How can therapy help me?
Therapy is a safe environment where you will receive support in uncovering and coping with your life challenges. Many people find stress relief and personal growth. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
Attaining a better understanding of yourself
Developing skills for improving your relationships
Learning new ways to cope with stress
Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
Improving your self-confidence
How long does the course of therapy take?
It will depend on your specific history and goals, but on average it takes about 8-12 sessions. Typically sessions are scheduled weekly or biweekly on a regular basis to build your skills consistently. You may need fewer sessions overall if you are going through an adjustment like a new job or family crisis. Or you may prefer longer treatment if you’ve been experiencing persistent or reoccurring issues, such as from depression or anxiety that has been interfering with your work or relationships long-term.
What will sessions be like?
The first 1-2 appointments are dedicated primarily to information-gathering (your concerns and history) and diagnostic assessment. We will also discuss your goals, expectations, and possibly referrals to other medical or psychiatric professionals that could enhance your treatment. Subsequent appointments are scheduled for 60 minutes: 53 minutes of face-to-face contact between us, with the remaining 7 minutes devoted to my planning and record keeping on your behalf. In general, you can expect to discuss the events and challenges happening in your life, your thoughts and behaviors, progress or obstacles, and the development of new techniques.
You will get more results from therapy if you are open and honest and also actively practice your techniques out of session.
Are there any risks?
Facing unwanted thoughts and painful memories could be challenging at times, especially at the beginning. We will work together using your preferred style and pace.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
I am a licensed psychotherapist. Only a physician or psychiatrist can prescribe medication. If your symptoms are moderate to severe, I recommend you see your primary care physician to rule out any medical conditions that may be contributing to mental health distress. The mind affects the body, and the body affects the mind. If you are interested in managing your physical discomfort (such as panic attacks, over/under-sleeping, hyperactivity, etc.) you may want to consider seeing a psychiatrist for a medication assessment. In certain cases a combination of therapy and medication is the right course of action, especially if your symptoms interfere with your train of thought to the point of not being able to focus on therapeutic tasks.
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
I accept Health First/Allegiance, Cigna, Optum/United Healthcare, and Tricare/Humana Military (established patients only). To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Some helpful questions you can ask them are:
What are my mental health benefits?
What is the coverage amount and copay per therapy session?
How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Do my benefits cover telehealth (virtual therapy)?
My child/teen needs therapy. How does that work?
Anyone under the age of 18 will need you (their legal guardian) to provide written consent. If you share custody with an ex-spouse, both of you will need to provide consent.
The first session will typically involve the parent alone for at least half of the session (Please make arrangements for any supervision accordingly, as we do not provide child care in our lobby) in order to discuss concerns and history, especially if the child/teen has never been in therapy before or has behavioral issues.
Subsequent sessions may involve family sessions and/or individual sessions including a 5-10 minute portion with the parent to discuss techniques and progress (with or without the child present depending on behavioral goals). This may be done either at the beginning of session or at the end.
Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential (private)?
YES. However, there are 2 major exceptions by law: I am required to report instances of suspected child abuse (or neglect), elder abuse, and dependent adult abuse AND I am permitted to break confidentiality if I have determined that you present a serious danger to yourself or others.