Testimonials

As a family-practice physician for many years now, great care of my patients is my highest priority. And sometimes patient treatment involves the need for mental health services.
I’ve faced some challenges over the years in getting my patients the mental health services they need. Two obstacles stand out more than any others.

The first major roadblock was breaking down the stigma associated with mental illness so my patients would follow through on treatment and get better. The other was the difficulty of finding out how my patients’ services were going because of absent or late feedback from providers.

That’s where Comforts of Home Counseling comes in. They’ve helped me solve my two greatest mental health service problems.

Comforts of Home Counseling helped me break down the stigma of my patients getting help with their mental health by working out of my office one day a week. I found that patients were more likely to attend their mental health appointments when the initial session was in my office.

My patients are familiar with the setting of my practice and it can be an intimidating process to go somewhere new. Having the option for them to see a mental health professional in-house has been instrumental in improving the value of the overall services I offer.

Comforts of Home Counseling also resolved the second problem of not getting adequate feedback. We collaborate and I receive regular updates about the mental health progress of my patients—often the same day. Now, I don’t have to feel like I’m working “blind.” I have regular reports at my disposal so I know which direction to steer my patients every step of the way.

There are several other aspects of Comforts of Home Counseling that make them a superior mental health provider. They’re committed to getting my patients in to see them as soon as possible. Often, that means scheduled appointments within days instead of weeks. And every day counts when your mental health is at stake.

Comforts of Home Counseling treats virtually every mental health condition. I have confidence when I refer a patient that they’ll receive the expertise and care they need. Regardless of the age of my patient, background or diagnosis, I know they’re in good hands.

Another unique trait of Comforts of Home Counseling is their willingness to match up my patients with the mental health therapist that suits them best. People aren’t cookie-cutter creations and Comforts of Home Counseling honors that fact.

Confidential, dependable, accessible, comprehensive, vast knowledge base with great follow-through. These are a few of the traits I admire most about Comforts of Home Counseling. Lisa and her team are true professionals with caring hearts. My patients are consistently happy with the services they receive.

Comforts of Home Counseling (COHC) is who I exclusively recommend to our residents experiencing psychosocial needs.

The huge transition of moving from your home to assisted living is rarely given enough respect. Our residents live for 40 to 60 years in their own homes and then, all of a sudden, that drastically changes.

Many wrongly assume that since the aging have many decades of life experience to draw from that this should be easy. That simply isn’t the case. Major change is a common human experience but that doesn’t mean it’s a cinch for anyone.

During transitions, we all need extra support. Our residents are no different. Some of their closest loved ones have already passed on and surviving relatives sometimes live far away or are busy. To sum it up, healthy social supports can be lacking which is not a good way to go through difficult times.

That’s why I trust my residents’ psychosocial needs to Comforts of Home Counseling. They provide a third-party service for our residents in need of increased support and evidence-based services.

Some of our residents struggle with anxiety and depression due to the major change of losing key aspects of their independence. Others simply need to work through their emotions and feelings.

The team of clinicians at COHC provides an excellent balance of professionalism and warmness when interacting with the individuals we serve. And that’s just what you need to break through to this generation. Because of the culture our residents grew up in, transparent sharing was discouraged.

I know that if our residents will take the courageous step of meeting one time with a therapist from Comforts of Home Counseling, they’ll realize the value of their services. That initial resistance turns to relief. After that, breaking through the generational barrier is much easier.

These success stories have also led to children of our residents receiving added support from Comforts of Home Counseling. Our clients aren’t the only ones who hurt, the children hurt with their parents, too, when big-time transitions take place.

I like the fact that COHC’s psychosocial services aren’t pushed on anyone; they respect the free choice of our residents. It means a lot to our staff that we’re included in the care plan that COHC creates. We’re kept in the loop about how things are going while our residents’ confidentiality is honored.

Whatever psychosocial challenges you or your family may be facing at the moment, I have full confidence that the Comforts of Home Counseling team will give their very best to help you!

As a social worker who serves the aging population, there are always more needs than I can possibly meet alone. For that reason, it’s necessary for me to connect some of my participants with counselors in the community.

Comforts of Home Counseling is invaluable when I need to refer my participants. Some may think this is a simple, cut-and-dry process but it rarely happens that way.

The needs of the aging population are complex. Very few counseling practices out there are able to adequately help participants like mine with the struggles they regularly face.

Why? Because there are many barriers for the aging population. Some suffer from chronic illnesses that make it difficult for them to keep their appointments. Others lack adequate transportation or are homebound. There are many other concerns as well.

COHC understands the unique roadblocks my participants face and meet them head- on. Their versatility allows them to provide counseling sessions either in my participants’ homes, at their professional location or out of my office.

Comforts of Home Counseling also is understanding of the fact that those I serve often struggle to keep their appointments. Their team is accommodating and flexible when it comes to scheduling.

More than that, our participants give raving reviews of COHC despite potential generational hang-ups. The aging population comes from a generation that wasn’t encouraged to open up about their struggles. Too often, the prospect of counseling was viewed as taboo and met with skepticism.

Given the culture my participants grew up in, they generally don’t easily agree to therapy. Plus, working through life challenges takes a lot of energy and persistence.
COHC provides the best-case-scenario for my participants to overcome the barriers I’ve mentioned. They tailor their services to the specific needs of the individual. And unlike the typical mental health provider that can take weeks to get back with you, COHC responds quickly by phone or email.

I’m proud to partner with Comforts of Home Counseling. They are phenomenal. If you’re struggling with life right now, I have full confidence that COHC will do everything they can to help you!

Those of us who’ve had family members with Alzheimer’s Disease know how tough of a disease this can be to deal with, not only for those afflicted with this disease, of course, but also the family members who care for them. No matter how hard the family members try, there are times when outside help is needed to deal with the many issues that, sometimes unexpectedly, arise.

Recently, my mother’s Alzheimer’s Disease quickly became worse, along with some other medical issues, which deeply affected her personality and her overall well-being in a very short amount of time.

I was under a great deal of stress not knowing exactly what to do and how to go about dealing with these new, rapid changes in her disease.  A staff member at the memory care facility where my mother resides suggested I might want to get in touch with Lisa Ottenhoff at Comforts of Home Counseling. I called Lisa and from the first day I spoke with her, my life has been so much easier while trying to deal with my mother’s disease. The advice, suggestions, and recommendations by Comforts of Home Counseling were invaluable to me. They knew exactly what to do by assembling all of the pertinent medical people and taking the proper, prudent steps to help my mom get through this downturn in her disease, and to make her well enough to return to a comfortable lifestyle.

Comforts of Home Counseling has not only been very quick to reply to my questions and concerns, but has made many on-site visits to see my mom and has communicated very well with other medical people (doctors, administrators, staff, etc.) on my behalf, which has been very effective in dealing with my mother’s recent downturn.

Basically, I can safely say that Comforts of Home Counseling has been a lifesaver for me by relieving a lot of the stress in my life, by knowing what steps to take and by being a liaison between myself and the medical caregivers to help my mom (and my family) get through this very tough time in our lives.

I highly recommend the team at Comforts of Home Counseling to anyone who needs help dealing with persons with deteriorating physical and mental capabilities.