Getting started
#Is Cultivate Counseling accepting new clients in Flagstaff?
Yes. Cultivate Counseling is actively scheduling new clients at both of its offices in Flagstaff, Arizona, and across Arizona by telehealth. With more than 20 therapists, there are usually openings across a range of specialties, days, and times. Current openings are listed on the Get Scheduled page.
More detail
Some individual therapists may have full caseloads. Each therapist's availability is shown when you book. To join the waiting list for a particular therapist or time of day, use the form at the bottom of the Get Scheduled page.
#How do I schedule a counseling appointment at Cultivate Counseling?
Go to the Get Scheduled page and click any open session time to book directly. If nothing fits, sign up for opening notifications by therapist, time of day, therapy type, or insurance. You can also call 928-864-5024, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm.
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Once you book, you automatically receive your intake paperwork and access to your client portal.
Questions before booking can go to admin@cultivatecounselingflagstaff.com.
#How do I choose the right therapist?
Start with the Our Therapists page, where each clinician lists the concerns they focus on and the approaches they use, such as EMDR, IFS (parts work), DBT, ACT, or ERP for OCD. Pick someone whose focus matches what you want help with. Our office staff can help you narrow it down.
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If the first therapist doesn't feel like the right fit, you can switch to someone else in the practice. Fit with your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of progress.
#What happens in the first counseling session?
Your first session is a conversation about what brought you in and what you'd like to change. Your therapist will ask about your background, explain confidentiality, answer your questions, and work with you on a starting plan. You only share what you feel ready to share.
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Once you schedule a session, you automatically receive intake paperwork and access to the client portal. If you are scheduling for a teen, our admin team will send the paperwork to you. Please complete it before the first session.
#How long and how often are counseling sessions?
Individual counseling sessions at Cultivate Counseling are 53 minutes long. Most clients meet weekly or every other week, and you and your therapist adjust the schedule as your needs change. EMDR intensives are longer and can include several hours of focused work in one day.
Cost and insurance
#How much does counseling cost at Cultivate Counseling?
Private pay sessions at Cultivate Counseling are $155 to $175 for 53 minutes, depending on the therapist. Sliding scale sessions of $115 to $125 are available for qualifying clients, and sessions with master's-level therapist interns cost $75. Group classes range from $40 to $50 per session. Full details are on the Services and Rates page.
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Sliding scale spots are limited, so ask about current availability.
#What insurance does Cultivate Counseling accept?
Cultivate Counseling therapists are in network with most Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and UMR plans. We also have partnerships with a number of Flagstaff organizations, including NACOG and Guardian. To confirm your coverage, call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card and ask whether founder Melissa Dohse, LCSW (NPI 1487193538) is in network. If she is, all of our therapists are.
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Ask your insurer about coverage for psychotherapy in an office or telehealth setting under billing code 90837. The practice does not verify insurance benefits for you, so checking before your first session helps avoid surprises.
#Does Cultivate Counseling take Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)?
Most Cultivate Counseling therapists are no longer in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
#Can I use out-of-network benefits for therapy?
Yes. If your plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, you may be reimbursed for part of your session fee. The Services and Rates page links to an online eligibility tool that shows your estimated reimbursement with any of our independently licensed clinicians.
#Does Cultivate Counseling offer low-cost or affordable counseling?
Yes. The Counselor Internship Program offers 53-minute sessions for $75 with master's-level therapist interns who are supervised by licensed clinicians. Interns stay with the practice for 9 to 12 months. Sliding scale rates of $115 to $125 are also available for qualifying clients.
#What is a Good Faith Estimate?
Under the federal No Surprises Act, clients who don't have insurance or choose not to use it have the right to a written Good Faith Estimate of the expected cost of care. You can request one from Cultivate Counseling before your first session.
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If a bill comes in at least $400 higher than your estimate, you can dispute it. Learn more at cms.gov/nosurprises.
#What is the cancellation policy?
Please give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule your session. Late cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice are charged the full fee for the session.
Specialties and services
#What does Cultivate Counseling specialize in?
Cultivate Counseling therapists specialize in trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, grief and traumatic loss, dissociation, postpartum mental health, parenting with PTSD, developmental and sexual trauma, men's issues, neurodivergence, and LGBTQ+ concerns. Each therapist has their own focus, listed on the Our Therapists page.
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Therapists use client-centered, trauma-informed care along with approaches such as EMDR, IFS (parts work), DBT, CBT, ACT, ERP, and somatic experiencing.
#Does Cultivate Counseling offer EMDR therapy in Flagstaff?
Yes. Most Cultivate Counseling therapists are trained in EMDR, a structured therapy that helps the brain process distressing memories so they feel less overwhelming. EMDR can help with trauma and PTSD, anxiety and panic, phobias, grief, and chronic pain. Weekly EMDR sessions and EMDR intensives are both available.
More detail
Alex Bangert, LPC, is EMDR Certified and an EMDR Consultant. More on the EMDR page.
#What is an EMDR intensive?
An EMDR intensive packs several hours of EMDR work into a single day instead of spreading it over weekly sessions. Intensives can help people working through a specific trauma, feeling stuck in weekly therapy, preparing for a major life event, or living far from Flagstaff who prefer fewer, longer visits.
#Does Cultivate Counseling treat OCD?
Yes. Several Cultivate Counseling therapists treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, including Aimee Dassele, LPC, who uses exposure and response prevention (ERP), the leading evidence-based therapy for OCD. We also run 8-session OCD Education and Skills groups, offered both in person and online, for people who have OCD or think they might.
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Groups are closed and have sign-up deadlines. See Support and Skill Groups for upcoming dates.
#Does Cultivate Counseling offer grief counseling or grief support groups?
Yes. Dorrie Beckley, LPC, who is certified in Compassionate Bereavement Care, leads individual grief counseling and a traumatic grief support group that runs each fall and spring. The practice also offers small and large group support for people affected by a loss in the Flagstaff community.
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Details and sign-up are on the Community Grief Support page.
#What therapy groups and classes does Cultivate Counseling offer?
Cultivate Counseling offers a weekly DBT Skills Training class, a traumatic grief support group, and OCD Education and Skills groups in person and online. Groups cost $40 to $50 per session and meet at the Humphreys Street office or by video.
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The DBT class teaches mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills, and suits people before, during, or after trauma treatment. Current schedules are on the Support and Skill Groups page.
#What is Walk & Talk therapy?
Walk & Talk therapy is a counseling session held outdoors while walking instead of sitting in an office. Some people find it easier to open up side by side and in motion. Several Cultivate Counseling therapists offer Walk & Talk sessions in Flagstaff.
#Do you offer counseling for teens?
Yes, a few Cultivate Counseling therapists work with teens and young adults on concerns like trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and family conflict. Because teen openings are limited, families may be placed on a waitlist. Call 928-864-5024 to ask about current availability, or check the age ranges listed on the Get Scheduled page.
#Is Cultivate Counseling LGBTQ+ affirming?
Yes. Cultivate Counseling offers LGBTQ+ affirming care, and several therapists specialize in LGBTQIA+ identity, gender, attachment, and the anxiety that can come with navigating identity. Their bios are on the Our Therapists page.
#Does Cultivate Counseling offer online therapy?
Yes, all Cultivate Counseling therapists offer telehealth sessions if requested, and the OCD skills group also meets online. Check each therapist's bio or ask when you schedule. You must be located in Arizona during the session.
#Can a counselor prescribe medication?
No. Licensed counselors and clinical social workers don't prescribe medication. If medication might help, your therapist can refer you to a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or primary care provider and, with your written permission, coordinate care with them.
Location and contact
#Where is Cultivate Counseling located?
Cultivate Counseling has two offices in Flagstaff: 2615 North Fourth Street, Suite 1, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, and 624 North Humphreys Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, and some therapists hold sessions outside these hours. Call 928-864-5024 or email admin@cultivatecounselingflagstaff.com.
#Does Cultivate Counseling offer EMDR consultation for therapists?
Yes. Alex Bangert, LPC, an EMDR Certified therapist and EMDR Consultant, provides consultation for clinicians building their EMDR practice, working toward certification, or handling complex cases. See the EMDR page for details.
#Is Cultivate Counseling accepting counseling intern applications?
Yes. Cultivate Counseling accepts applications for its Counselor Internship Program on a rolling basis. Details are on the Internship page. The practice does not hire current or former clients of its therapists as interns or staff.
No questions match that search. Call 928-864-5024 and we'll answer it directly.
