Find Your Therapist Match
Research shows the relationship you build with your therapist is one of the strongest predictors of healing. That's why we don't just assign you to whoever has the next opening. We take the time to really understand what your needs and who can best help you meet your goals.
Schedule a brief call below, and a member of our Client Care team will reach out to learn more about what you're going through and what you're hoping to get from therapy. From there, we'll match you with a therapist who fits—and set up a free consultation so you can make sure it feels right before your first session.
A note about insurance: We are currently a private-pay, out-of-network provider. You can read about our reasons on our rates page. The short version is that we focus on providing high quality, evidence based treatment that gives you the best possible chance of reaching your mental health goals. Our focus is on doing great work, not on jumping through hoops to keep an insurance company happy.
While we don't accept insurance directly, your insurance plan may have out-of-network benefits, which means that they will reimburse you for a portion of our session cost. We have partnered with Thrizer to handle the out-of-network process automatically for you. With Thrizer, you will only have to pay a copay for our sessions post-deductible, instead of paying my full fee and waiting for reimbursements. This typically allows clients to save on average 70% upfront on our sessions. During our intake process, we can help you verify if you have out-of-network benefits and how much your copay would be.
Ready to talk now?
If you have time now and are ready to speak to a member of our client care team, you can always try calling right away. Our client care team is here to help. Expect to spend 10-30 minutes on a call depending on how many questions you have or how much we need to talk through who is the best fit.
You can also call just to ask a quick question if you aren’t sure you are ready to start yet. For example, if you’re wondering how helpful your health insurance might be given that we’re out of network, we can do a quick insurance benefits check for you. We use a billing system called Thrizer that helps make therapy more affordable for many of our clients, and we can use their benefits checker to very quickly give you an idea of how much your insurance would cover.
Call our Columbia office at 573-328-2288 ext. 1 or our Lee's Summit office at 816-287-1116. We answer live when we can, or we'll return your message within 3 business hours.
Prefer to skip the phone call?
No problem—we know not everyone loves talking on the phone. Fill out the form below, and we'll follow up by email to learn more about what you're looking for. It may take a little longer to get you matched, but we're happy to work with whatever feels right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starting Therapy at Aspire Counseling
-
Our client care team follows up within one business day, though occasionally it takes a little longer if we're checking with a therapist we think might be a great fit before calling you. We'll chat about what you're looking for, answer questions, and talk through next steps.
If you schedule a call, we’ll call you within 5 minutes of the scheduled time so please have your phone ready.
-
No. Reaching out just starts a conversation with our client care team. Not everyone we talk to ends up starting therapy with us, and that's ok. Sometimes we answer questions, sometimes we point people toward a better fit elsewhere, and sometimes people just want to think things over first.
-
Your first call is with one of our client care team members, not a therapist. They'll ask about what you're looking for, answer your questions, and help match you with the right clinician. You'll get a chance to meet with that therapist before fully committing to ongoing sessions.
-
Not at all. Most people who contact us haven't decided yet. Our client care team will ask what you want help with, whether you prefer virtual or in person sessions, what times work for your schedule, and any other preferences. From there, we'll match you with someone who fits.
-
Yes to all of the above. Several of our therapists have specific training and lived experience working with these communities. When you reach out, let our client care team know what's important to you, and we'll factor that into your therapist match.
-
We don't have a prescriber on staff, so no. If medication might be part of what's helpful, we're happy to refer you to psychiatrists we trust across Missouri. Your therapist can also coordinate with a prescriber you're already working with, if you'd like them to.
-
We specialize in treating trauma, OCD, and anxiety that's disrupting daily life. Our therapists get the time, training, and support they need to really focus on delivering high-quality evidence-based care. If you're looking for a specialist rather than a generalist and want a therapist invested in your outcomes, we may be a great fit.
-
We match based on what you want help with and who on our team specializes in that area. We also factor in whether you want virtual or in person sessions, scheduling, and any preferences you share (like wanting someone with specific experience or training).
-
That happens sometimes, and it's ok. Fit really matters in therapy, so we'd rather know than have you quietly stop coming. Just reach back out to our client care team. We can talk through what didn't feel right and either match you with someone else here or help you find a better fit elsewhere.
-
We're an out-of-network practice, which means we don't bill insurance directly. This gives us flexibility to provide truly specialized care without the limits insurance sometimes places on treatment. Many clients get partial reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits. We also offer Thrizer to help make that process easier.
-
We get that life is busy. That said, we ask clients to commit to weekly sessions for the first 8 weeks. This isn't about severity, it's about momentum. Weekly sessions help you and your therapist build the kind of relationship that drives real change. After that, you can revisit frequency together.
-
Both. We have warm, inviting offices in Columbia and Lee's Summit, stocked with small touches like snacks, drinks, and fidgets. That said, many clients prefer virtual sessions, which work especially well for busy parents and professionals. We can see clients online anywhere in Missouri.
-
Yes. If phone calls feel like a lot right now, fill out our contact form and we'll follow up by email. Email follow up sometimes takes a bit longer than a phone conversation, but we'll work with whatever feels easier for you.
-
Our practice isn't set up for immediate crisis response. Please call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), go to your nearest emergency room, or call 911. Once you're safe, we'd love to talk with you about ongoing therapy support.scription