Online Christian Counseling in Texas
Neema Counseling offers online Christian therapy and counseling anywhere in Texas. You can meet with the same licensed therapists who see clients in our Austin and Houston offices, for the same length of session and the same kind of care, just from wherever you happen to be that day.
Neema is the Swahili word for grace, and that's what we most hope you'll feel in a session with us, whether you're sitting in one of our offices or at your own kitchen table.
Why many people choose online counseling
There are a couple of reasons we hear again and again from clients who choose to meet with us online, and convenience usually isn't at the top of the list.
The first reason is privacy. If you live in a small town, or you're part of a close-knit church community, the Christian counselor nearby may well be someone you already know. They might sit a few rows behind you on Sunday, lead the marriage class, or have a spouse in your small group. That can be a lot to navigate when what you need to talk about is your marriage, your doubts, or something you've never said out loud to anyone. Meeting online gives you the freedom to choose a therapist who has no connection to the rest of your life.
The second reason is choice. In person, your options are limited to whoever practices within driving distance of you, but online you can choose from our whole team. You'll only ever work with one therapist, so what really matters is whether the right person for you has an opening, and meeting online gives you a much better chance of finding them.
Who we see online across Texas
People in towns without a Christian therapist nearby. Much of Texas doesn't have a faith-integrated counselor within an hour's drive, and even fewer who take insurance. If you live in one of those places, you probably already know how hard it can be to find someone.
College students. Many students who start with us in Austin continue their sessions from home over the summer and then come back in person in the fall. Because Texas licensure covers the whole state, heading home for break doesn't mean you have to start over with someone new.
Shift workers and people who travel for work. Nurses, medical residents, energy workers on rotation, and anyone whose schedule changes from week to week often find online sessions much easier to move around and keep.
Parents of young children. When getting out of the house means finding a sitter, a session you can take once the baby is down for a nap is often the session that actually happens.
People who have moved. Clients who move from Austin or Houston to Dallas, San Antonio, the Valley, or West Texas often choose to keep working with their therapist rather than starting again from the beginning.
Couples in two places. You can each join the same session from a different location, which can be a real help when one of you travels.
The therapists you can meet with online
These four therapists are currently welcoming new clients online, anywhere in Texas. You can read more about each of them on our team page, and if you aren't sure who would be the best fit for you, we're always glad to help you choose.
Fabian Armenta, LPC sees clients online in English or Spanish, throughout Texas and in Colorado. He works from a strength-based approach.
Elvia Delgado, LPC-Associate (supervised by Lauren Jones, LPC-S) sees clients online in English or Spanish, and in person at our Austin office. She works from Bowen family systems theory alongside cognitive behavioral therapy.
Allison Sims, LMFT-Associate (supervised by Jenny Dietz, LMFT-S) has specialized training in couples and family therapy and draws on family systems work. She sees clients online and in person at our Houston office.
Hallie Nicholls, LPC-Associate (supervised by Lynn Strom, LPC-S) uses cognitive behavioral and solution-focused approaches. She sees clients online and in person at our Houston office.
Daytime sessions
Most of our current openings are during the day. That works well for parents while children are at school, people who work from home and can step away for an hour, college students between classes, nurses and shift workers coming off nights, and retirees. With no drive on either end, a daytime session takes an hour and nothing more.
If evenings are the only time that works for you, tell us in your consultation and we will be straightforward about what is available.
What faith looks like in an online session
Faith looks much the same online as it does in our office, and most clients are surprised by how little the screen changes things. Your therapist is licensed and trained in evidence-based methods, and you get to decide how much of your faith comes into your sessions.
Some clients like to start a session with a passage of Scripture that has been on their heart that week. Others may go several months without mentioning church at all, and then finally bring it up, mostly wanting to know they'll be met with understanding. Meeting by video doesn't change either of those experiences.
We do not typically pray with clients. What we do is treat your faith as an important part of how you understand your own life, and we work with it throughout your counseling.
You can read more about how we approach this across the practice on our main Christian counseling page.
Does online therapy really work?
For most people, and for most of the concerns that bring them to counseling, online therapy works very well. It isn't the right fit for every person or every situation, though, and if your therapist believes you need a level of care that video sessions can't provide, they will talk with you about it and help you find the right support.
We've written about this in more detail in Does Online Therapy Really Work?
Where we are licensed to see you
We can see you anywhere in Texas. A therapist needs to be licensed in the state where the client is located during the session (rather than where the therapist is), so what matters is that you are physically in Texas at the time of your appointment, not which city you call home.
Fabian Armenta is licensed in Colorado as well as Texas, and he sees clients in both states.
If you know you'll be out of state when a session comes around, please let your therapist know ahead of time. This is a licensing question more than a technical one, and with a little notice it can usually be worked out.
Sessions in Spanish, online across Texas
Spanish-language sessions are available online throughout Texas, including the Houston area, with Fabian Armenta or Elvia Delgado. In person, Spanish sessions are available at our Austin office, and our Houston office sees clients in person in English.
You can find the Spanish version of this page at Consejería Cristiana en Línea.
What you need for a session
You'll just need a device with a camera, an internet connection that is reasonably reliable, and a place where you can talk without being overheard.
That last one is easy to overlook, so it's worth thinking about before your first session rather than five minutes beforehand. Plenty of our clients find that a parked car works perfectly well as a private place to talk.
Rates and insurance
Our rates are the same for online and in-person sessions. With a Licensed Professional Counselor, sessions are $175 for the intake, $150 for ongoing individual sessions, and $175 for ongoing couples and family sessions. With an LPC or LMFT Associate, sessions are $150 for the intake, $135 for ongoing individual sessions, and $150 for ongoing couples and family sessions.
Our counselors with current openings accept Cigna, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, Ambetter, Lyra, Magellan, UMR, BCBS, Medicaid, and Medicare. Our care coordinator checks your benefits before you are charged anything, and we also accept cash and credit cards, including FSA and HSA funds.
Some of our counselors have openings for reduced-rate sessions based on household size and income. If cost is what's standing between you and getting started, please ask us about it. It's a very normal question, and we're always glad to talk it through with you.
You can find all of the details on our rates and insurance page.
If you would rather come in person
We have two offices, and plenty of our clients do a mix of both, coming in when it helps and meeting online when the week is too full.
Our Christian counseling in Austin office is at 2717 Rio Grande Street, three blocks from the University of Texas campus. Our Christian counseling in Houston office is at 8215 Long Point Road in Spring Branch, on the west side of the city.
Starting with a free 15-minute consultation
Your consultation is fifteen minutes with a therapist and is completely free. It's a chance to ask how they work, share a little about what's bringing you in, and get a sense of whether they feel like someone you could trust before you commit to anything.
You don't need to know exactly what you need before you reach out. Most people don't, and that's perfectly okay.
Online Christian counseling FAQ
Do I have to live in Austin or Houston? No. We see clients online anywhere in Texas. Therapist licensure in Texas covers the whole state, so it doesn't matter where in Texas you live.
Do you see clients outside Texas? We can see clients in Colorado with Fabian Armenta, who is licensed in both states. Outside of Texas and Colorado, we aren't able to provide counseling.
Is online therapy as good as meeting in person? For most people and most concerns, yes. If at any point your therapist believes you would benefit from a different level of care, they will talk with you about it and help you find the right support.
Can I do some sessions online and some in the office? Yes, as long as you're able to get to our Austin or Houston office for the in-person sessions. Many of our clients go back and forth depending on the week.
Do you take insurance for online sessions? Yes, we accept the same plans for online sessions as we do for in-person sessions. Our care coordinator will verify your benefits before you are charged anything.
Can I have my online sessions in Spanish? Yes, anywhere in Texas, including the Houston area.
Do you pray with clients during online sessions? We do not typically pray with clients, online or in person. Talking about Scripture, and about how your faith connects to what you're working through, is a normal part of sessions whenever you'd like it to be.
Do you see children and teenagers online? Yes, depending on your child's age and what's going on. During the free consultation, we will let you know honestly if we think your child would be better served by meeting in person.
Do you do immigration evaluations online? Yes. All of our immigration evaluations are conducted online, and you can read more on our immigration evaluations page.
Written by Lauren Jones, LPC-S, Director of Neema Counseling.
This page is for general education and is not a substitute for individual assessment or treatment. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 for an emergency.