FAQs About Therapy

We offer a range of therapy, counseling, and mental health services for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Depending on the service and clinician, care may be available in person in our Rockville office, or online with virtual services available in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia based on clinician licensure.

Our services include:

• Child therapy
• Teen therapy
• Individual adult therapy
• Family therapy
• Couples therapy
• Parent coaching
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Radically Open DBT (RODBT)
• Skills groups for parents of challenging tweens and teens

We also offer clinical supervision opportunities and mental health training and presentations for organizations and professionals.

You don’t need to know exactly what type of therapy or support you need before reaching out. After submitting an inquiry, MCCC’s intake team can help determine what kind of support may make sense and match you with an appropriate therapist.

Once you begin working with a clinician, that conversation continues. Together, you’ll determine the approaches and services that best support your goals, making adjustments along the way when needed.

Montgomery County Counseling Center is an outpatient practice, meaning we serve clients whose mental health needs are stable enough to benefit from 1-3 hours of care per week. If more support beyond that is needed for your wellbeing, we may refer you to a higher level of care.

We work with children ages 5 and older, teens, young adults, and adults.

Yes. MCCC offers both online and in-person therapy. For telehealth, you need to work with a clinician who is licensed in the state where you are physically located at the time of your appointment. Some clients and situations are better served in person whenever possible. You and your clinician can make the call on what will be effective.

Finding a therapist who is a good fit for you and your needs is essential to effective therapy. We know you may also want to get a sense of a therapist’s personality and approach before deciding who you might be interested in working with. Our therapist bios include short video introductions from our clinicians to help you get to know them a little before reaching out.

Our intake specialist will also help identify a therapist who may be a good fit based on your needs, clinical considerations, preferences, and scheduling availability.

You can also learn more about what to consider when choosing a therapist in our two-part blog series. Part 1 covers the practical aspects of finding a therapist, while Part 2 focuses on the therapeutic relationship.

Yes. We offer a free 10-15 minute phone consultation with our intake specialist to learn more about what you’re looking for, answer initial questions, and discuss next steps. If you’d like an additional consultation with a provider before your intake appointment, we can help set that up too.

Most counseling sessions are 45-50 minutes. In some circumstances, you and your therapist may decide that a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute session is more appropriate for your clinical needs.

We recommend clients begin with weekly therapy sessions, particularly during the first few months of treatment. Consistent sessions give you and your therapist time to build a strong therapeutic relationship, better understand your needs, and establish momentum toward your goals.

As therapy progresses, you and your therapist will discuss whether it makes sense to adjust how often you meet based on your needs, progress, and treatment goals.

This looks different for everyone, depending on your individual needs, goals, and circumstances. Some people stay months, others stay years, depending on how life, goals, and therapy evolve. This also depends on the type of therapy; some evidence-based models have clearer timeframe expectations.

On average you should know within about 3 sessions if you’re matched with a good therapist fit. From there, you and your therapist should be explicitly defining what it would mean for you to feel like it’s working and how long to expect that process.

Another general rule of thumb is that by session 8, you should generally feel there’s been value from the process. That may or may not mean your goals have been met… but you should definitely feel some value.

Session fees vary based on the type of service and clinician. Therapy with a licensed clinician and generally range from $190 to $225. Therapy with clinical interns* ranges from $10-$90

*Clinical interns are therapists in training and are under direct supervision of our licensed staff. Services provided by clinical interns are not eligible for insurance reimbursement.

For detailed information about this please see our Financial Information & Insurance FAQs page.

Montgomery County Counseling Center is an out-of-network, fee-for-service practice and does not accept insurance directly.

If your insurance plan includes out-of-network benefits, you may be eligible for reimbursement for therapy services. For information about insurance reimbursement, superbills, and payment, please visit our Financial Information & Insurance FAQs page.

We offer a Family Care Plan for families receiving multiple concurrent services through our practice. The plan is designed to help support families who are engaged in more comprehensive care.

For eligibility and additional details, please visit our Financial Information & Insurance FAQs page.

We view therapy as a partnership. Your perspective and feedback matter throughout the process, and we want you to feel comfortable talking with us about what’s working, what isn’t, and what you need from your care. Our clinical and practice leadership continually evaluate how we work so we can keep learning, improving, and responding to the needs of our clients.

Our team of therapists also takes a collaborative, systems-based approach to care. We consider the relationships, environments, and experiences that may influence your well-being, and our clinicians meet regularly to share expertise and strengthen the care we provide. When helpful and with your permission, we can also collaborate with other MCCC clinicians or outside providers involved in your care.

Creating a welcoming, affirming environment is fundamental to who we are as a practice. MCCC is committed to equity, human rights, and social justice, and we welcome clients and families of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences.

For us, these values are reflected in our clinical work, conversations, policies, and the environment we create for our clients. We recognize that identity, culture, family, community, and lived experience shapes mental health and the experience of therapy. Ongoing learning, reflection, and accountability are an important part of how we continue to grow as clinicians and as a practice.

Getting started is simple. Complete our new client inquiry form to tell us a little about yourself and what you’re looking for. Our intake specialist will then connect with you to learn more about your needs, answer initial questions, and help identify a therapist who may be a good fit.

If inclement weather may affect your appointment, please review our Inclement Weather Policy for information about office closures, schedule changes, and options for current clients.