--- title: "Frequently Asked Questions | Maria Van Thienen, LMFT" description: "Answers about insurance, the $250 session rate, online sessions across Florida, Spanish-language therapy, EMDR, couples work, and the Weston office." lang: en-US json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#business", "name": "Counseling with Maria", "legalName": "MBGM Consulting LLC", "description": "Bilingual, EMDR-certified LMFT offering couples, anxiety, and trauma therapy in Weston, FL, and telehealth across Florida.", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com", "image": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/__l5e/assets-v1/7d3bcbd2-ddaf-43c1-9959-4e32b159272f/maria-van-thienen.jpg", "logo": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/__l5e/assets-v1/7d3bcbd2-ddaf-43c1-9959-4e32b159272f/maria-van-thienen.jpg", "telephone": "(954) 654-6774", "priceRange": "$$$", "founder": { "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#maria" }, "employee": { "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#maria" }, "founderName": "Maria Van Thienen, LMFT", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "2645 Executive Park Drive", "addressLocality": "Weston", "addressRegion": "FL", "postalCode": "33331", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 26.0823, "longitude": -80.3915 }, "areaServed": [ { "@type": "City", "name": "Weston" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Fort Lauderdale" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Pembroke Pines" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Davie" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Plantation" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Sunrise" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Cooper City" }, { "@type": "City", "name": "Miramar" }, { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Florida" }, { "@type": "Place", "name": "Telehealth in Florida" } ], "availableLanguage": [ "English", "Español" ], "provider": { "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#maria" }, "serviceType": [ "Couples Counseling", "Marriage Therapy", "Anxiety Therapy", "Trauma Therapy", "EMDR Therapy", "Christian Marriage Counseling", "Catholic Marriage Counseling", "Telehealth therapy in Florida" ], "availableService": [ { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Couples Counseling", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/couples-counseling" }, { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Anxiety Therapy", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/anxiety-therapy" }, { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Trauma Therapy (EMDR)", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/trauma-therapy" } ], "paymentAccepted": "Private pay; superbills available on request for possible out-of-network reimbursement" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#maria", "name": "Maria Van Thienen", "honorificSuffix": "LMFT", "jobTitle": "Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist", "description": "Bilingual (English/Spanish), EMDR-certified Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 30+ years of experience supporting couples, adults, teens, and children in Weston, FL and via telehealth across Florida.", "image": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/__l5e/assets-v1/7d3bcbd2-ddaf-43c1-9959-4e32b159272f/maria-van-thienen.jpg", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/meet-maria", "knowsLanguage": [ "English", "Español" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Couples Counseling", "Marriage Therapy", "Anxiety Therapy", "Trauma Therapy", "EMDR", "Depression", "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy", "Mindfulness-Based Therapy" ], "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "license", "name": "LMFT (FL) MT3115" }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "certification", "name": "EMDR Certified" } ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#business" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/REPLACE-ME", "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?cid=REPLACE-ME" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#website", "name": "Maria Van Thienen, LMFT", "url": "https://counselingwithmaria.com", "inLanguage": [ "en-US", "es-ES" ], "publisher": { "@id": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/#business" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you take insurance?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "This is a self-pay practice, so payment is made directly rather than billed to a plan. Superbills are available on request, and many clients submit them to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement if their plan includes those benefits." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much is a session?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "$250 per session, self-pay. That is the rate for couples, individuals, teens, and children. A late cancellation inside 24 hours is $100, and we do our best to reschedule instead." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I get anything in writing about cost?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Under the No Surprises Act you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs, and one is provided in writing at the start of care." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you offer online sessions?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, secure video sessions are available anywhere in Florida. Many clients mix the two: in person when the week allows, video when it doesn't. Couples sessions work well by video as long as both partners can be somewhere private." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where is the office?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The office is at 2645 Executive Park Drive, Weston, FL 33331. It sits in a quiet office park in Weston with parking at the door, roughly 10 to 30 minutes from most of southwest Broward." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you speak Spanish?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Maria is bilingual and sessions run fully in Spanish when that is what you want. Moving between English and Spanish inside a session is welcome too, for many families that switching is part of the material, not a distraction from it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you work with couples where only one partner wants to come?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and it happens often. One person starts, gets clearer about what they want and how they show up in the conflict, and that alone changes the pattern at home. Sometimes the other partner joins later; sometimes they never do and the work still matters. Nobody is dragged into a room." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does couples work take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Honestly, it depends, on how long the pattern has been running, how much repair has already been attempted, and whether both people are willing to change something. Some couples feel a shift in the first month; others are in it for a year. No therapist can promise an outcome or a timeline, and anyone who does is selling something." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is EMDR?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "EMDR is a structured therapy for memories the nervous system is still holding as though they were current. You hold an image, a body sensation, and a belief in mind while following a repeated back-and-forth cue, in short sets. The whole story does not have to be retold out loud. Maria is EMDR certified." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are you a Christian counselor?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Maria is a Christian and Catholic therapist, and clients who want their faith taken seriously in the room are in the right place. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, not clergy, and she does not offer spiritual direction, sacramental guidance, or a ruling on what your tradition requires. The work is clinical; your faith is treated as real rather than as an obstacle to route around." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if faith is not part of my life?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "That is completely fine and nothing is introduced that you did not ask for. Most of the practice is ordinary clinical work with people of every background and none." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I start?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Send a message through the contact page or call (954) 654-6774. Tell Maria briefly what is bringing you in and whether you prefer the Weston office or video, and she will reply with times." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Frequently Asked Questions", "item": "https://counselingwithmaria.com/faq" } ] } ] --- [![](/__l5e/assets-v1/7a69d5a3-a3ea-40ca-8fb1-b87d03f5f058/logo-mark.png)](/) Specialties - [Couples Counseling](/couples-counseling) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [Trauma and EMDR](/trauma-therapy) - [EMDR Therapy](/emdr-therapy) - [Christian Marriage Counseling](/christian-marriage-counseling) - [Christian Couples Counseling](/christian-couples-counseling) - [Catholic Marriage Counseling](/catholic-marriage-counseling) - [All specialties](/specialties) Areas We Serve - [Weston](/areas-we-serve) - [Fort Lauderdale](/areas-we-serve) - [Pembroke Pines](/areas-we-serve) - [Davie](/areas-we-serve) - [Plantation](/areas-we-serve) - [Miramar](/areas-we-serve) - [Hollywood](/areas-we-serve) - [All areas](/areas-we-serve) About - [Meet Maria](/meet-maria) - [Approach](/approach) - [Rates](/rates) - [Frequently Asked Questions](/faq) [Contact](/contact)[EN](/)[ES](/es/preguntas-frecuentes) [(954) 654-6774](tel:+19546546774)[Contact Maria](/contact) Frequently Asked Questions # The questions people ask _before they call_. Straight answers about cost, insurance, online sessions, language, and how the work actually goes. If your question isn't here, ask it directly. [Contact Maria](/contact) [Call (954) 654-6774](tel:+19546546774) 01 ## Cost and insurance ### Do you take insurance? This is a self-pay practice, so payment is made directly rather than billed to a plan. Superbills are available on request, and many clients submit them to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement if their plan includes those benefits. ### How much is a session? $250 per session, self-pay. That is the rate for couples, individuals, teens, and children. A late cancellation inside 24 hours is $100, and we do our best to reschedule instead. ### Do I get anything in writing about cost? Yes. Under the No Surprises Act you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs, and one is provided in writing at the start of care. 02 ## Sessions and logistics ### Do you offer online sessions? Yes, secure video sessions are available anywhere in Florida. Many clients mix the two: in person when the week allows, video when it doesn't. Couples sessions work well by video as long as both partners can be somewhere private. ### Where is the office? The office is at 2645 Executive Park Drive, Weston, FL 33331. It sits in a quiet office park in Weston with parking at the door, roughly 10 to 30 minutes from most of southwest Broward. ### Do you speak Spanish? Yes. Maria is bilingual and sessions run fully in Spanish when that is what you want. Moving between English and Spanish inside a session is welcome too, for many families that switching is part of the material, not a distraction from it. 03 ## How the work goes ### Do you work with couples where only one partner wants to come? Yes, and it happens often. One person starts, gets clearer about what they want and how they show up in the conflict, and that alone changes the pattern at home. Sometimes the other partner joins later; sometimes they never do and the work still matters. Nobody is dragged into a room. ### How long does couples work take? Honestly, it depends, on how long the pattern has been running, how much repair has already been attempted, and whether both people are willing to change something. Some couples feel a shift in the first month; others are in it for a year. No therapist can promise an outcome or a timeline, and anyone who does is selling something. ### What is EMDR? EMDR is a structured therapy for memories the nervous system is still holding as though they were current. You hold an image, a body sensation, and a belief in mind while following a repeated back-and-forth cue, in short sets. The whole story does not have to be retold out loud. Maria is EMDR certified. 04 ## Faith and scope ### Are you a Christian counselor? Maria is a Christian and Catholic therapist, and clients who want their faith taken seriously in the room are in the right place. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, not clergy, and she does not offer spiritual direction, sacramental guidance, or a ruling on what your tradition requires. The work is clinical; your faith is treated as real rather than as an obstacle to route around. ### What if faith is not part of my life? That is completely fine and nothing is introduced that you did not ask for. Most of the practice is ordinary clinical work with people of every background and none. ### How do I start? Send a message through the contact page or call (954) 654-6774. Tell Maria briefly what is bringing you in and whether you prefer the Weston office or video, and she will reply with times. Still deciding ## You can ask one question and stop there _that's a normal way to begin_. [Contact Maria](/contact)[Rates and policies](/rates) [Lea estas preguntas en español](/es/preguntas-frecuentes) ![Maria Van Thienen, LMFT](/__l5e/assets-v1/7a69d5a3-a3ea-40ca-8fb1-b87d03f5f058/logo-mark.png) A calm, non-judgmental space to _reconnect_ with yourself and the people you love. Counseling with Maria · Maria Van Thienen, LMFT · Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Florida (MT3115). EMDR-certified. Bilingual English / Español. #### Office 2645 Executive Park Drive Weston, FL 33331 Telehealth across Florida [(954) 654-6774](tel:+19546546774) #### Specialties - [Couples Counseling](/couples-counseling) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [Trauma and EMDR](/trauma-therapy) - [EMDR Therapy](/emdr-therapy) - [Christian Marriage Counseling](/christian-marriage-counseling) - [Christian Couples Counseling](/christian-couples-counseling) - [Catholic Marriage Counseling](/catholic-marriage-counseling) #### Areas We Serve - [Fort Lauderdale](/couples-counseling-fort-lauderdale) - [Pembroke Pines](/couples-counseling-pembroke-pines) - [Hollywood](/couples-counseling-hollywood) - [Miramar](/couples-counseling-miramar) - [Davie](/couples-counseling-davie) - [Plantation](/anxiety-therapy-plantation) #### Explore - [Home](/) - [Meet Maria](/meet-maria) - [Couples](/couples-counseling) - [Anxiety](/anxiety-therapy) - [Trauma and EMDR](/trauma-therapy) - [Approach](/approach) - [Rates](/rates) - [Contact](/contact) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy) #### Begin [Contact Maria](/contact) [EN](/)[ES](/es/preguntas-frecuentes) In a crisis or emergency This site is not monitored for emergencies. If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text [988](tel:988) (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call [911](tel:911). Contacting the practice through this website does not establish a therapist-client relationship. © 2026 MBGM Consulting LLC. Therapy outcomes vary by person, situation, and engagement; no specific results are guaranteed. [Privacy](/privacy.html)[Terms](/terms.html)[Cookies](/cookie.html)[Disclosures](/disclaimers.html)[Good Faith Estimate](/good-faith-estimate.html)[Website by Automaus.ai](https://automaus.ai)