Questions & Answers
Honest answers about getting started, fees, specialties, telehealth across South Carolina, and what therapy here is actually like.
Request an AppointmentLong Point Counseling is the Mount Pleasant, SC private practice of Jeff Marcino, Psy.D, LPC. Below are honest answers to the questions new clients ask most — about getting started, fees, specialties, telehealth across South Carolina, and what therapy here is actually like. If your question isn’t answered, you’re welcome to ask.
On this page
Getting started
How do I become a new client?
Submit a brief, confidential request through the appointment form. Jeff personally reviews every inquiry — not an intake coordinator — and reaches out to the people he’s genuinely able to help. Because he keeps a deliberately small caseload to protect the depth of the work, there is sometimes a short waitlist.
What happens in the first session?
The initial session is a longer, 90-minute appointment built for understanding rather than paperwork. Jeff listens to what brought you in, asks about your history and what you’re hoping will be different, and gives you an honest read on whether and how he can help. You leave with a clear sense of the path forward — not a vague ‘let’s see how it goes.’
How long does therapy take?
It depends entirely on what you’re working through. Focused concerns can shift in a few months; deep trauma, betrayal, or long-standing relationship patterns are rarely a quick fix and reward patience. Jeff will give you a realistic sense of the road at your first session and revisit it openly as you progress — you’re never kept in the dark or kept longer than the work requires.
How often will we meet?
Most clients begin weekly, which builds the momentum and safety that real change needs. Some intensive trauma or couples work benefits from longer or more frequent sessions early on, and many clients taper to every other week as they stabilize. Jeff will recommend a rhythm and adjust it with you.
Is there a waitlist?
Sometimes. Jeff protects a limited caseload so each client gets his full attention, so openings come and go. Submit a request anyway — if there’s a wait, he’ll tell you honestly and let you know when a spot is likely to open.
Fees & insurance
How much does therapy cost?
Long Point Counseling is a private-pay practice, and the initial session is a longer, 90-minute appointment that includes a full assessment and a clear treatment roadmap. Current fees are shared directly when you reach out. See the fees and insurance page for full details.
Do you accept insurance?
Long Point Counseling is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly. Staying out-of-network keeps your care guided by what actually helps you — not by what an insurer will authorize, the diagnosis they require on file, or arbitrary session limits. It also keeps the details of your treatment out of insurance databases.
Can I use out-of-network benefits?
Often, yes. Many PPO plans reimburse a portion of out-of-network mental-health care. On request, Jeff provides a monthly superbill — an itemized receipt with the codes your insurer needs — that you submit for reimbursement. Check your plan for your out-of-network deductible and reimbursement rate.
Will I get a Good Faith Estimate?
Yes. Under the federal No Surprises Act, every client receives a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs in writing before treatment begins, so there are never billing surprises.
What forms of payment do you accept, and what’s the cancellation policy?
Payment is due at the time of each session by card or HSA/FSA card. Because your time is reserved exclusively for you, sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice are charged the full fee. Jeff will always tell you the policy clearly up front.
Specialties & approach
What does Jeff specialize in?
Jeff’s core specialties are trauma and PTSD, betrayal trauma recovery, sex addiction, and couples therapy using Relational Life Therapy. He also works with depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, and narcissistic-abuse recovery.
What are Jeff’s credentials?
Jeff Marcino holds a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in South Carolina, with 20 years of clinical experience. He is certified in Relational Life Therapy and The Daring Way™, with advanced training in sex-addiction treatment. Full details are on the credentials page.
What is Relational Life Therapy (RLT)?
RLT, developed by Terry Real, is a direct, practical approach to couples work. Rather than staying neutral, Jeff actively names the patterns keeping you stuck and coaches both partners toward the skills of true intimacy — full-respect, honesty, and repair. It tends to move faster than traditional couples counseling because it doesn’t tiptoe.
What is The Daring Way™?
The Daring Way™ is a method based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown on vulnerability, shame resilience, and courage. Jeff is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator and weaves it into individual and group work to help clients move out of shame and into wholehearted living.
Do you work with couples, or only individuals?
Both. Jeff sees individuals and couples, and frequently does both within one relationship’s recovery — for example, individual betrayal-trauma work for one partner alongside couples sessions to rebuild trust. He’ll recommend the format that fits your situation.
Can therapy help after betrayal or infidelity?
Yes. Betrayal trauma — the shock, intrusive images, and loss of safety after discovering a partner’s affair or compulsive behavior — responds well to specialized treatment. Jeff helps the betrayed partner stabilize and heal, and, when both want it, guides the couple through honest repair. Learn more on the betrayal trauma page.
Telehealth & logistics
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes. Jeff sees clients in person in Mount Pleasant and by secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth anywhere in South Carolina — including Columbia, Greenville, and Rock Hill. Online sessions are just as effective as in-person for most of the work he does.
Where is the office located?
The practice is based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, serving the greater Charleston area in person — including Charleston, North Charleston, and Daniel Island — and all of South Carolina online. See the locations page for details.
Is online therapy as effective as in person?
For most concerns, yes. Research consistently finds telehealth therapy as effective as in-office care, and many clients prefer doing this work from a private, comfortable space. Some intensive trauma processing can benefit from being in the room together; Jeff will be honest if he thinks in-person would serve you better.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. As a psychologist and licensed counselor, Jeff provides therapy, not medication. When medication may help, he coordinates with your physician or a psychiatric provider so your care works together.
Privacy & what to expect
Is what I share confidential?
Yes. What you say in therapy stays between you and Jeff, protected by law and professional ethics. The narrow legal exceptions — imminent danger to yourself or someone else, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult — exist to keep people safe, and Jeff will explain them clearly at the start.
Will you diagnose me?
Therapy here is about understanding you as a person, not reducing you to a label. Jeff will share his clinical thinking openly, and a formal diagnosis is only used when it’s genuinely useful to your care or required for a superbill — never to put you in a box.
What if I’m in crisis right now?
If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, please call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911 now — these are staffed 24/7. Therapy is for ongoing care, not emergencies; Jeff will help you build a safety plan, but 988 and 911 are the right first call in a crisis.
How do I know if Jeff is the right therapist for me?
The strongest predictor of good outcomes is the fit between you and your therapist. The initial session is partly there for exactly this — to see how it feels to work together. If Jeff isn’t the right match, he’ll say so and point you toward someone who is. You can start by requesting an appointment.
Still have a question?
If something here went unanswered, that’s reason enough to reach out. Jeff personally reads every inquiry. Request a confidential appointment and tell him what’s on your mind — in person in Mount Pleasant or online across South Carolina.
