Cornerstone Christian Counseling’s Code of Ethics, based on Biblical principles, explains how counselors are expected to approach homosexuality, abortion, premarital sex, divorce, and other topics in therapy. To ensure the company is the right fit, we suggest that everyone read this code of ethics before signing up.
Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Sean and Angie Taylor, Cornerstone Christian Counseling began in 2009 as a small, in-office private practice in Denver, Colorado. In the years since, the practice has grown to offer services online and in person at five offices in the Denver area.
As of January 2023, there are 51 therapists lists on the website and you can click to read their bios. They range in experience from M.A.-level interns to fully licensed social workers, professional counselors, and clinical supervisors. The company’s pay-per-session business model may be less affordable for some people than subscriptions or bundled services offered by other online therapy platforms.
Cornerstone Christian Counseling did not respond to the questionnaire we sent them as part of the research for Verywell Mind’s 2021 Online Therapy Awards. This hindered our ability to gain as much insight into the company and goals as we were able to with some of its competitors that year. Therefore, we had to rely exclusively on user survey data and our own research in order to assess the company.
We did not ultimately decide to perform user testing for Cornerstone in 2022, but the review below has been updated. Keep reading to see how Cornerstone Christian Counseling stacks up against its online therapy competition.
First Impressions & Sign-Up Process
Cornerstone’s website is one of the more modern, informative, and easy-to-navigate websites we looked at. There is a detailed navigation menu that answers most of the questions you might have about its services prior to booking a session, and all the therapists have bios listed on the website.
You can sign up for your first session directly online, and the intake process is simple. First, look for a therapist on the website. You can then answer a few prompts to narrow down the therapists based on where you live and whether you’re looking for in-person or online sessions. Once you pick your therapist, you’ll click “Schedule session” and fill out a short form with your information. The company will then reach out to you within one business day.
Eighty percent of users surveyed in 2021 reported that they either had a very good or excellent experience signing up for Cornerstone Christian Counseling.
You can also call the company directly and speak with an intake coordinator to book a first session with a therapist or email with any questions before signing up. Your payment information will be taken once the company confirms your session.
It’s important to note that while the company promises to reach out to you for scheduling within one business day, only 37% of the users we surveyed said they heard back within that time frame. Most said it took a little longer:
- Thirty-three percent said they heard back within a couple of days.
- Twenty-four percent said they heard back within a week.
- Six percent said it took two weeks or more.
Cost
Cornerstone Christian Counseling charges clients per session, instead of offering a flat monthly subscription price. This allows a lot of flexibility in terms of how many sessions you want per month. However, only 68% of the users surveyed in 2021 said the company’s prices were either very good or excellent. Since the prices have not changed, current user satisfaction may be at comparable levels. If you want weekly sessions with a more experienced provider, but are on a tight budget, you might want to consider a different company.
What Are Cornerstone Christian Counseling’s Prices?
Unlike some of the bigger online therapy companies we reviewed, Cornerstone charges per session, regardless of whether you attend in person or online.
There are five tiers of session pricing, which are determined by the level of education and experience of your therapist:
- Tier One: Sessions with trauma-informed, teletherapy certified interns who have a minimum of a Master’s degree cost $58 each.
- Tier Two: Sessions with pre-licensed counselors cost $100 each.
- Tier Three: Sessions with licensed counselors who have at least two years of professional experience cost $121 each.
- Tier Four: Sessions with an Advanced Counselor I—a counselor with at least two years’ professional experience and additional certifications—cost $153 each.
- Tier Five: Sessions with an Advanced Counselor II—a counselor with at least five years of professional experience and advanced certifications—cost $184 each.
All sessions are 45 minutes long, although you can schedule 75-minute sessions for an additional fee, as determined by your therapist.
Is There a Free Trial?
There are no free trials or consultation sessions offered by this company.
Does Cornerstone Christian Counseling Accept Insurance?
Generally speaking, this company has not been in-network with any insurance companies, though it provides superbills for those who want to try to seek out-of-network reimbursement.
However, since the time of our 2021 review, Cornerstone has begun offering in-network services to a limited number of Medicaid clients. Currently, only one Medicaid plan (Colorado Community Health Alliance—RAE 6 and 7) is accepted and there is a waitlist, but the practice is working on expanding its offerings in the future.
Can You Change or Cancel Your Subscription?
You can start, stop, and pause therapy as you please, since the decision to schedule another session is entirely up to you. You can schedule, reschedule, and cancel sessions via your private portal—although any changes must be made at least 24 hours in advance.
To cancel a session that begins in less than 24 hours, you must call the customer service line, and you may be responsible for the full session fee.
Are There Discounts Available?
In addition to reducing the price for sessions with counseling interns, Cornerstone offers two main discounts:
- Anyone who works in a church or missions-related context can receive a 10% discount on sessions with a counselor from Tiers Two through Five.
- Active duty, active reservists, and retirees of the military services and their dependents get a special discount, though the company doesn’t specify what that discount is on their website. Call and inquire for further details before booking your session.
Ease of Use
Seventy-five percent of the users we surveyed found Cornerstone Christian Counseling’s online client portal easy to use to book or change sessions. All online therapy sessions are conducted over Zoom. Once the session is booked, you will get an email confirmation with the Zoom link. Eighty-nine percent of users said their experience with video sessions on the Zoom platform was either very good or excellent. However, there are no messaging, e-chat, or phone sessions offered at Cornerstone, which may be a dealbreaker for those who prefer non-video communication.
If you have a session with a therapist and you don’t feel like it’s a great fit, you can call Cornerstone and receive a free transfer session with a new therapist.
Seventy-nine percent of surveyed users in 2021 found the process of switching therapists to be either easy or very easy.
Therapists’ Qualifications & Quality of Care
Eighty-three percent of the users we surveyed said that therapist qualifications were important to them when choosing an online therapy company.
Seventy-eight percent said they found the therapists’ qualifications to be either very good or excellent.
This number was lower than average when compared to the other 33 companies in our 2021 Awards, which may have been due to the fact that Cornerstone offered counselors who are still at the intern level or provisionally licensed (a practice that continues in 2022). Still, all providers either have state licensure or are working toward it.
The company has 46 counselors to choose from, but not all of them offer online sessions. In fact, online therapy services at Cornerstone are only available to users in certain states—but primarily only in Colorado.
Some therapists have attained advanced certifications or completed over 10,000 clinical hours, and each therapist has different specializations too, such as couples therapy, play therapy, or faith issues.
All staff therapists and counselors are not only required to be members of the Christian faith but they are also required to abide by the company’s Statement of Faith and adhere to the Code of Ethics set forth by the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC).
The AACC Code notes that “Christian counselors do not condone or advocate for the pursuit of or active involvement in homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered [sic] behaviors and lifestyles” and dictates that these counselors should “encourage sexual celibacy or Biblically prescribed sexual behavior while such issues are being addressed.”
We cannot find evidence that Cornerstone advocates for conversion therapy, but we couldn’t find any claims on its site regarding how the platform’s therapists will approach LGBTQIA+ clients. The site does not mention terms like “transgender” or “LGBT” at all. Therefore, we cannot recommend this company to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Other groups may also find the values held by Cornerstone to be a poor fit for their therapeutic needs. The AACC Code of Ethics also instructs counselors to use a conservative Christian lens when approaching the topics of abortion, separation, divorce, premarital and extramarital sexual behavior, as well as euthanasia/assisted suicide. Be sure to review both the Statement of Faith and Code of Ethics if you are considering seeking service from this company.
Most 2021 respondents reported seeing a few different therapists before settling on one for therapy:
- Twenty-seven percent said they had seen two therapists at the company.
- Thirty-eight percent had seen three therapists.
- Twenty-seven percent had seen four or more.
Only eight percent reported that they had continued to see the first Cornerstone therapist they met with.