Frequently Asked Questions

Mission Oaks Counseling & Wellness Center, Inc. 1100 Flynn Road, Suite 201 Camarillo, CA 93012 The MOCWC office is conveniently located in the center of Ventura County in the city of Camarillo. Our office is right off the 101 Freeway, on the corner of Flynn Road and Adolfo Road.

If you would like to make an appointment, the best way is to contact our Intake Coordinator Jessica Douglas. Jessica will help match you to the best therapist with your budget, schedule and needs. You can email Jessica at JDouglas@mocwc.com or call her at 805-419-0449. A second option is to send an email to the practioner you feel might be the best fit for you. A list of practioners and their email addresses can be found on our Staff page. Through email, a therapist or other service provider will respond to you within 24 hours and you can avoid playing “phone tag.” When you email your therapist, be sure to include your name, your phone number, and your preferences in terms of times and days that work best for your schedule.

No, MOCWC does not accept any insurance. But, you may be able to utilize your insurance benefits by asking your insurance company if you have “out of network benefits”. This means that you pay for the full session fee up front and your therapist can provide you with the necessary paperwork for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement (this is called a superbill). The amount reimbursed varies by every insurance plan and every insurance provider. We suggest that you call your insurance company directly and find out what options are available to your specific plan for out of network benefits. MOCWC does not accept insurance because of issues surrounding privacy, control and medical diagnosis. Insurance companies limit and monitor the amount of sessions a client is able to have, they dictate how a therapist is able to work with a client and require a medical diagnosis (which becomes a permanent part of your medical record). Ethically speaking, insurance companies require diagnosing client’s with a mental disorder to continue treatment. This becomes very concerning for a therapist because most of our clients are not deserving of such a label. Confidentiality is also weakened as insurance companies have access to client notes and records upon demand. For those reasons, MOCWC has chosen not to accept insurance and to leave those decisions up to our client’s personal discretion.

Our session rates vary from $130 - $300 per 45 minute session, depending on which therapist you see.

Seeking therapy is an individual choice, or one made within the family or couple seeking help. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems relating to anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as divorce, job change, or death of a loved one. Many seek therapy in the pursuit of personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and greater understanding of all types of life challenges. Therapy can be helpful when addressing stress management, body-image issues, anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, past trauma, and addictions. Therapy is right for anyone interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.

Everyone goes through periods of time that are challenging to manage and while you may have successfully navigated through difficulties in the past, there is nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, it is typically strong individuals who enter into therapy because they are individuals who are willing to face their problems head on and do something about them. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking support from an objective outsider who values healthy life tools and strategies. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and gives you the tools you need to avoid triggers and falling back into old, unhealthy behavior patterns.

A number of benefits are available from participating in psychotherapy. Oftentimes the therapeutic relationship, which is built around the idea of unconditional acceptance and trust, is the most helpful part of the process. Others find it helpful just to know that someone understands. Therapy can also provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. To a certain extent, the benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some more specific benefits of therapy are: Attain a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values Improve self-esteem and boosting self-confidence Develop skills for improving relationships Find resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy Learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety Manage anger, grief, depression, panic, and other emotional concerns Improve communication and listening skills Change old behavioral or thinking patterns Discover new ways to solve problems in your family and/or marriage

The law requires that your treatment be confidential and kept private. It protects all communication between a therapist and a client and prohibits information from being released without prior written consent given by the client. However, there are some specific exceptions wherein the therapist is required by law to divulge private information. These exceptions include: Suspected child-abuse, dependent adult abuse, or elder abuse. All therapists are required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately. If a client threatens serious bodily harm to another person and/or property. In this instance all therapists are required to notify the police. If a client intends to threaten his or her life. All therapists make every effort to work with the individual to ensure both their safety and their privacy. However, if an individual is unable or unwilling to keep themselves safe, additional measures may be taken to save a client’s life.

The easy answer is, “all sorts of people!” Years ago, therapy had a stigma attached to it. It was believed you had to be either very disturbed or “weak” to seek it out. Fortunately, times have changed and now people from all walks of life and all different backgrounds go to counseling and it’s considered a normal and healthy resource. A wide range of people seek counseling for a variety of issues. Some of the reasons include desire for personal growth, navigating temporary or long periods of depression or anxiety, managing stress, tackling substance abuse issues, improving relationships and communication skills and better understanding one’s past and how it impacts life, mood and relationships in the present day. Whatever your reason for considering counseling, it’s likely a good one. If you are in doubt or have any questions about coming in, please contact MOCWC with your concerns. We would be happy to talk with you.

This is a very difficult question. The answer ultimately lies within you as a client. You know better than anyone your personal goals and desire to make progress made in therapy. If you are seeking short-term therapy, let your therapist know at the first session that this is your goal. This allows the therapist to tailor sessions to your targeted goals so you can have your specific needs met in a brief period of time. Brief supportive counseling can often be useful for moving through a life transition. Longer term therapy is typically helpful in solving long standing patterns and creating lasting changes. The length of therapy depends on you and your goals. Research has shown that most clients are 75% better in terms of symptom relief within 26 sessions. If your goals are less specific and you wish to work on a deeper or broader level, your therapist will work within that framework as well. The length of counseling ultimately depends upon the number of issues wanting to be addressed, the nature of the problematic challenges, and the work completed between sessions to facilitate change. Therapy is a process of collaboration and your therapist will always want to check in regarding your progress and satisfaction with treatment goals.

MOCWC's therapists have a goal to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere that promotes safety, healing, and confidentiality. We encourage each of our clients to take a session at a time and assess for themselves if they feel they are benefiting from counseling. Normally, people know this very quickly. Once therapy begins, you will have a good feel for your therapist and their individual style. Your therapist will help expose unhealthy patterns of thinking and coping and will help you identify healthy ways of responding to people and challenges in your life. Making these changes can be difficult and it is critical to support clients through this transition. Counseling is a success through the efforts of both therapist and client

The purpose of the first therapy session is for you to get to know your therapist, ask any questions you may have, and see if you feel comfortable in the therapy setting. Your therapist will ask you to share why you are seeking therapy at this time and what you are hoping to achieve. It is important that your therapist believes they have the knowledge, skills and qualifications to help you. If you feel comfortable with your therapist, and your therapist believes they are qualified to help you, then you will decide to set-up the second appointment.

At MOCWC we have developed a team of extraordinary psychotherapists that are supportive, down to earth, accepting and have a passion for helping and healing. Each of our staff have a therapeutic style that is rooted in spiritual psychology, cognitive behavioral research, and mindfulness practices. Therapy is about courageously understanding yourself, consciously changing what you can change and gently, lovingly accepting what cannot, at this time, be changed. In addition to your sessions, your therapist will encourage developing mindful habits such as journaling, meditation or another contemplative practice. Mindfulness practices have been widely researched and validated as effective tools for creating emotional stability. Mindfulness meditation is heavily used in psychotherapy, pain management and psycho-oncology today for this reason. These practices will allow you to connect with yourself more quickly and provide you with powerful stabilizing tools after your therapy has ended.

No. In some cases, medication combined with psychotherapy will be the best, most effective course of action. Working with your medical doctor or psychiatrist we can determine what is best for you. It is well established by research that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved by medication alone. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the underlying cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that impact progress. You can best achieve sustained progress with an integrative approach