical settings.
Following graduation, Mental health providers who want to practice, are required to complete 1500 to 2000 (depends on the degree) hours of clinical work under a licensed psychologist, in addition to their academic requirements. The majority of these hours must be face-to-face with clients. Providers must complete these hours in NO LESS than 1 year (doctoral)/2 years (masters). They are also required to complete a licensing exam. By the time a provider becomes licensed they have, in combination with their academic experience a minimum of 4 years' experience (doctoral/requires more practicum time and internship time pre-degree) and 4 years' experience (Masters).
Depending on post-graduation placement, life demands, etc. providers may take more time to obtain their licensure hours, therefore extending the time it takes to become licensed. Therefore, experience is specific to the provider and may include several years' worth of experience.
All providers under supervision are reviewing cases with their licensed providers and obtaining direct assistance with cases as necessary. Therefore, their clients are getting not only the expertise and the experience of the provider but also the supervisor. This can be a benefit to the client and ensures clients are getting the most effective care.