Question 1

How do I start Counseling?

Accepted Answer

Start by scheduling time to Meet Brandi via phone, video, or in-person in her office in Waco, Texas. This is a 20-30 free meeting to connect and see if you’d like to move forward with Stained Glass Counseling.

Question 2

What happens during the free “Meet Brandi” Session?

Accepted Answer

You will get to share about what you are experiencing leading you to consider counseling, Brandi will ask you some questions to get a good understanding, and you will get to ask Brandi questions. If you’d like to continue with her, you will schedule an “Intake Assessment." If not, Brandi will provide referrals for you to consider other counselors within one week of your meeting.

Question 3

What is an Intake Assessment?

Accepted Answer

The Intake Assessment is a 90-minute first appointment with Brandi that costs $200. Think of this like going to a new doctor for your annual physical. You will fill out a stack of paperwork before your appointment and then you will go through your medical, mental health, family, and substance use history with your counselor. The purpose is to get a full picture of what you are experiencing and to set a good plan for what you would like to get out of treatment. This first appointment will feel very clinical but will set a good foundation for your relationship with your counselor and goals moving forward.

Question 4

Does Stained Glass Counseling offer group therapy?

Accepted Answer

Not yet! But Brandi is extensively trained in group therapy and will be offering these options by the end of 2021.

Question 5

Do you offer crisis intervention?

Accepted Answer

Stained Glass Counseling is not available for 24-hour crisis intervention and recommends you call the MHMR crisis line at 1-866-752-3451 (TX) or the Colorado Crisis Hotline at 1-844-493-8255 if you are in crisis. Brandi offers crisis intervention and safety planning during sessions to her clients and is able to respond to text, email, or phone calls within 48 business hours.

Question 6

Do you prescribe medication?

Accepted Answer

Brandi is not licensed or trained in prescribing or administering medication. You will need to do this through your general practitioner, a psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner. If you are interested in considering medication to help manage your symptoms, ask Brandi during your session and she can provide you with referrals.

Question 7

What is Brainspotting?

Accepted Answer

Brainspotting is a relational, brainbody and mindfulness-based approach to counseling that can help clients reach their goals in therapy more quickly. Brainspotting can help with issues such as trauma responses/PTSD, anxiety/panic attacks, depression, addiction/cravings, phobias, chronic pain/fatigue, anger management, and athletic/creative performance. Click here for more information on Brainspotting.

Question 8

How long will I be in counseling?

Accepted Answer

There is no real timeline on how long people are in counseling and each person is different. Some people elect to be in counseling the rest of their lives and some people want to be done as soon as possible. Stained Glass Counseling works under the idea that the goal of counseling is to not need it anymore and strives to empower you to feel confident you can manage life's struggles on a daily basis. You will set goals for counseling when you begin treatment and will check-in with your counselor on your progress towards these goals.

Question 9

How do I end counseling?

Accepted Answer

You are in charge and can end counseling whenever you want. The hope is that counseling ends when you have reached your goals and no longer need it. However, that is not always the case and it can be hard to have those conversations. If you’d like to end counseling you can discuss this with your counselor and she will help you find another counselor and/or create an aftercare plan to continue personal growth. If your counselor is going to end your treatment for any reason, she will discuss this with you over a period of weeks and provide referrals for a new counselor.

Question 10

Where can I find my paperwork?

Accepted Answer

All paperwork can be filled out electronically through your client portal after scheduling your Intake Assessment. All paperwork throughout your treatment can be found here. You are also welcome to request a pdf of your paperwork or arrive early to your appointment to complete this.

Question 11

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

Stained Glass Counseling does not take any insurance as an “in-network” provider. However, we do complete “courtesy billing” as an “out-of-network provider” where you pay the full price of counseling and a bill is submitted to your insurance company once per month. Your insurance company would then reimburse you directly based upon your specific plan. If you prefer to submit bills to your insurance personally, you may request a “superbill” from your counselor.

Question 12

How do I make a payment?

Accepted Answer

Payment is expected at the time of your service unless otherwise agreed upon with your counselor. You can make a payment through your client portal by credit card and can keep your credit card on file for automatic payments. Stained Glass Counseling also takes payments via cash or check.

Question 13

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

Go to our contact page for details on office location, parking, and waiting room expectations.

Question 14

What are your cancelation policies?

Accepted Answer

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please do so more than 48 hours before your session by contacting Brandi or canceling in your client portal. If you cancel within 48 hours before your appointment you will still be charged the full session fee unless there is an emergency. Brandi will review the details of these policies during your intake assessment.

Question 15

What are your COVID policies and procedures?

Accepted Answer

Currently, Stained Glass counseling requires masks in the waiting room and in-session if you have not been fully vaccinated per CDC guidelines. Brandi has been fully vaccinated and all clients who have elected to be vaccinated are not required to wear masks. You are welcome to engage in video counseling if you are not vaccinated and do not wish to wear a mask in session. Stained Glass Counseling cleans all items and seating used by clients between each session.

Question 16

I’d like my counselor to collaborate with my doctor, group counselor, psychiatrist, etc. How does this happen?"

Accepted Answer

Stained Glass Counseling loves collaborating with your entire treatment team! All you need to do is complete a Release of Information through your client portal or you can download here. Once this is on file, your counselor has permission to discuss your treatment with your other providers.

Question 17

What is a Mental Health/Substance Abuse Evaluation?

Accepted Answer

A Mental Health (MH) or Substance Abuse (SA) Evaluation (or combo) is a one-time 2.5 to 3 hour detailed evaluation focused on assessing your history of and current struggle with MH or SA. Within two weeks of your interview, your evaluator will provide a full writeup, including a diagnosis and recommendations and referrals for treatment.

Question 18

Why would I need a Mental Health/Substance Abuse Evaluation?

Accepted Answer

MH/SA Evaluations are most often requested when they are required by an employer or another agency after an issue has occurred at work or a crime has been committed. Other reasons you may seek an evaluation would be to diagnose a MH/SA issue, to check-in on the status of a previously diagnosed issue,  or to distinguish between MH and SA issues. Brandi Solanki is not an approved Substance Abuse Professional for the Department of Transportation (DoT) and cannot provide evaluations to meet requirements for the DoT Return-to-Duty process.

Question 19

Do I get a copy of the writeup for the evaluation?

Accepted Answer

The complete writeup for a Mental Health (MH)/Substance Abuse (SA) evaluation is normally provided directly to the agency requesting you complete the evaluation. However, if you’d like a copy, you may schedule a free 30-minute session to review the results/recommendations and leave with a copy.

Question 20

Does a Mental Health/Substance Abuse Evaluation prescribe medication?

Accepted Answer

No. Brandi Solanki is not licensed or trained in prescribing medication. To complete this kind of evaluation you will want to find a Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Your evaluation with Stained Glass Counseling may recommend completing a medication evaluation with one of these providers and offer referrals.

Question 21

Why is a Mental Health/Substance Abuse Evaluation so expensive?

Accepted Answer

Time is the main reason Stained Glass Counseling charges $450 for a full evaluation. You will be with the evaluator for a full 3 hours. After this is completed, your evaluator will spend up to 2 hours on a writeup. Think of this writeup as a research paper summarizing your history and why diagnoses and recommendations are being given. Your evaluator is committed to completing a comprehensive and accurate writeup and spends around 5 hours on the entire process of an evaluation.