Common Questions About Therapy

Is therapy confidential?
In general, yes. Laws and ethics protect the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a psychotherapist. In most circumstances, client information is carefully guarded and is not disclosed without the client's written permission. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s. The therapist must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in insuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, further measures may be taken without their permission in order to ensure their safety.
• The Patriot Act of 2002. The Patriot Act allows FBI or other government agents to obtain special subpoenas that compel therapists to turn over whatever records are sought. The Therapist may not disclose to the client or anyone else that the records were sought or obtained.
  
  

Is therapy only for crazy or weak people?
No. Using a therapist to help you solve your problems is not a sign of insanity nor weakness. In fact, it takes maturity and strength to ask for help. Therapy helps you gain clarity, peace of mind, and helps you to gether the information and energy you need to make important changes in your life. This is a sample of the changes I help people manage in therapy:

Grief & Loss

• Divorce or break-up
• Loosing close friends
• Betrayal
• Hospice
• Death of a loved one (family, friend, pet)

Relationships & Family

• Just engaged
• Just married
• New baby
• Relationship strain and communication problems
• Empty nest
• Severe illness or addiction of a loved one
• Caring for aging parents
• Military families coping with anxiety, shared parenting to cover for the deployed parent, grief or confusion when their loved one comes home

Big Decisions

• Relocating to a new town
• New job
• Coming out as LGBT

New Identity or Role

• Loosing a large amount of weight
• Loss of a job
• Retirement
• Empty nest
• Serious injury

Facing Problems

• Legal problems
• Financial problems
• Ready to break a bad habit or stop an addiction
• Staying sober
• Overcoming childhood traumas

Seeking Happiness and Peach of Mind

• Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Tired of being unhappy, and ready to do something about it.
• Finding peace and happiness in a time when the world sometimes feels hostile and crazy
• Traumatic accident
• Victim of crime or violence
• Financial upset

Is therapy right for me?
Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Often people seek therapy to work on relationship issues, which can be realtionships with other people or with conflicting pieces of themselves. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the assistance of a therapist as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth.

Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and general life transitions. Therapy can be helpful for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.

How do I choose a therapist?
It's important that you choose the right therapist for you. Numerous research studies have shown that therapy is most effective - regardless of the therapist's degree, training, theorectical orientation or treatment methodolgies - when there is a good connection between the client and therapist. Shop around and try a session or two with the ones that seem most promising before committing your time, energy, and money.

The Psychology Today Web site has a good article on what to look for when you shop, read that article here.

What can I expect in a therapy session?
Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual, their specific goals and style of communicating. During therapy sessions we will talk about the primary issues and concerns in your life. Some therapists utilize tools such as art therapy or sand tray or mental or emotional "exercises" to facilitate conversation and insight. Depending on the therapist's orientation and way of working, the conversation may be open and roaming or it could be focused and directive or anything in between. The client's needs and styles will largely influence the content and pace of each session.

It is common to schedule a series of weekly or bi-weekly sessions, where each session lasts 50-60 minutes. Sometimes individuals who are going through a particularly difficult challenge may request more time per session or more than one session per week.

Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. Between sessions it is important process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life. For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions.

What benefits can I expect from working with a therapist?
Therapy can provide insight and new perspectives into life's challenges and can help you create solutions to difficult problems. Many people find that working with a therapist can enhance personal development, improve relationships and family dynamics, and can ease the challenges of daily life. Sometimes, just having someone there to listen is helpful. Overall, people in therapy tend to have lower levels of anxiety and stress, decreased conflict, and improved quality of life because they are facing and dealing with their problems, rather than denying or avoiding them.

Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

• Developing new skills for handling stress and anxiety
• Modifying unhealthy behavior and long-standing patterns
• Attaining insight into personal patterns and behavior
• Increasing confidence, peace, vitality, and well-being
• Improving ways to manage anger, depression and moods
• Discovering new ways to solve problems
• Navigating life’s obstacles more effectively
• Improving listening and communication skills
• Enhancing the overall quality of life

Do you accept insurance? How does insurance work?
I am not an in-network provided for any insurance company, so I do not bill insurance directly. I ask that you pay in full at the time of the session. I can provide you with the proper paperwork so that you may seek reimbursement from your insurance provider.

To determine if you have mental health coverage, the first thing you should do is check with your insurance carrier. Check your coverage carefully and find the answers to the following questions:

• Do I have mental health benefits?
• What is my deductible and has it been met?
• How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
• How much does my plan cover for an out-of-network provider?
• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
• Is approval required from my primary care physician?

"We criticize people for not giving us what
we ourselves are affraid to ask for."
- Marshal Rosenberg