New Clients Guide
We May Have Appointments Available This Week!
© 2024 Bonnett Chandler, MA, LPCC; Richard Chandler, MA, LPC; Kelly Krueger, MA, LMFT
What To Know Before Signing Up:
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We serve Minnesota-based clients only
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We do not offer in-person appointments (our therapists offer high-quality, online sessions)
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We do not accept insurance, but instead have a sliding payment scale based on income
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Read on to learn about pricing, appointment times, and how to sign up!
Thank you for considering working with us. Please note that although this website is focused on the St. Cloud, Central Minnesota area, we do online and telephone therapy only, throughout the entire State of Minnesota including the Twin Cities Metro, Northern MN, The Iron Range, and Southwest and Southern Minnesota. All you need is a phone and internet access to do online individual, career, or couples counseling.
Please go through this page step-by-step so you are confident that it makes sense to work together before registering as a new client from the state of Minnesota. (Licensing of counseling therapists is on a state-by-state basis. Richard Chandler, MA, LPC and Bonnett Chandler, MA, LPCC are only licensed to do therapy for Minnesota residents.)
St. Cloud Counseling Therapy is Private Pay Only & Not Covered By Insurance
Our practice is devoted to helping you with your life. Because we do not do not work with insurance, and you pay us directly, our approach is to help you rather than treating mental illness.
This results in having the freedom to work with you with 100% of our focus on helping you rather than restricting or shortchanging you out of concern that an insurance company may not want to pay.
Therapy Focused On Improving Your Life & Relationships
- Many times mentally healthy people have complex challenges in their lives. We can focus on meeting those challenges rather than treating you for mental illness that may not even be present.
- It is more confidential because you do not receive a diagnosis that will stay on your permanent health records with your insurance company.
- Therapy is based on your wants and needs, not those of an insurance company.
Individual Counseling
60-minute Session Sliding Fee Schedule (Based on Before-Tax Income):
Less Than $100,000 = $135.00
$100,000 - $149,999 = $155.00
$150,000 - $199,999 = $175.00
$200,000 - $249,999 = $200.00
$250,000 Or More = $250.00
Couples Counseling
60-Minute Session Sliding Fee Schedule (Based on Combined Before-Tax Income):
Less than $150,000 = $155.00
$150,000 - $199,999 = $175.00
$200,000 - $249,999 = $200.00
$250,000 Or More = $250.00
Couples Relational Counseling is Not Covered By Insurance Because it Isn't a Mental Illness
Except for one or more “no-cost” sessions provided by some employers for their employees for counseling, Marriage Therapy is not covered by insurance, as it is not medical treatment of a mental health condition.
All Sessions Are High-Quality, HIPPA-Compliant Online Teletherapy
Since the first part of March 2020, therapy has been totally online or by telephone:
- We invested in professional cameras, lighting, and sound, so your experience can be like in-person therapy.
- Unless the internet connection is poor, you will be able to see and hear either of us as clearly as if we are in an office together.
- It is of similar quality to the videos on this website.
- You have the convenience of not having to travel to sessions.
- If privacy is a concern, many clients do sessions from their vehicle.
Our Schedule for Online Counseling Therapy Sessions
In general, I schedule online teletherapy and telephone sessions on Mondays - Thursdays and Saturday mornings. Unlike most counselor therapists, I do not schedule on the hour, but instead, space sessions 1.5 hours apart. You will receive a full hour of therapy. If your session lasts a little longer than one hour, I will not charge you an additional fee beyond the hourly rate.
My standard Monday through Wednesday appointment times are:
- 8:30 am-9:30 am
- 10:00 am-11:00 am
- 11:30 am-12:30 pm
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
- 4:00 pm -5:00 pm
- 5:30 pm -6:30 pm
If my standard times do not work in your schedule, I make exceptions to accommodate you with Thursday times of:
- 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
- 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
I have non-standard times for clients who cannot schedule during the week on Saturday morning:
- 8:30 am-9:30 am
- 10:00 am - 11:00 am
- 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Become a Client: Step by Step Instructions
Become A Client Begins By Registering Through Our Client Portal
The CounSol.com practice management system enables you to fill out your intake information, schedule and reschedule appointments, have an online teletherapy session, and make payments for sessions.
Click this link: richard-chandler-ma-lpc.secure-client-area.com/portal This link is the same one as you will find on the top of every website page when you click “Client Portal.”
Next, click the lower right-hand link called “Register.” For Couples' Counseling, each of you must register separately and each must fill out your own intake forms.
Provide your basic information and digitally sign the Confidentiality and Informed Consent Agreement.
The Registration And Intake Process Takes Most People 15 - 20 Minutes To Complete
Fill out all intake forms. For Couples' Counseling, each of you must register separately and each must fill out your own intake forms.
Before Scheduling Your Appointment Time, Please Text or Email Your Therapist:
- Your full name (and your romantic partner’s full name if doing couples therapy)
- Let me know that you (and your romantic partner if doing couples counseling), have completed your intake information.
- Please text the rate you will be paying based on your combined household income before taxes. If you are doing couples counseling and you do not live in the same household, add up both incomes and see where you fit in the fee schedule chart above.
Please also put your credit card information into CounSol.com. It is secure. The major credit card processing company, CardConnect, has the actual data. Neither employees of CounSol.com nor I have your credit card information.
Payment is due at the time of your session, but you are welcome to authorize payment at any time prior to your session.
You May Schedule Your Own Online Counseling Session
After completing your intake information, schedule your session by looking at the available time spots and selecting one that works for you.
- Please note that my client portal CounSol.com system will generate an invoice at the time that you are scheduled.
- The system automatically defaults to my full rate of $175.00 for a full-hour session.
- Please contact us by email or text and we will adjust the rate to the proper amount for you based on the sliding fee scale shown above.
Your Online Session With St. Cloud Counseling Therapy
Have a dedicated notepad or journal to take notes and draw diagrams. For couples counseling you each need your own notepad.
Please authorize payment for your session before your session or by the end of your session. If you prefer, I can also authorize payment at the end of your session.
Computers generally work better, though you can use a phone or tablet. If using a computer, Google Chrome or Firefox browsers work best. If using a phone, you may want to download the Psychology Today app for the best experience.
Please click on the link below for the person you are working with, or copy and paste it into your browser. Then enter your name. We can communicate with each other in chat before starting your session.
Richard's Waiting Room: https://sessions.psychologytoday.com/richard-chandler
Bonnett's Waiting Room: https://sessions.
psychologytoday.com/bonnett- chandler Kelly's Waiting Room: https://sessions.psychologytoday.com/kelly-krueger
With videoconferencing, sometimes there are technical issues to sort out before beginning. If you experience any issues, text, call or email your counselor and we will work together to solve them.
Contact Richard: 320-223-9481 // [email protected]
Contact Bonnett: 612-438-8816 //[email protected]
Contact Kelly: (763) 308-7983 // [email protected]
See additional online tips below.
Things To Know About Online Therapy
For couples counseling you have the choice of sharing a screen or each having your own computer or cell phone. All of us will be able to see and hear each other, even if all of us are in remote locations.
Often, it takes a minute or so to adjust volumes and positioning so we can all hear and see each other easily. If there is any technical difficulty at all, I will call you, and we problem-solve the technical issues together. Sometimes, the video is OK, but the audio is not clear enough. In that case, there is a microphone icon on the video screen for us to turn off, and we use our phones as the audio.
If the technical issues are not able to be resolved quickly, we continue the session as a telephone session. And phone sessions are just fine if you are OK with not having video.
Richard is a very easy person to open up and talk to, and that’s the biggest reason why he is so helpful with whatever you need his help with. I will always recommend him for anything, Thanks Richard!
-Google Review