Everyone could benefit from counseling at some point in their lives. There is no shame in asking for help when needed. In fact, most therapists benefit from therapy as well! If you feel weighed down, stuck, helpless, depressed, anxious, or unmotivated, counseling is for you. If you're having difficulty reaching your goals, difficulty developing a direction for your life, or just want an additional perspective in your life, counseling is for you. If you're having relational difficulties, having difficulty coping with stress, or having difficulty adjusting to life transitions, counseling is for you. If you need someone to listen, counseling is for you. Ultimately, it's for anyone and everyone.

While I have specialty areas listed, I have experience with clients of a variety of ages, ethnicities, socioeconomic circumstances, religious backgrounds, and sexual orientations experiencing diverse presenting concerns. Currently, I conduct therapy primarily with adult individuals and couples. If you feel we might be a good fit, feel free to contact me; if we find that we're not a good fit for you or your situation, I will provide alternate referrals which may be more suitable.

Most people attend therapy once per week, and once per week is often recommended for beginning clients. However, therapy sessions can be adapted to the needs of the client. Some people attend sessions twice per week during particularly difficult times while others attend every other week when feeling more stable.

We're now offering intensive sessions as well for those who are a good fit who'd like to achieve faster results or jumpstart their therapeutic process.

The length of time spent in therapy is dependent on the progress and preferences of the person. While some people may only need a few sessions to adapt to a life transitions, other people may need a few months or a year to process through life experiences. There is no right or wrong length of time to attend counseling; it is simply based on the person's needs.

Within intensive therapy, I've seen people make significant progress within 1-2 sessions. You can learn more about intensives on the intensive pages of our website.

The first step is simply to contact us by clicking this link.

From there, we will chat over email and/or over the phone, I will let you know more about my style as a therapist and what to expect of therapy with me, and I'll answer any questions you may have. If we decide we're a good fit, I will walk you through the process of filling out your intake paperwork and scheduling your intake appointment. I'll be with you every step of the way to make sure you know what's coming next and you're receiving the highest quality of care. Feel free to visit the Getting Started page of this website to read more details about the process or contact me at info@wildoakscounseling.com with any questions.

The Online Client Portal is a software tool which will allow you to schedule appointments, securely communicate with me, and access billing and treatment forms. If you are using Telehealth, it will also allow us to conduct video sessions. When we've scheduled your intake appointment, you'll be able to make an account via a link I will send you in order to fill out your paperwork before the first session. Throughout your work with me, you'll be able to access documents and communicate with me privately and securely through the portal as well.

You can always access your portal by clicking this link.

Before your first session, you'll need to create an online client portal account via the link I will send you after you've scheduled your intake appointment. Once you've created your account, you'll need to fill out your intake paperwork. This will save time during your first session so that we can spend more time jumping in and really getting to know one another while also allowing me more time to get to know what's been going on for you and how we can best help you. Once you've completed your paperwork, you're all set!

The first session is all about us getting to know one another so that I can learn more about your situation, your strengths, your personality, your struggles, and your goals while you learn more about my personality and treatment style. First meetings can be awkward and nerve-wracking (therapists get nervous too!), but at the end of the day, it’s just a conversation--a conversation about a subject on which you’re an expert…you! I’ll ask more about your situation and your history and give you the opportunity to share anything you’d like for me to know at the beginning of therapy.

Most sessions are 50-60 minutes long.

For those looking for longer therapy sessions for faster healing and progress in their therapy goals, therapy intensives can be scheduled for 2-4 hours at a time.

I expect only a few things from a client: authenticity and willingness. What this means is I want you to be yourself! The more you are yourself, the more progress we can make. Being yourself requires vulnerability, and I recognize the courage that takes, so we'll work toward it over time as we get to know one another. The most important element of therapy is a willingness to try--this includes being increasingly open and honest during sessions and doing the work, meaning trying the techniques we agree on in session. With your honest feedback, we will move at your pace at every stage, find the solutions that best work for you, and I'll be there to walk you through the process from start to finish.

Currently, my office hours for recurring therapy are Tuesdays through Thursdays 9 am-5 pm. Intensives are scheduled based on my availability by appointment only (these can be offered in evenings, weekends, etc.).

My office is located in Cambridge Square in Ooltewah, TN, which is easily accessed by Cleveland, Chattanooga, north GA, and a variety of surrounding cities. The address is 6011 Chesterton Way, Suite 209, Ooltewah, TN 37363. You'll find a map located at the bottom of the Home page of this website.

I also provides telehealth in the states of Tennessee, Florida, and Colorado.

I use a HIPAA-compliant (aka secure) platform through Simple Practice to conduct all video sessions. You can use a phone, tablet, or computer to access your sessions.

You can learn more about teletherapy by clicking this link.

A standard therapy session is 50-60 minutes and is $135. I take payment via cash, credit/debit card, or HSA card. A full schedule of fees for extended sessions, specialty therapies, etc. is provided at intake. My fees reflect my years of experience, specialized trainings, and continued efforts to develop programs and seek consultation and trainings that best provide for my clients' needs.

Intensive therapy rates (i.e., extended therapy sessions) are listed on the intensive pages.

No, at this time I do not take insurance. Insurance can be limiting to the treatment process for the following reasons: your insurance is allowed to request your therapy notes at any time (requiring you to waive confidentiality), making some clients uncomfortable; insurance requires a mental health diagnosis, which can follow you on your health record and affect future life insurance policies, careers, etc., and not every individual who could benefit from counseling requires or benefits from a mental health diagnosis; and insurance controls what type of treatment you can receive and for how long you can receive treatment based on the diagnosis, taking the control of your counseling process out of your hands.

For these reasons, I work directly with you to manage your treatment and payments via cash, HSA card, or credit/debit card. I can provide a Super Bill for Out of Network benefits upon request, but you should check with your insurance before beginning therapy to see if counseling will be reimbursable for you under your policy.

I have also partnered with Mentaya, a platform that helps clients get money back on out-of-network therapy sessions. To see if you qualify for reimbursement, you can use this link.

If you qualify, Mentaya will file claims and handle the insurance paperwork to make sure you get reimbursed. They have helped people get thousands of dollars back per year. You can sign up using this link.

Note: Mentaya's goal is to save you time and money. It's completely optional, and as a therapist I do not benefit in any way from your participation.

A Licensed Marital & Family Therapist is a therapist who has completed classes, training, and internships in order to graduate with a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy; after graduation, the therapist then completed multiple state and national exams and practiced under the supervision of a trained and approved Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) supervisor for the duration of approximately 2-3 years before upgrading from a provisional to a full license. Jacqueline's license number is 1639 and can be verified through the Tennessee Board of Health, specifically the Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists.

LMFTs are able to see any population for therapy (children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, etc.). What sets us apart is that LMFTs are trained from a systemic perspective. This means that unlike other professions which may operate with a focus on the internal experience of a client, LMFTs are trained to see a client within their context of multiple systems, including but not limited to culture, country, family, social relationships, etc. We acknowledge and assess the internal experience and potential symptoms; however, we recognize the power of the systems and work to help clients manage not only what happens for them internally but also how they operate and are affected by the external systems around them. Additionally, while we have training in mental health diagnoses and treatment, we also have specialized training in the assessment and understanding of relationship dynamics and the treatment of difficulties within relational dynamics.

I respectfully ask that cancellations be made within 24 hours of the appointment time. Since the time is reserved for you, if a cancellation is made in less than 24 hours before the start of the appointment time, you will be responsible for the full session fee. (Emergencies and illness may be excused.)