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Services at SMFI

Marriage: Couples seeking help bring their precious and valuable marriage relationship into counseling. Sometimes the issues are about continuing conflict, other times they can be about communication skills, or finances, or sexual compatibility, or...and the list goes on.

Pre-marital Counseling: Pre-marital counseling is for all couples getting married. It is a FUN, EXCITING, and EDUCATIONAL time that will put you on the fast track for a great life and successful marriage!

Parenting: We know it's easier to have a child than it is to parent one! Most people love children; it's their immaturity that gets in the way. There are no bad children born. Every child is born with unrelenting needs and expects to have every need met NOW! Every parent today receives their bundle of joy without an instruction booklet or repair manual. So we revert back to what we know about parenting - something many of us swore we would never do - parent the way we were parented.

Blended Families: Blended and stepfamilies, have a few of the same issues as first marriages and families, but they are different in more ways than they are alike. Blended families are exactly what the term says they are-attempting to blend two families into one. They are born out of loss and grief from abandonment, death or divorce. There are natural and sometimes severe stresses attempting to blend and / or reconcile two families' expectations, traditions, histories, birth orders, ghosts from previous relationships or marriages, parenting roles, responsibilities, loyalties, finances, religious beliefs, and a couple of generations of extended families-into ONE!

Divorce: "It's a living death" was the way one person described being divorced. "It would be easier if my ex-spouse had literally died." Divorce is the severing of a living relationship. You may be asking some very difficult questions without easy answers.

Individual: Everyone seeks counseling at some point in life. Strength of character is shown when you are seeking advice from someone who has training and expertise in something that you are putting your heart and life into.

Anxiety comes out of the blue. It could be a stressful situation you are in currently, or just life in general. The dread and panic tightens up in your chest and across your shoulders with an overwhelming feeling of fear and impending doom. At times, you may feel like your heart is going to pound out of your chest. Other times, you are sweating profusely and feel like you are going to die. It lasts about twenty minutes and then subsides. You are not crazy.

Depression is described as a dark cloud hanging over a person, a heavy coat that weighs you down, feelings of complete hopelessness and helplessness, and all the energy being drained out of your body. More women than men seek help for depression, but anyone, of any age, is susceptible. There is hope and help.

Stress: Those unrelenting demands at work and home, disappointment and rejection in relationships, loss and grief, physical pain, not enough money to the pay bills, and the overall feeling that everything around you has more control over your life than you do. You can get to the end of your rope and be out of rope!! What do you do?

Grief: Someone you love - a parent, spouse, child, close friend - has died. The numbness, denial, bargaining, and anger are taking a huge emotional toll as you feel caught in the violent whirlwind of life out of control. If you can, you go through the motions of routine at work and at home but only as a shell of yourself. What's happening to you? You are grieving for the one you lost. Everything within you is crying out in pain while you feel a part of you is gone. All of these feelings are normal and to be expected inerament styles and differences, roles and responsibilities, spoken and unspoken expectations, handling money, communication, conflict resolution skills, and expected expressions of sexuality.

Getaways - Seminars & Retreats: Marriage excitement weekends are for those who want to get the most out of their life together. Don't settle for an "I guess average" marriage, supercharge it! Come check us out.

Insurance Information

Most insurance companies do not cover relationship, marriage or family counseling. If there is a medical condition that is impacting the marriage and / or family relationships, insurance may cover the counseling on the individual diagnosis. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with your insurance benefits. When you check with your insurance company for benefits, ask for mental health benefits, with an out-of-network provider, for an office visit. We will be happy to file your insurance claim for you for reimbursement. You are responsible for deductibles, co-insurance, and co-payments. All fees are paid up front and the reimbursement will go directly to you. Many clients use their Health Savings accounts and Flexible Spending accounts for counseling. If you have any questions please call and speak with Stephanie at 417-882-6767 or email her.

Appointments

Initial appointments are usually made over the phone. Other appointments are then made at the end of each counseling sessions with your therapist. When your appointment is scheduled for a specific time, that time is reserved for you. Unlike other types of businesses, the Institute does not over-book clients. The scheduled times of appointments are dedicated solely to working with those individuals, couples or families. Our counselors spend time before each session preparing for who is coming to their appointments.

Cancellations

If you must cancel an appointment, please notify the Institute at 417-882-6767 at least 48 hours before your scheduled session (to avoid charges for the session.)

Financial Responsibility

Each client is responsible for payment of all charges. Your fee is collected when you arrive for your appointment. Checks, cash, Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express are accepted. We also accept flexible spending account, and health savings account cards. If another party is helping to pay for your counseling, we will gladly help with payment arrangements.

Working Together

You will work with the same therapist throughout your time at Springfield MFI. We believe counseling is most successful when the client and therapist develop a good working relationship. Your questions and concerns will be taken seriously. Information you share with your therapist will be kept confidential. It will not be disclosed to anyone without your written permission. If you have questions about something in the counseling process, please bring it up with your therapist.