Announcement

Hope Counseling

325 E. Sonterra
Suite 230
San Antonio Tx 78258

210-341-3525Envelope symbolizing email

Office Location

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We're located at 325 E. Sonterra Blvd., Suite 230, which is close to the intersection of Sonterra Blvd. and Ronald Reagan St.

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Map & Directions

Questions





Answers





Q:How & when can I make an appointment with you?

A: To schedule an appointment, simply call us at 210-341-3525 or contact us using the form below.  Sessions are 50 minutes in length and start on the hour.  On Mondays, sessions are available from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday's, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Q:What are your rates for counseling?

A: Counseling is $160 for a 50-minute session.  In most cases we encourage our clients to plan on four sessions initially, once per week, after which time we will assess the progress and frequency of therapy.

Q:What forms of payment do you take?

A: For your convenience we accept cash, check, or credit cards, namely Visa and MasterCard.  Please note that payment is due at the time of service.

Q:Do you accept insurance?  Which companies?

A: At the present time we do not accept insurance.  However, your insurance company may still cover some costs of therapy.

Q:Will my insurance company cover therapy?

A: Although we do not accept insurance, your insurance company may still cover some costs of therapy.  To determine what's covered, please simply call the phone number on the back of your insurance card and ask them the following two questions.

First, are counseling services covered?  Second, do I have benefits for "out-of-network" providers like Hope Counseling, and if so, what are they?

If you're unsure of what your insurance company will cover and reimburse, please let us know and we can confer with them to answer your questions.

To facilitate your timely reimbursement, we provide you with an insurance-friendly receipt for you to submit to your insurance company.

Q:What if I can't attend an appointment?

A: You may cancel or reschedule an appointment up to 24 hours before session start with no charge.  However, for appointments cancelled or rescheduled less than 24 hours prior to session start there is a $50 Late Cancellation Fee.

Missed appointments (no-shows) are billed at full fee, so please make sure to cancel or reschedule if you are going to miss an appointment.

Q:What degrees do you have?

A: Stephen has a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University (ACU).  However his life-long love of learning can be seen in his numerous other degrees and certificates: a Master's Certificate in Gerontology from ACU, a Master's in Urban Planning from University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA), and a Teaching Certificate from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU).

Q:What licenses do you have?

A: Stephen is both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC #11331) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Supervisor (LMFT-S #2638), which means he can supervise interns seeking to become licensed.  Earlier in his career Stephen was also a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC #8453).

Q:What other training do you have?

A: Further illustrating his commitment to his patients, Stephen has completed EMDR Level 1 and Level 2 training as well as Critical Incident Training, Level 1 and Level 2.  He has also completed the Substance Abuse Counselor Training Program at St. Mary's University.

However, since 1999 Stephen has focused on Sexual Integrity and Sex Addiction, having completed over 130 hours of clinical training.

Q:What are your hobbies?

A: Stephen loves reading books about emotions, emotional growth, & men’s issues, and spends his free time developing workbooks and training materials for men.  He also loves to travel, and has recently visited Thailand, Italy, and Greece.

Stephen Cervantes at the Roman Coliseam Stephen Cervantes in Thailand holding a cake, surrounded by costumed Thai people Stephen Cervantes by a wat in Thailand

Q:What is your approach to counseling?

A: Stephen's approach is down-to-earth, pragmatic and practical.  He employs a mixture of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Attachment Theory, and is solution-focused and communication-based.

His clients have the option of working from a traditional or faith-based counseling perspective.

Q:What issues do you treat?  What's your specialty?

A: Given his extensive experience, Stephen can help couples and individuals with a variety of issues, including Anxiety, Depression, Grief & Loss, and Trauma.  However, his specialty is working with Emotionally Detached Men and their partners, as well as the issues they often face, such as Sex Addiction.

Q:What if I'm in a relationship with an Emotionally Detached Man?

A: If you are now or have been in a relationship with an Emotionally Detached Man, we can help you get him the help he needs, help you live with him if he won't get help, or help you recover from and avoid repeating such a relationship if it's over.  Click here to learn more.

Q:Do you treat Sex Addiction?

A: Yes, we offer counseling and therapy for men struggling with Sex Addiction, along with their partners.  However, we do not treat female sex addicts.  If you're looking for female Sex Addiction counseling, please call us for a referral.

Q:I'm experiencing Anxiety.  Can you help me?

A: A racing mind, sleepless nights, and constant feelings of worry and nervousness.  Let's face it, Anxiety is just exhausting!

To help you find freedom, we'll process together the situations that create anxious feelings for you and explore their underlying causes.  We'll make connections between what’s going on currently and your past experiences, in order to find new strategies to move forward and finally deal with those anxious moments.

Q:I'm suffering from Depression.  Is there hope for me?

A: Yes!  Right now you may feel hopeless and helpless, like your confidence and energy have been wrung right out of you.  But the good news is that Depression can usually be successfully treated.  To do so, we'll explore your story and what's going on in your life, both emotionally and physically.  Then we'll create a plan together, and we'll walk with you through your journey. 

Q:Do you help people with Grief & Loss?

A: Grief & Loss can bring with it a full spectrum of emotions.  Sometimes you may feel a sense of deep sadness or emptiness, while at other times you may feel angry, or even guilty or regretful.

But since life is full of moments of Grief & Loss, dealing effectively with grief is essential to being healthy.  If you feel you may have become 'stuck' in grief, we can help you process through your grief and add greater awareness and understanding of whatever issue lies beneath it, so you can finally find relief and move forward again.

Q:Can you help me with my past or present Trauma?

A: Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares.  Trauma has a way of injecting the same emotions and physical sensations of that fateful moment right into today.  That's because traumatic memories are 'unprocessed', they're not stored properly in the brain.  Fortunately, counseling with EMDR can help you process those memories and finally put those traumatic after-effects in the past, where they belong.

Q:What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR)?

A: Recommended by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Psychological Association, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic technique scientifically proven to be particularly effective in the treatment of trauma and PTSD.  In addition to an 8-step "talk therapy" component, EMDR employs 'bilateral stimulation', in which a therapist for example alternately taps your right and left hands.  This combination helps your brain reprocess and correctly store traumatic events.

Q:What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

A: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very well-researched form of "talk therapy" based on the premise that what we think has great influence on how we feel and what we do.  By idenitifying problematic thought processes and transforming them into constructive ones, CBT helps clients maintain healthy attitudes and actions while experiencing difficult situations.

Q:What is Attachment Theory (AT)?

A: Attachement Theory (AT) involves the idea that a person's strength of attachment in a relationship, for example between a husband and wife, effects how well they respond to stressors such as being hurt emotionally, being separated from loved ones, or perceiving a threat.

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For
Men

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For
Women

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Sex
Addiction

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Learn &
Grow

My mission is to provide HOPE
to men & women who are hurting,
lonely and struggling ...

Stephen L. Cervantes

MMFT, LPC, LMFT-S

Portrait of Stephen L. Cervantes, MMFT, LPC, LMFT-S