Frequently Asked Questions

We believe in a personalized approach by listening to your individual needs.

When you first call our office, our Intake team will conduct an initial screening by phone to determine which therapist (based on expertise and experience) will work with you on your particular concern. All inquiries and appointments at Grand Oaks Northbrook Behavioral Health are confidential. We will discuss fees and insurance coverage with you. Our Intake team will also work with you to schedule your initial appointment with a therapist. You will be provided with additional information regarding our patient portal where you will need to fill out our new patient forms prior to your first appointment.

We can be flexible to fit your schedule.

Day, evening, and weekend appointments are available by calling our office at (847) 549-1189. We can usually schedule your first appointment within a week. We will also work with you to determine the frequency and duration of your treatment.

Your first session with the therapist will be different from future visits. The initial visit is a period for you and your therapist to get to know each other and get an idea where to proceed. Future visits will be more therapeutic in nature. You will be asked what issues impede your life, negative symptoms you are experiencing, and your history/background information. You may formulate your treatment plan, the methods to be employed, and begin establishing therapeutic rapport.

Psychotherapy works by using a relationship to effect change. The benefits of therapy vary for every client, based on what issues they bring with them, and how much effort they are willing to put into the process. The greatest benefits of therapy comes from the quality of the relationship that develops between the therapist and client. If they can build a trusting, communicative relationship that gives the client the comfort level, support, and courage to discover his or her true self in session, then clients will be able to: have a better understanding of self, feel a sense of control over life and emotions, have improved self-esteem and strengthened self-confidence, and find relief from negative emotional and behavioral symptoms.

Therapy is not just for people who are mentally ill or under psychological distress; it is for anyone who wants to improve their lives. While it might be more important for people under psychological distress to attend therapy, by working to improve yourself and your psychological health, you are more likely to be a good spouse, a good parent, and a healthy person to be around.

We are on most of the major insurance panels including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Magellan, PHCS/Multiplan, United Health Care, APS, Humana, MHN, Tricare, Medicare, Choice Care, Compsych, Unicare, Value Options, First Health/Coventry, Interplan, Lifesynch, and VMC.

We do all of the billing for you.

We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards for payment of copays, co-insurance, and deductibles. Payment is due at the time of service.

We serve as out-of-network providers for any other insurance company if your plan allows for this. We ask that you pay the session fee at the time of service and our billing manager will give you a receipt which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.

If you do not wish to use health care insurance, we provide fee-for-service.