Here is exactly what happens next.
No mystery, no hoops. This page walks through the process from your first message to your first session, plus insurance, cost and the questions people actually ask.
From first message to first session.
You reach out
Use the request form or call (920) 397-7238. The form asks who therapy is for, what has been going on, and your insurance — roughly three minutes. If you would rather say almost nothing, that is fine too.
We respond within two business days
A real person from our team, not an autoresponder. We will confirm whether your insurance is one we take, recommend the clinician we think fits best and why, and give you actual openings.
Insurance and cost get confirmed
Before you book, you will know your expected out-of-pocket cost. For insurance clients that runs through Headway. For private pay, we send our rates and our sliding scale.
Paperwork, ahead of time
Intake forms and consents come to you electronically so your first session is a conversation, not a clipboard.
Your first session
About 50 minutes. Your therapist asks what brought you in, some history, and what you want to be different. You will leave with a sense of the plan. Nobody pushes you into the hardest thing on day one.
The work
Most people start weekly and taper as things steady. Structured protocols run a defined number of sessions. Either way, you will know what the plan is and how we will tell whether it is working.
What this will cost you.
We are in network with the following plans through Headway, our billing partner. We are actively adding panels — including Quartz, Dean, Medicaid and Medicare — as our second billing partner comes online.
Using insurance
Your cost is your plan's copay, coinsurance or deductible. Headway verifies your benefits and tells you the expected amount before your first session, so there is no bill that shows up three weeks later as a surprise.
Private pay & sliding scale
If your plan is not listed yet, or you would rather not involve insurance, we accept private pay and keep a sliding scale for clients who need it. Call or message us and we will send you the current rates.
Do not see your plan? Ask anyway. Coverage changes often and we are adding panels regularly.
What to tell your child before the first visit.
Keep it simple and true. Something like: “We are going to meet someone whose job is helping children with big feelings. You can play while you are there.”
Avoid framing it as a consequence or a fix for bad behavior. Children who arrive believing they are in trouble spend the first three sessions defending themselves instead of settling in.
You do not need to prepare them beyond that. Getting a child comfortable in the room is our work, and the room is built for it.
Everything people ask us.
Do you take my insurance?
We are currently credentialed with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Ascension (SmartHealth) through Headway. We are adding more panels as our second billing partner comes online, so if you do not see your plan listed, ask us anyway. We also offer private pay and a sliding scale.
How much does therapy cost?
If you are using insurance, your cost is your copay, coinsurance or deductible — Headway will confirm that for you before your first session, so there are no surprises. For private pay, call or message us and we will send you our current rates and our sliding scale.
How soon can I get in?
All three of our clinicians are currently accepting new clients, which means wait times are short right now. Send us a request and we will reply within two business days with real availability, not a waitlist.
Do you see children? How young?
Yes. Kayla works with children as young as two, and Emma with children as young as three. At those ages we use play therapy and art-based approaches, because play is how a child processes experiences they do not yet have words for.
Can we meet by video instead of in person?
Yes. We offer secure telehealth sessions to anyone located in Wisconsin, and many clients mix in-person and virtual visits depending on the week. In-person sessions are in Fort Atkinson.
What if I am not sure what kind of therapy I need?
That is genuinely fine, and it is not something you need to solve before reaching out. Tell us what has been hard lately. Matching you to the right approach — and the right clinician — is our job, not yours.
What happens at the first session?
Mostly conversation. Your therapist will ask about what brought you in, your history, and what you want to be different. You set the pace. Nobody will push you into the hardest thing on day one.
What if you are not the right fit for me?
We will tell you. Not every therapist is right for every client, and a bad match helps nobody. If we are not the right place for you, we will say so early and point you toward someone who is.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Yes. We keep a sliding scale for clients paying privately who need it. Ask us and we will send you the current schedule — there is no lengthy application and no need to justify yourself.
How does billing work through Headway?
Headway handles insurance verification and billing for the plans we are credentialed with. You will get a clear statement of your expected cost before your first session, and payments run through Headway rather than being invoiced by us directly.
How long is a session, and how often will we meet?
Most sessions run about 50 minutes. Many people start weekly and move to every other week as things stabilize. Some structured protocols, like TF-CBT or Prolonged Exposure, run a set number of sessions — your therapist will lay out the plan up front.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes, with the narrow legal exceptions every Wisconsin therapist is bound by: risk of serious harm to yourself or someone else, suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult, and court orders. Your therapist will walk you through these in the first session before you share anything.
My child needs therapy. Do I attend the sessions?
It depends on the child's age and the approach. In TF-CBT and Functional Family Therapy, caregiver involvement is built into the model. In play therapy, a young child often works alone with the therapist while parents get regular check-ins. Your therapist will be explicit about what your role looks like.
What does LPC-IT mean?
It means Licensed Professional Counselor in Training. Emma has completed her master's degree and is fully licensed to provide therapy in Wisconsin while working under clinical supervision toward full licensure. In practice, you get her care with a supervising clinician's perspective behind it.
Ready when you are.
Send the request form and we will come back within two business days with a clinician, a time and a straight answer on cost.
Now accepting new clients · In-person in Fort Atkinson and telehealth across Wisconsin