Professional Counseling
Where Mental Health Meets Spiritual Growth
Our pastoral staff is here to walk with those who are hurting and in need of support. However, as our church grows, the need for experienced, professional counselors grows as well. We believe that people in the church struggle with the same issues as people outside the church. Therefore, we are committed to offering high-quality counseling not only to our church family but also to the broader community — creating a safe, supportive space for healing both inside and outside our walls.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday – Thursday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Evening and limited weekend hours available with LPC Associate.
*Additional hours may be available by calling our office directly.
For more information about Praise Professional Counseling, please call our office directly at 409.898.0020.
To meet our counselors and to find out more information, please scroll down.
Cassandra DeWall
M.Ed., LPC-S
Lamar University, MS. Ed., Clinical Mental Health Counseling
University of South Carolina Upstate, BS., Interdisciplinary Studies (Pre-Law)
Cassandra is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) and Certified Neuropsychotherapist at Praise Professional Counseling. With over 30 years of marriage to her husband Parrish, they are proud parents to two adult daughters, a son-in-law, and four grandchildren. When not with family, Cassandra and Parrish are passionate travelers who are always planning their next adventure.
After raising their daughters, Cassandra felt a clear calling to help others find healing and hope. She returned to school to earn her Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and has been on staff at Praise Church since 2018. Her warm, conversational style creates a safe and welcoming space for clients. She skillfully blends education, talk therapy, and personalized interventions — including neuropsychotherapy techniques — to meet each client exactly where they are.
Working with teens and adults, her approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in both clinical excellence and a deep respect for each client’s faith journey. Cassandra is passionate about helping people experience genuine freedom, renewed purpose, and stronger emotional well-being.
Specialties:
• Anxiety and stress
• Trauma and trauma-focused recovery
• Life transitions (young adult, empty nest, career, grief, etc.)
• Marriage and family therapy
• Spiritual growth and faith-based counseling
• Recovery from religious abuse or spiritual trauma
Alanna Traylor
M.Ed., LPC
Lamar University, M. Ed., Counseling and Development
Southeastern Louisiana University, Masters of Business Administration
Southeastern Louisiana University, BA., Marketing
Alanna is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at Praise Professional Counseling. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Matt, for over twenty years, and together they have two teenage daughters. Alanna also serves as a small group leader in the youth program at Praise Church and enjoys building relationships with students and supporting them as they grow.
The Traylor family enjoys traveling together, playing board games, and taking walks. In her free time, Alanna enjoys reading and considers herself a lifelong learner.
Alanna works with teens and adults and strives to create a comfortable, supportive environment where clients feel heard and understood. She takes a practical and relational approach to counseling. She has a heart for walking with people through life’s challenges, including anxiety, transitions, and everyday stress, and she is open to incorporating faith into the counseling process for clients who desire that perspective.
Specialties:
• Marriage and Family Therapy
• Career Counseling
• Grief
• Anxiety
Harold Hillyard
M. Ed., LPC Associate
(Supervised by Cassandra DeWall, LPC-S)
Lamar University, M.Ed., Clinical Mental Health Counseling
State University of New York Maritime College, BS., Maritime Studies
Harold is the Title IX Coordinator at Lamar University while also pursuing his passion for counseling through Praise Professional Counseling. He recently completed over 700 internship hours in counseling and successfully passed the National Counselor Examination (NCE).
A strong advocate for lifelong learning and personal growth, Harold is passionate about guiding others toward healing, resilience, and healthier perspectives. His experience includes working with individuals navigating stress, anxiety, life transitions, and personal growth challenges. He meets clients where they are and values creating a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered.
Outside of his professional roles, Harold enjoys spending time with friends and family, creative writing, and continuing to grow both personally and professionally. He is excited to continue growing as a professional while making a meaningful difference in the lives of those he serves.
Each counseling session will be 50 minutes in length with the exception of the first session. The first session may be extended as we will go over forms, history, and counseling goals.
- Intake Session: $125 (LPC and LPC-S) and $100 (LPC Associate)
- All Subsequent Sessions (50 minutes): $100 (LPC and LPC-S) and $80 (LPC Associate)
- Payments can be made at the front desk using cash, credit/debit card, check or accepted insurance plans.
- Insurance eligibility requires verification 48 hours before first session.
- Please make checks payable to Praise Church.
Payment is due when services are rendered unless other arrangements have been made prior to the session. We accept most insurance plans through third-party billing site HEADWAY (LPC Associates excluded). To check your eligibility, please contact our church office. Alternatively, you can visit headway.co to search for your chosen provider and enter insurance information for verification.
For all other insurance carriers, PPC is classified as an out of network provider at this time. It will be the client’s responsibility to pay for services and file with his/her insurance company. A superbill may be provided to assist clients in filing out of network charges with their insurance.
Verification of coverage and any limitations should be explored by the client before filing.
Please note: Due to insurance limitations on covering therapy for couples, we are currently only able to accept insurance for individual clients.
Praise Professional Counseling accepts most major insurance carriers through third-party billing site Headway. We are currently credentialed to accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Optum, and United.
We are excited to offer this option as it may reduce the out-of-pocket costs for counseling clients. Please note that we are currently only accepting insurance for individual clients, as most insurance plans do not cover therapy for couples.
LPC Associates are unable to accept insurance.
Below is a list of some important things to keep in mind when choosing to use insurance for mental health services.
- Most insurance providers require proof that there is a “medical necessity” for treatment. This is usually proven by the therapist assigning you a “mental health diagnosis” that will become part of your permanent medical record.
- Insurance companies may request all treatment records and progress notes without your consent to verify the continued progress and necessity of treatment.
- Most insurance companies limit the number of sessions allowed for insurance payment.
For more information or to find out if you qualify, please reach out to counseling staff during regular office hours or visit the link headway.co.
Cancellations require 24 hour notice, or you will be billed the full session fee. Missed appointments will also be billed at full session fee. Please note, if you use insurance coverage for sessions and fail to show up for a scheduled appointment, you will be personally responsible for the full session fee. If you fail to show up for your first appointment, you will not be rescheduled.
If you have read over all of the information regarding counseling and have further questions, please call or email.
409-898-0020 | info@praisechurch.tv
