Cleveland Counseling Services in Chattanooga: Individual Therapy and Assessment for Adults and Adolescents
Cleveland Counseling Services is a small private psychology practice in the Hixson area of Chattanooga that provides one-on-one therapy and psychological assessment for adults, adolescents, and families navigating mood, anxiety, trauma, behavioral, and life transition issues.
What Cleveland Counseling Services actually is
This practice operates as a limited-scope provider: it does not manage psychiatric medications, conduct inpatient treatment, or run group therapy programs. Instead it focuses on traditional talk therapy, cognitive behavioral work, and psychological testing. The clinicians on staff hold master's degrees in clinical counseling or are PhD-level psychologists with licenses allowing independent practice in Tennessee. The setting is quieter and more intimate than a large hospital-affiliated practice or a multi-clinician group; staff typically book 4 to 6 clients per day rather than 10 or more. This model supports longer intake appointments and less frequent staff transitions, but means fewer appointment slots overall and wait times that can extend 2 to 3 months during peak demand.
Services and fees
Individual therapy sessions run 50 minutes and cost between $90 and $140 per session, depending on the clinician's experience and credentials. Most therapists in Chattanooga practicing outside a major system charge $80 to $150; Cleveland Counseling Services sits in the middle of that range. Clients are expected to pay out-of-pocket at the time of service; the practice does not bill insurance directly but will provide itemized receipts with diagnostic codes so clients can seek reimbursement through their own plans. This arrangement means no insurance verification before the first visit, but also no automatic coverage of the fee.
Psychological assessment (intelligence testing, ADHD evaluation, personality assessment, or competency evaluation) begins with a consultation, then typically involves 4 to 8 hours of testing across multiple sessions. Fees for assessment packages run $1,200 to $2,400 total. These are usually not covered by insurance but may qualify for dependent-care or health savings account spending if the referring physician documents medical necessity.
Comparison to other Chattanooga therapy options
A practice like Reflections Counseling Group, also operating in the greater Chattanooga area, uses a similar fee-for-service model but operates with a larger pool of clinicians, meaning shorter wait times (often 2 to 4 weeks) and more appointment flexibility. Red Bank Behavioral Health, part of Erlanger's system, accepts most insurance plans and offers sliding-scale fees but typically operates under time constraints that limit sessions to 30 minutes of clinical contact and may route clients to group or telehealth appointments. If insurance coverage is your priority and you can navigate a 6 to 8 week initial wait, a system-affiliated clinic is faster to access. If you prefer a contained relationship with one clinician over several months and can manage the out-of-pocket cost, Cleveland Counseling Services' private structure eliminates insurance delays but requires you to find the coverage on your own.
Who this practice suits and who it does not
Cleveland Counseling Services is well-suited to adults or adolescents who need sustained, focused work on a specific issue (anxiety management, grief, relational patterns, trauma processing) and who can either pay privately or have insurance that reimburses out-of-pocket psychology claims. It is also the right choice if you need formal psychological testing for academic accommodation, job evaluation, or custody assessment and want the report to come from an independent clinician rather than a hospital system.
It is not the right fit if you are in acute crisis (suicidal, acutely psychotic, or withdrawing from substances), because the practice does not offer emergency services or psychiatric hospitalization. It is also not ideal if cost is a significant barrier and you cannot navigate insurance reimbursement on your own. Finally, if you need medication management alongside therapy, you will need to locate a psychiatrist separately; Cleveland Counseling Services does not employ one.
What the first visit involves
New clients are asked to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to complete intake paperwork covering psychiatric history, current medications, presenting problems, and consent to record-keeping and privacy policies. The first session is 60 minutes (longer than standard sessions) and typically focuses on understanding your situation, discussing what you hope therapy will address, and outlining how the clinician works. You will be asked about your insurance coverage and given a receipt with diagnostic codes to submit yourself. No treatment plan or medication list is shared with your insurance company without written permission. If the practice determines that your needs fall outside its scope (e.g., you require detoxification support, psychiatric evaluation for medication, or intensive trauma work requiring specialized certification), you will be referred to a more appropriate resource.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Cleveland Counseling Services operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some evening hours available on request. The office is located off Highway 27 in Hixson, within a small professional building that shares a parking lot with other clinical providers; parking is free and typically available. The practice does not accept walk-in clients; all appointments are scheduled in advance by phone or email. Cancellations made with less than 48 hours' notice are charged at the full session rate. The practice is closed on major holidays and for professional development; call ahead to confirm hours during the summer and December.
Cleveland Counseling Services fills a specific role in Chattanooga's mental health landscape: it prioritizes continuity of care and psychological depth over breadth and insurance convenience, making it a sound choice for clients who value a long-term relationship with a single clinician and can manage the financial and logistical independence that private practice requires.
