Frequently Asked Questions
Are You Ready?.... Ready for What?
I named my business Are You Ready Counseling because…
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- Counseling is for everyone BUT you have to be ready to participate for it to work.
- The Bible teaches that everyone can know God—BUT some are just not ready.
ARE YOU READY???
There comes a time in our lives when we realize we cannot face life alone. We must admit that we need help, which requires humility and surrender. When a person seeks counseling, they are ready to experience change. When a person is ready to know God, they will experience true spiritual healing.
Scriptures like Matthew 11:28-30, John 1:1-18, and 1 Timothy 2:3-6 show that God invites everyone to rest in Him, save those who believe, and desire all people to know the truth.
Whether starting counseling or beginning the journey to know God, the same steps are needed—and you must be ready to take them:
- Openness: Being willing to explore the possibility of God’s existence.
- Humility: Recognizing we don’t have all the answers but now are willing to seek knowledge outside of ourselves.
- Intentionality: Choosing to pursue a relationship with God.
- Faith: Trusting that God is real and wants to be known.
- Action: Engaging in prayer, reading scripture, and joining a faith community.
Statement of Faith
As a Professionally Licensed Christian Counselor,
This Statement of Faith is Foundational
to my treatment philosophy and ministry.
– I believe the Bible to be an inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God.
– I believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has revealed Himself in creation, history, and in Jesus Christ.
– I believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His deity, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His true humanity, His miracles, His substitutionary death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, and in His coming personal return in power and in glory.
– I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian can live a godly life and grow in the knowledge of God and Christian obedience.
– I believe in God’s creation of the world and humankind and in humanity’s rebellion and subsequent depravity.
– I believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential for the salvation of the lost, sinful man.
– I believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ as one’s Savior.
– I believe in the sanctity of life and do not believe in abortion.
– I believe in the importance of marriage, and although the Bible states that divorce is permissible in two unusual circumstances (adultery as described in Matthew 5:31, and abandonment of a Christian by a non-Christian as described in I Corinthians 7:15), we will do all we can to preserve marriage.
— All psychological principles will be thoroughly evaluated through the grid of Scripture, and Scripture will always holds the final authority.
A Trained and Licensed Counselor
You will be seen by a therapist who holds a master’s degree in counseling, has supervised experience, and has passed a state-specific licensing exam. Because of this licensed standing, some insurance will cover the cost of sessions.
Jane specializes in treating Anxiety, Panic, Compulsive Tendencies, and Complicated Grief and Loss, all through Online Christian Counseling through a Biblical lens toward healing.
Anxiety – Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – Reducing unwanted intrusive thoughts and rituals by gradually building comfort and confidence in facing complex fears, thoughts, and emotions
Grief, Loss, and bereavement – Emotionally preparing for the anticipated passing of a loved one; managing feelings and reactions to a death or loss of significance; support during the process of healing and acceptance
Complicated grief refers to a persistent, intense grieving process that significantly disrupts a person’s daily life with by overwhelming sadness, inability to accept the death, preoccupation with thought of the deceased and having difficulty moving forward for months or ears after the loss occurred; essentially, it’s a grief reaction that is significantly more severe and long-lasting than typical mourning, impacting one’s ability to function normally.
Abortion & post-abortion challenges – Processing through the emotions that come with experiencing abortion; developing an understanding of how getting an abortion impacts one’s life and addressing any residual negative emotions
Addiction – Coping with emotional discomfort and suffering; reducing or abstaining from unwanted behaviors such as unhealthy gambling or shopping
Adjustment difficulties and disorders: Support adapting to new and/or challenging life circumstances; skill-building for improved stress management and reduced anxiety.
Panic attacks/panic disorder – Brief, intense periods of overwhelming fear or anxiety
Depression – Providing support and promoting healing of hopelessness, low motivation and energy, sadness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of interest and pleasure in life.
Life purpose & meaning – Exploring one’s beliefs and values around life purpose, meaning, and spirituality; addressing the barriers to living a life that feels fulfilling, including instigating change or developing new habits
Self-esteem – Cultivating self-compassion, assertiveness, and confidence; developing ways to reduce suffering, anxiety, social withdrawal, and self-neglect
To learn more about Jane, go here, and here, or here, or scroll down to the bottom of this page for some more personal questions about me.
INSURANCE: Do you take insurance?
Yes.
Aetna, Aetna–Medicare, All Savers, Anthem, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Anthem EAP-Bank of America, AvMed, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna, EAP: Cigna, EAP: Evernorth, EAP: UnitedHealthcare/Optum, Evernorth, Golden Rule, Harvard Pilgrim, Humana–Medicare, Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid), Optum, OptumHeath Complex Medical Conditions, Oscar, Oxford, Quest Behavioral HealthSunrest (formerly Bind), Tuft Health/Cigna, UMR, and UHC-UnitedHealthcare, to name a few.
I also accept HSA (Health Savings Accounts), FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts), and CareCredit.
To verify insurance, one of these two sites below:
Is online counseling as effective as in-person counseling?
Yes, and many people prefer it. It is easy and and relaxed. You don’t have to leave your home.
What are your hours & where are you located?
I’m available Monday through Thursday:
Monday: 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Tuesday: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm
Wednesday: 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thursday: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
I’m also available by appointment if you’d like to meet outside of these times.
Where is your office?
My practice is entirely online. We can meet by clicking a link on your phone, tablet, or computer. You can sit in the comfort of your home, office, or car to talk.
To answer that question more directly, I currently live in Missouri but was born and raised in Illinois.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions last 50 minutes.
How do I set up an initial appointment?
If you have insurance…
I have a few platforms that I use to verify and bill insurance. Below are the links to two of them:
My email address is jane@areyoureadycounseling.com
Or just complete a contact HERE
What is your cancellation policy?
We understand that plans can change unexpectedly. However, to manage our schedule effectively and accommodate all clients fairly, we request that you notify us at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
Please be aware that cancellations made less than 24 hours before your scheduled session will incur a fee of $45. This fee compensates for the time set aside specifically for you.
Does biblical counseling differ from psychotherapy?
Yes, it does.
Psychotherapy is a worldview counseling that relies on human philosophy to solve people’s problems. God is usually not the focus of discussions.
Biblical counseling relies on God and the Bible. A biblical counselor looks to God for answers in approaching and solving the challenges in one’s life.
Are You Ready Counseling, LLC an Online Christian Biblical Counseling for Your Needs
- Anxiety and Fear: Helping to find peace and security in God’s promises.
- Compulsive Behavior: The pain of dealing with the fear that an OCD trigger requires a multifaceted approach that includes trusting in God’s sovereignty.
- Depression: Offering comfort and guidance in times of sorrow and despair.
- Grief and Loss: You wait for the relief of waking, but it never comes. The loss and the absence ache, taking your breath away. Your heart shatters. Christian grief support provides biblical perspectives on mourning and finding hope.
Get the support you need from an experienced licensed counselor most insurance companies recognize. It also provides affordable self-pay rates. Experience the difference when you let God counsel you through life’s most challenging moments. Contact Jane Perkins, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who integrates Biblical Faith and Counseling to address your mental health needs.
Free 20-Minute Consultation
See the blog article “What is Biblical Counseling?”
What type of clients do you serve?
I only provide individual counseling services, focusing on exploring personal issues.
I am not a marriage and family counselor.
What age range do you serve?
I serve adults (ages 18 and up).
What do you do in sessions with clients?
You can anticipate that I will listen to your story, get to the root of your problem, show you how to make practical changes that improve your life and please God, and pray with you and for you.
Every counseling session will include practical change assignments.
Do clients receive assignments to work on between sessions?
Yes. Growth occurs between meetings because we only meet for 50 minutes or so a week. Assignments provide a time to apply what was discussed.
Homework is an important tool to help you develop skills that can be used for a lifetime.
What is your professional training?
I have a Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Illinois.
I have been in the profession for 26 years; 16 have been as a Christian.
I maintain my state professional licenses through continuing education in evidence-based psychology.
I regularly attend biblical counseling training through the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC), the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), and the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF).
Do you work with non-Christian clients?
I engage with people from all walks of life and religions. Although a client may not subscribe to Christianity, I do. I will not discriminate in how I counsel clients; every client I have has heard and will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is an intricate part of counseling because life changes happen when a broken person begins living for God rather than the self.
Biblical counseling does not ignore the insights of the social sciences of psychology, but confidence in Scripture will guide us when we need further details and insight (which is often true).
What do you do for fun?
I’m not exactly the outdoorsy type. When my husband gets the itch to go camping and invites me along, I usually ask if the campground is at a Holiday Inn or Marriott. He puts up with me (bless his heart!).
But I make it up to him by fully embracing our off-roading adventures. We love taking our Utility-Terrain Vehicle (UTV) on the trails, and living in the country gives us plenty of farmland to explore. We’ve even ventured out to Wisconsin and West Virginia for some serious trail-riding fun. He wants to take me to South Dakota next – an upcoming adventure!
What are your hobbies and interests?
Books
I’m a bookworm at heart. While I enjoy a good fiction read, I gravitate toward theological authors like John MacArthur, Paul Tripp, Robert Kellemen, Bruce Wilkinson, and Chuck Missler.
YouTube
Like many of us, I spend far too much time on YouTube. My favorite channels include Todd Friel, John Bevere, and, of course, Chuck Missler.
Quilting
I have a wonderful friend who’s a quilting whiz, and she’s been my muse. I’ve started two quilts… yes, only two, and neither is finished. So, I’ve shifted my focus to making table runners. I do love the satisfaction of completing a project!
Dogs or cats?
Cats… hands down! I’ve always had cats and chickens. Dogs and chickens aren’t exactly a match made in heaven.
I’ve been lobbying for cows and sheep, but my husband’s not quite on board… yet.
Family?
I’m married to the love of my life, and let me tell you, it’s a love forged with plenty of blood, sweat, and tears. After 4 years of dating and 32 years of marriage, I’ve got 36 years’ worth of stories to back up my strong views on love.
I’ve come to realize that love doesn’t just happen to you. I really dislike the term “falling in love.” It makes it sound like we had no say in the matter! The same goes for “falling out of love.” Love is a choice, plain and simple. But I digress (that’s one of my soapbox topics).
We have three adult children – one married and two single. I’ve often toyed with the idea of starting a dating service for 20-somethings so I can handpick future husbands for our daughters, but they don’t seem too keen on the idea.
Since you asked about family, I’d be remiss in leaving out my family of God. Being part of God’s family isn’t just a nice metaphor; it’s as real as it gets. The Bible explains this in further detail, but I was adopted into God’s family the minute I realized who He really was and asked if I would submit myself to Him.
Think of it like this: Just as a child is lovingly brought into a family through adoption, this is how we’re brought into God’s family. God’s family members often meet together at the household of God to increase spiritual bonds with other Christian brothers and sisters. Within this extended family, God is busy reshaping my thoughts, words, and actions to align with His way of life.
