Counseling and Therapy Services for Adults, Adolescents, and Couples

Adolescent, Adult, and Couples Counseling

Teen Counseling

Teen Counseling

Adult Counseling

Adult Counseling

Couples Counseling

Couples Counseling

Psychosexual Evaluation

Psychosexual Evaluation

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. We know that choosing the right therapist is an important decision. If you or someone you know is looking for some guidance dealing with life's challenges, we are here to help.

Karvinen Counseling Services is a safe, comfortable, and confidential place to get the help you need. Our group of licensed, qualified therapists provide assessment, counseling, and treatment based on each person's unique needs. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve current challenges. Together we can work on areas of concern that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life. If you're looking for extra support and guidance or you're just ready to move in a new direction in your life, we look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. You will get the quality of care, professionalism, and attention you deserve.

Our practice is in a convenient location, handicap accessible, off a major highway, and just 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. We can provide services, depending on your preference, through online video, telephone or in person sessions. Please Contact Us if you are interested in services. We look forward to hearing from you.

2220 S. State Route 157, Suite 200 D Glen Carbon, IL, 62034

Hillary Timmerman

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist

Amy Lowe

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Lisa Lawrence

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Heather Lipe

Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider and Evaluator

Kelsey Stott

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Jayme Swanke

Ph.D in Rehabilitation, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Jill Engelmann

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Sarah Hulbert

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Courtney Hupp

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Trainer, and Consultant

Tracy Karvinen

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Insurance

We are participating providers for the following health plans:

Blue Cross Blue Shield
HealthLink
United Behavioral Health
United Health Care
Optum
UMR

For clients with other insurance plans, we usually are able to provide the documentation that your insurance company requires for reimbursement of out-of-network services.

Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. If trying to determine details of your insurance coverage, we suggest asking the following questions by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card and ask the following questions:

Do I have mental/behavioral health insurance benefits?
Do I have a deductible, how much is it, and has it been met?
Do I have a copay or coinsurance for therapy sessions?
Do I need preauthorization to see an outpatient, office based counselor or therapist?
How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Our staff would be happy to assist in gathering this information before you schedule an appointment if you would like.

Services not covered by insurance

If your employee benefit plan does not cover services or if you do not want to use your insurance, please text, call, or email our office to discuss fees for services.

Payment

Payment may be made by cash, check, or credit card. Payment is expected at the time of your session.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that appointments need to be canceled and rescheduled from time to time. We ask that you kindly give us at least 24 hours in advance notice when canceling appointments so we can schedule others that need appointments. We charge a $40 fee for sessions not canceled within a 24 hour notice.

Contact

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please text, call, or email using the information on our Contact Us.

How can therapy help me?

A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues, and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and values
Developing skills for improving your relationships
Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
Improving communications and listening skills
Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems, I am not crazy.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (divorce, new job, children, death of a loved one or pet, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed support, encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.

What is therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issues, and report progress or any new insights gained from previous therapy sessions. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist, usually weekly or every other week. Sessions are generally about 50 minutes.

It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process - such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals.

What about medication vs. psychotherapy?

It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

We are participating providers for the following health plans:

For clients with other insurance plans, we usually are able to provide the documentation that your insurance company requires for reimbursement of out-of-network services.

Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. If trying to determine details of your insurance coverage, we suggest asking the following questions by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card and ask the following questions:

Do I have mental/behavioral health insurance benefits?
Do I have a deductible, how much is it, and has it been met?
Do I have a copay or coinsurance for therapy sessions?
Do I need preauthorization to see an outpatient, office based counselor or therapist?
How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Our staff would be happy to assist in gathering this information before you schedule an appointment if you would like.

Services not covered by insurance

If your employee benefit plan does not cover services or if you do not want to use your insurance, please text, call, or email our office to discuss fees for services.

Payment

Payment may be made by cash, check, or credit card. Payment is expected at the time of your session.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that appointments need to be canceled and rescheduled from time to time. We ask that you kindly give us at least 24 hours in advance notice when canceling appointments so we can schedule others that need appointments. We charge a $40 fee for sessions not canceled within a 24 hour notice.

Contact

If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please text, call, or email using the information on our Contact Us page.

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and a therapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Attorney, etc.), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.

General Information:

PsychCentral
Website: http://psychcentral.com/resources/ External link
Description: PsychCentral is an extensive annotated directory of mental health resources, including general information, as well as blogs, online communities, support groups, articles, quizzes and books.
American Psychological Association
Website: https://www.apa.org External link
Description: This is the official website of the American Psychological Association, the largest professional psychology association in the country. It’s made up of more than 130,000 clinicians, researchers, consultants, educators and students.
American Psychiatric Association
Website: http://www.psych.org/ External link
Description: This is the official website of the American Psychiatric Association, the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It’s made up of more than 35,000 member psychiatrists.
About.com
Website: http://mentalhealth.about.com/ External link
Description: About.com maintains a robust collection of articles about mental health topics.
U.S. government
Website: https://www.usa.gov/mental-health-substance-abuse External link
Description: This is the mental health page of the U.S. government’s web portal for federal resources and information.
Psychology Today
Website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/magazine External link
Description: This is the website of Psychology Today magazine. The magazine covers a range of topics in psychology authored by experts in the field.

Organizations:

National Association of Mental Illness
Website: https://www.nami.org/ External link
Description: The National Association of Mental Illness is the largest nationwide mental health advocacy grassroots organization with hundreds of state organizations, affiliates and volunteers. It is a hub for support groups, free education, raising awareness and building community.
Mental Health Resources, Inc.
Website: http://www.mhresources.org/ External link
Description: This nonprofit provides community-based mental health services to adults, especially those suffering medical, social or substance-related comorbidities.
American Psychiatry Association
Website: http://www.psychiatry.org/mental-health/ External link
Description: The American Psychiatry Association is the largest professional membership organization of psychiatrists in the world. The APA website hosts “Let’s Talk Facts” brochures on a range of illnesses, professional resources for psychiatrists, psychiatric residents and medical students. It publishes up-to-date news, research, government policies and developments in psychiatry.
National Institutes of Health
Website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealth.html External link
Description: This is the National Institutes of Health’s collection of resources from the National Library of Medicine. It includes information about conditions, treatments, patients, families and friends, latest research, drugs and supplements, terminology and definitions, videos, illustrations and clinical trials.
World Health Organization
Website: http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlas/en/ External link
Description: The World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse has a Project Atlas, which compiles resources and information about mental health and neurology policies, prevalence, statistics, medicines, professionals, information systems and publications. Topics covered include mental health in emergencies, maternal and child mental health, neurology and public health, disorders management and suicide prevention. Information can be searched by region, country or worldwide.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Website: http://www.mentalhealth.gov/ External link
Description: This website, run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides government information about mental health taken from the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Medline Plus, FindYouthInfo.gov and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The information is for the general public, health care providers, policymakers, schools and communities.

Diagnostic Information:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Website: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx External link
Description: The website of the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides complementary information to its print edition about the classification, assessment, symptoms and treatment of mental disorders.
Mayo Clinic
Website: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/basics/definition/con-20033813 External link
Description: The Mayo Clinic, the largest medical practice and research group in the world, provides reliable physician-backed information about mental illness definitions, causes, symptoms, prevention, treatment and support.

Military/Veterans:

Veterans Affairs
Website: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ External link
Description: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website hosts screening tools, a veterans crisis line and a guide to mental health conditions that often plague veterans.
National Association on Mental Illness
Website: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Veterans-and-Active-Duty External link
Description: The National Association on Mental Illness has a Veterans & Military Resource Center, which is home to online discussion groups, information about veteran mental illnesses and treatments. It includes information about advocacy for active-duty members, returning veterans, veteran families, veterans in recovery, veterans looking for work, mental health providers, college faculty members and women veterans.
Military Pathways
Website: https://www.militarymentalhealth.org/ External link
Descriptions: Military Pathways is a site created by Screening for Mental Health and the Department of Defense that allows military members and their families to take free, anonymous mental health or alcohol self-assessments. Completion of the assessment directs users to referral information for Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs services.

Youth, Teens, School, and College Students

Office of Adolescent Health
Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/mental-health/ External link
Description: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health offers information about adolescent mental health across states, adolescent mental health disorders and access to care.
The Jed Foundation
Website: http://www.jedfoundation.org/ External link
Description: The Jed Foundation is an organization committed to the mental and emotional health of college students and preventing suicide among this population. The foundation runs several free online self-assessment and resource programs for students and campuses. It offers training tools for campus professionals to improve their mental health services for students.
Youth.gov
Website: http://findyouthinfo.gov/federal-resources/federal-links External link
Description: This is a hub of government information about youth mental health issues, including substance abuse, LGBT issues, bullying and homelessness.
ULifeline
Website: http://www.ulifeline.org/ External link
Description: A project of the Jed Foundation that provides a free, confidential online resource about emotional health to more than 1,500 colleges and universities.
LawLifeline
Website: http://www.lawlifeline.org/ External link
Description: LawLifeline is a combined project of the Jed Foundation and Dave Nee Foundation. It is a free, anonymous and confidential online resource for law school students to seek out information about depression, anxiety, suicide, stress and self-harm.
School Mental Health Project
Website: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/ External link
Description: The UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools created the School Mental Health Project, an online collection of tools, research, publications and resources for school practitioners and professionals.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, +

National Alliance on Mental Illness
Website: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/LGBTQ External link
Description: The National Alliance on Mental Illness GLBT resources page contains articles, videos, publications, research and links to prominent organizations about GLBT mental health.
Centers for Disease Control
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm External link
Description: The Centers for Disease Control maintains a section about LGBT youth health issues.
GLBT National Help Center
Website: http://www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org/ External link
Description: The GLBT National Help Center provides an online peer-support chat as well as free, confidential counseling over the phone for the GLBT community.
GLBT Near Me
Website: http://glbtnearme.org/ External link
Description: The GLBT National Help Center runs this website, which contains more than 15,000 GLBT resources and offers tools for users to find local community centers, youth groups and support resources.
The Trevor Project
Website: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ External link
Description: The creators of the Oscar-winning short film “Trevor” founded The Trevor Project. The organization provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth between the ages of 13 and 24.
Help Center on Sexual Orientation
Website: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.aspx External link
Description: The American Psychological Association’s Help Center on Sexual Orientation’s website provides research and information on mental health issues surrounding sexual orientation.

Women:

Office on Women’s Health
Website: https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/resources/ External link
Description: The Office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides access to research, publications, Surgeon General Reports and general information for women’s mental health issues. This includes problems related to pregnancy and conception, menstruation, menopause, women veterans, suicide prevention and mental illnesses.
Women and Mental Health index
Website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml External link
Description: The National Institutes of Health’s Women and Mental Health index contains information, research and publications about women’s mental health.
World Health Organization
Website: http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en/ External link
Description: The World Health Organization website contains a section on global mental health as it relates to issues of gender and gender disparity.

Minority:

Office of Minority Health
Website: http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=26 External link
Description: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health website provides statistics, news and treatment information.

Seniors:

National Institutes of Health
Website: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health External link
Description: The National Institutes of Health provides this online index of information, videos and training tools about senior health, including mental health and wellness.
National Council on Aging
Website: https://www.ncoa.org/center-for-healthy-aging External link
Description: The National Council on Aging promotes programs that help seniors cope with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, addiction and more.

Getting Help:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Website: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ External link
Description: This is SAMHSA’s behavioral treatment services locator.
Half of Us
Website: http://www.halfofus.com/ External link
Description: Half of Us is a project by mtvU and the Jed Foundation that encourages public dialogue about youth mental health issues and refers high school and college students to resources where they can find help.
Find a Therapist
Website: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/?utm_source=PT_Psych_Today External link
Description: The Find a Therapist service from Psychology Today helps users find mental health professionals in their area.
American Psychological Association Help Center
Website: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/index.aspx External link
Description: The American Psychological Association’s Help Center contains a Find a Psychologist directory and help resources in the areas of work and school, family and relationships, health and emotional wellness, disasters and terrorism, and managed care and health insurance.

Support:

Mental Health America
Website: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/ External link
Description: Mental Health America is a community-based network with 240 nationwide affiliates that provide services such as counseling referrals, support and finding housing for the homeless.
National Council for Behavioral Health
Website: http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/ External link
Description: The National Council for Behavioral Health is a collective of more than 2,000 member mental health and substance abuse treatment organizations. The National Council is known for creating Mental Health First Aid, a public education initiative consisting of an eight-hour course that provides participants with a crash course in understanding mental illness risk factors, impacts and treatments. It is aimed at increasing early detection and intervention.

Blogs:

Social Work License Map
Website: http://socialworklicensemap.com/inspired-advocates/
Description: The Social Work License Map’s resource of blogs includes a mental health category that shed personal and professional insight and experience on various aspects of mental illnesses and mental health. These include eating disorders, trauma, autism, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and cognitive behavioral therapy.
PsychCentral
Website: http://psychcentral.com/resources/Mental_Health/Blogs/ External link
Description: PsychCentral maintains an extensive collection of mental health blogs. These are subject to community ratings.
Psychology Today
Website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/index?tr=Hdr_Experts External link
Description: Psychology Today offers a directory of blogs run by mental health professionals and experts in a range of specialty areas.

Eating Disorders:

National Eating Disorders Association
Website: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org External link
Description: The National Eating Disorders Association is a nonprofit supporting people with eating disorders and their families. It provides an information and referral helpline, extensive information about eating disorder prevention, treatment and recovery, as well as handouts and toolkits for parents, coaches and educators, and forums for discussion and stories of recovery. The website is also available in Spanish.
Proud2Bme
Website: http://proud2bme.org/ External link
Description: An online community for teens that encourages healthy body image.

Substance Use:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Website: http://www.samhsa.gov/ External link
Description: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency on behavioral health, runs several mental health campaigns and has information on health reform for providers, families and individuals. SAMHSA also has a helpful online behavioral treatment services locator.

Anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and Depression:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Website: http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/resources External link
Description: The Anxiety and Depression Association of America raises public and professional awareness, promotes research advancement and provides referrals for children and adults with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders and related disorders. The website provides information about these conditions, their treatment and resources for professionals.
Anxiety Disorder Resource Center
Website: http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety External link
Description: The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry’s Anxiety Disorder Resource Center contains a glossary of symptoms and mental illnesses, a child and adolescent psychiatrist finder, facts and resources for families and youth suffering from anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
Depression Like Me
Website: http://www.depressedlikeme.com/ External link
Description: The website Depression Like Me is home to a “depression library” of articles about types of depression, depression symptoms, causes, treatment, support groups and links to more resources.
Freedom from Fear
Website: http://www.freedomfromfear.org/
External link Description: This is the website of the nonprofit advocacy organization Freedom from Fear. It contains a wealth of research-based information and treatment referrals for anxiety and depression.

Bipolar:

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Website: http://www.dbsalliance.org/ External link
Description: The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is a national peer-led organization run by individuals with depression and bipolar disorder. It provides support groups, peer specialist training, wellness tools, research, podcasts, brochures, publications and information for clinicians.
The Balanced Mind
Website: http://www.thebalancedmind.org/ External link
Description: The Balanced Mind, a parent network run by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, provides support and guidance to parents raising children with mood disorders.

Autism/Asperger's:

Autism Speaks
Website: http://www.autismspeaks.org/ External link
Description: Autism Speaks is a prominent autism research and advocacy organization. The website contains links to apps, tool kits and a resource guide for families and individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Autism NOW Center
Website: http://autismnow.org/ External link
Description: The Autism NOW Center is a resource for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The Center’s resources include fact sheets, webinars, a newsletter and a call center. It focuses on the topics of early detection, intervention, education, transition, aging, community inclusion, long-term care and health care reform.

Schizophrenia:

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Website: http://bbrfoundation.org/ External link
Description: The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awards grants to scientists conducting research on causes and treatments of mental disorders in children and adults. This includes schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, attention-deficit hyperactivity and autism.

Hotlines:

Mental Health Project
Website: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/hotline.htm External link
Description: UCLA’s School Mental Health Project compiled a list of hotlines that are useful for school practitioners.
Safe Horizon
Website: http://www.safehorizon.org/index/get-help-8/call-our-hotlines-51.html External link
Description: Sexual assault prevention and awareness organization Safe Horizon provides a hotline for domestic violence victims, sexual assault victims and crime victims to receive 24/7 free crisis counseling and safety planning.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Website: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ External link
Description: This is a confidential, toll-free, 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. Call 1-800-273-TALK to receive counseling and local referrals.
Teen Health & Wellness
Website: http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/static/hotlines External link
Description: A list of hotlines for teens facing issues ranging from bullying and abuse to drugs and eating disorders.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Website: http://www.thehotline.org/ External link
Description: The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 counseling and support to victims of domestic violence and abuse at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Veterans Crisis Line
Website: http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ External link
Description: The Veterans Crisis Line provides confidential help for veterans and their families at 1-800-273-8255.

Note: Not responsible for the content, claims or representations of the listed sites.