Counseling at ACCFS

ACCFS provides counseling services both in-office and through telehealth (i.e., video or phone) from our offices in Morton, IL, and Linwood, MI. Counseling services are provided to the members and friends of the Apostolic Christian Church of America and to others, as resources allow. These services are based on a spiritual and professional model of care.

What kind of counseling services does ACCFS provide?

ACCFS Counseling Services provides:

Individual, marriage, and family counseling for children, teens, adults, and seniors.
ACCFS counselors provide information, resources, and referrals to callers to help them determine the next steps to address the issue at hand.
Assessment and referrals based on needs.

***Note: ACCFS does not provide crisis intervention services. If you have a life-threatening emergency that needs immediate attention, call 911 or go to your local emergency room.

For many people, deciding to go to counseling is a big step. People come to counseling for many reasons. Sometimes it’s due to a current stressful situation that has come up in their lives while, other times, problems have been chronic and long-standing. Some people come to counseling out of desperation or a “last ditch” effort, while others work with a counselor to prevent problems or to enrich an already good relationship. See the Top Five Reasons Why People Don’t Seek Counseling.

Who are the ACCFS counselors and what kind of counseling do they do?

You can view counselors’ biographies and specialties here. Each of the ACCFS counselors has at least a Master’s degree in a mental health-related field and all continue to refine and develop their skills. They all strive to provide the highest quality of clinical care while being respectful of and supportive to each client’s spiritual beliefs. Our goal is clinical excellence with biblical integrity.

What is the ACCFS Counseling Philosophy?

The following principles describe how our staff approaches counseling:

Our goal is to alleviate suffering and to promote Christian maturity so people can grow in their likeness to Christ, experience a deeper relationship with God, and enter into a more effective life of service to others.
We believe in the authority of God’s word and recognize the importance of emphasizing grace while not minimizing sin.
Our services will support local church leadership and local church membership.
We believe in the diversity of gifts within the Body of Christ and will use spiritual and clinical counsel to offer healing and hope to hurting individuals.
In order to promote Godly, healthy living and to minimize needless suffering, our services will emphasize prevention, early intervention, education, and enrichment.
We recognize people are complex spiritual, biological, psychological, and social beings and will seek to promote their well-being in these areas using the gifts of counseling and teaching.

For a printable PDF click here.

The ACCFS Counseling Philosophy is in keeping with the guidance of church leadership and our board. Church leadership has supported the belief that, based on scripture and extensive experience, we are complex beings with three overlapping and integrated parts to our being: physical, spiritual and mental. These cannot be separated, but each part can be affected by separate factors including biological, spiritual, psychological, or social influences. Each needs to be assessed, and any dysfunction needs to be treated or addressed based on the cause or causes of the dysfunction. This may include repentance, prayer, spiritual counseling and teaching, medication, other health interventions, and/or psycho-social counseling.

What are ACCFS' fees for clinical counseling?

The fee schedule is established to help cover the costs to operate this service. Clients are expected to pay the rate that they agree upon at the time of receiving services. The client also has a responsibility to let their counselor know about any problems they are having with payment of fees.

What are your fees for clinical counseling?

The full rate for a Masters-level counselor is $130 per 45-minute session. The full rate for a Doctoral-level counselor is $155 per 45-minute session. To help make these services available for more people, we offer a sliding fee rate schedule, based on family income.

What is your sliding fee rate schedule?

Our Sliding Fee Rate Schedule allows individuals and families with lower incomes to pay a lower fee. We can provide a sliding scale because of the donations we receive from congregations in the Apostolic Christian Church of America and individuals who donate to support our work. For complete information about our Sliding Fee Rate Schedule, other fees associated with counseling, and our approach to insurance, please view our full document.

What if I need a referral to another counselor?

ACCFS provides referrals to qualified mental health professionals and treatment centers. We provide referrals for a variety of reasons including:

When ACCFS counselors have full caseloads and cannot take more clients. We do not recommend that you delay getting services. Rather, we will provide you with referral options to get the care you need.
When an individual’s issues require a counseling specialty that ACCFS counselors do not have.
When an individual needs a higher level of care than ACCFS provides. For example, sometimes individuals need hospitalization, residential treatment, or a specialty clinic.
Finally, some individuals call ACCFS specifically seeking a referral to a mental health professional or treatment center based on their specific needs. See Finding Counseling in Your Area.

We encourage you to read the helpful article What to Expect From Counseling to help you know what to look for in a good mental health practitioner.