Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Family Resilience Group?

Family Resilience is a group of healthcare professionals focused on supporting your mental and physical (esp. nervous system) health. We have a 20-year history of excellence treating trauma, are passionate about using a Somatic (mind/body) model in working with our clients. We are leaders within the Somatic therapy community, were in the first group to bring Somatic Experiencing to the Midwest in the early 2000s. Our therapists train and consult with others in the Somatic Therapy world as well as do cutting edge therapy with our patients.

Why does FRG do Somatic Therapy?

We do Somatic Experiencing because we feel this is the most effective treatment we’ve found to do without upending your life. Our clients notice the difference in sessions. They find it to be paced better, promotes to more understanding of themselves and it makes logical sense to learn about our bodies in this way. At last survey, 93% of our clients were either Happy or Very Happy with their services. We offer many modalities within the Somatics world to fit your needs.

What is somatic therapy anyways?

Somatic therapy is essentially a two-step process: A) Creating the capacity and understanding of your nervous system so that you can learn how to release traumatic stress and B) reprocessing and re-setting those most stuck trauma experiences. Most of us weren’t taught about how our nervous systems heal. We at Family Resilience are on a mission to change that so that our clients can allow their bodies to heal more organically, as was meant to be by nature.

Somatic sessions look a little different than traditional talk therapies. Yes, we start with checking in, with talking about your week, but then together want to discover what is still holding in your body from that week (or earlier in life). We want you to leave each session feeling better, not feeling judged or rushed.

How can the body hold trauma? What does this mean?

We know through research that the body definitely holds trauma. If you’ve ever experienced fear driving after a car accident or broken into a cold sweat before speaking, you ‘ll know this feeling. Another example: Oppression and micro-racist moments can appear as freeze, rage or terror sensations in the body.

Research shows us that our body reactions feed our thinking, not the opposite. Mind over matter – pushing our bodies – takes a lot of effort for only a minimal result, we find. So we do Somatic therapy first, CBT second in our treatment.

And – as much as the body knows how to hold trauma, anxiety and depression, it also has the wisdom to release it. Our therapists can show you how.

Is it important for a parent to be part of a child or teen’s treatment?

Yes, we feel it helps for a parent to be involved with their child or teen. The foundation of attachment is the parent/child relationship – we want to strengthen this, not replace it. We want parents to understand their children and to consider what changes they can make at home, to find more ease instead of fighting. Family Resilience offers support services to both kids and parents so that everyone can be on the same page. Families learn to understand body reactions (aka behaviors) differently as a team.

What is the training for a Somatic Experiencing therapist?

We have a higher-than-average training expectation at FRG. All of our therapists are required to complete an additional 3-year training program in Somatic Experiencing, teaching them to be more attuned to your needs, to read your body language and how to best support you to manage your nervous system. These skills are not taught in most graduate school and licensing programs. Our therapists are challenged to even continue on after those 3 years to further learning, spending hours training as a team reading and helping teach at trainings all across the country. Humans are complex, we want to be ready for you! This attention to detail creates our legacy of excellence treating trauma.

Who are the therapists at Family Resilience?

We are proud of our strong and growing team here at Family Resilience! Their pictures and bios are here: https://www.familyresilience.org/about/our-staff/

What insurances do you accept?

We are in network with BCBS and Aetna PPOs. All other insurances would be processed as out of network. Our Admin team sends in claims and offers follow up support on claims, whether in or out of network.

Do you do sliding scale or offer lower fee services at Family Resilience Group?

We have a few spots set aside as sliding scale openings on our team. We also often have a Master’s level Intern during the school year. They can provide therapy support using Somatic methods at a very low cost as they are finishing their final requirements for licensure.

Why do you offer additional services to therapy?

We offer more than therapy because it’s harder for some folks to learn to de-escalate their body reactions, an essential first part of our work here. Talking is not always easy, so you can change your nervous system here by listening to engineered music, by doing yoga or adding in movement. EMDR is also a strong adjunct to Somatic Experiencing, we find.

Does Family Resilience offer both in person and virtual sessions?

Yes, most of our therapists work a hybrid schedule, we find our clients often interested in the same. Somatic therapies can be adapted to online effectively. (We wouldn’t offer it as a service if not.)

How does FRG’s waiting list work?

Sometimes the demand for this groundbreaking work exceeds our capacity as a team. If we don’t have an opening that fits your needs and schedule immediately, we keep a waiting list of folks who would like to be seen here, what their specific needs are. We’ll look for an opening to match you with a team member, reach out to you once it is available. Of course, not everyone can wait for an option, but it’s helpful to have that service available if you can.

How do I get started working with someone at Family Resilience Group?

Start on our website, select Contact Us or Book An Appointment. Let our team know what you’ll need, what brings you to FRG. Next, one of our Intake Coordinators will reach out to you. They want to hear from you and will hopefully create a match with our team and get you started. If your needs don’t fit that we offer, they’re also happy to point you in another direction.

Can I see your offices before I come in?

Sure – go to https://www.familyresilience.org/about/our-location/ to see our space. We hope it feels cozy and welcoming to you, we’ve each individualized our rooms to reflect our energies.

Is there a lot of paperwork to fill out to start at Family Resilience? How does payment work?

Not too much. It can all be done either online or paper/pencil in the offices. Our Admin team will set you up with all you need to know. The most important part of our paperwork, we feel, is your intake form. We’d like to learn about your before you come. But as with all of our systems here, they can flex for you, to be done in a way that’s comfortable.

You can later choose a number of options to pay your bill here: Autopay every month, you can pay online through our Client Portal (https://frg.mytheranest.com/home/login) or wait until you receive an invoice then contact our office. We tend to be flexible with our clients. BUT, don’t let it go. Our Admin team is warm and friendly – we want to support our clients to not feel overwhelmed or afraid with financial issues.

Still have questions?

We’re always happy to talk before you commit to anything. Reach out through our contact page, or call us directly at 847-398-0499. The right fit matters — don’t settle for less.