Frequently Asked Questions
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We know therapy can be unfamiliar to many. So we're here to help answer all your questions! Feel free to reach out if we can't answer your questions here.
Therapy is a unique opportunity to have a trained professional help you think objectively about yourself and your struggles. A therapist helps you to develop coping skills, manage your emotions and gain perspective. There may be ongoing or recent life complications that you need help getting through. We’ll work together to help you manage how you’re feeling, thinking, and responding to life’s difficulties.
In some cases, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is the right approach. Working with your medical doctor will help determine what is best for you. Research shows that the long-term solution to mental health problems and the pain they cause can’t be solved by medication alone. Rather than just treating the symptoms, therapy addresses the cause of your distress and the behavior patterns that get in the way of progress. An integrative approach leads to sustainable growth and a greater sense of wellness.
The very first session is different than any other session because we have to get a lot of information/paperwork from you, and we discuss how we keep that information and your records confidential.
This first session is more like an in-depth consultation, where we go into more detail about what to expect from therapy, and you and I both take some time to get to know each other and learn what has led you to begin therapy.
We also will talk about your goals for our work together, and you can ask me any questions you may have about the therapy process or what it’s like working with me.
After the first session, though, there will be very little if any more paperwork for you.
You will be asked to complete the intake paperwork prior to our first session. That way, we can get started right away with helping you feel better.
In the first several sessions, we will concentrate on helping you feel comfortable and safe, as we know how challenging it is to come in to therapy in the first place. In this early stage of therapy, we will also focus on exploring with you, and therefore understanding, the specific ways in which your struggles started, as well as what seems to worsen them and make them better. We will also quickly hone in what healthy tools are appropriate for you to learn and ensure you are both learning and incorporating them into your life to start to see the changes you want and deserve. After this early part of therapy, each session will consist of us catching up on what your week was like (seeing what went well, what could have gone better, and anything else you believe is important for us to discuss). We will also ensure we help you practice the tools you are learning, holding you accountable for those critical change behaviors. Once we both see that your life is exactly what you want it look like, we will help you decide to move away from therapy, given that you’re then able to live the life you want on your own.
Yes.
However, if you would like us to talk to someone, such as your physician or psychiatrist, then you can sign a release for us to do so.
There are also some exceptions to confidentiality. Because we are mandated reporters, we are required to report child abuse, elder abuse, or if we feel you are a danger to yourself or others.
Sessions are typically 50 minutes and are usually scheduled weekly.
We can see you more frequently or for longer lengths of time if needed. Weekly sessions will enable us to work towards your goals in an efficient way.
As therapy progresses, we will determine if weekly sessions continue to be helpful or if more or less time should lapse between seeing one another.
We offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to help answer any questions you may have about therapy.
We know the decision to go to counseling isn’t always an easy one and finding someone that is the right fit for you is important. If we decide that your counselor isn’t the right fit, we’d be happy to make additional referrals.
The LMFT credential means I am a licensed marriage and family therapist. While the title seems to suggest an exclusive training in marriage and family therapy, the education, training, and experience required to obtain this credential involves so much more.
Specifically, the license is provided to therapists who finish a 3-5 year graduate program approved by the American Psychological Association, complete 3000 hours of supervised, post-graduate clinical experience, and pass 2 rigorous examinations.
No we do not.
While this is the case, we are happy to provide you with a form, known as a superbill, that you can submit to your insurance company in order to try to receive reimbursement. In doing so, a large portion of our clients are able receive at least partial reimbursement for the cost of our sessions. This, however, is not always the case. Additionally, it is quite rare for a client to be reimbursed for the full session’s cost.
There are a few reasons why we and many therapists now choose not to take insurance.
Insurance companies require that we assign you a “Diagnosis Code” which becomes a part of your permanent medical record. Some people are uncomfortable with this and the potential impact it could have on them in the future.
Insurance companies often require information be sent to them about what happens in sessions to justify payment and can put stipulations on how many sessions they will allow a client to have before they will no longer pay for sessions.
Because of these stipulations, and the challenges that often come for providers regarding receiving payment from insurance companies, we prefer to work with my clients on a self-pay basis only.
That way we can maintain your full privacy, and we can determine exactly how long we’d like to work together without any outside influence or pressure.
For a 50-minute session it is $225 for individuals and $250 for couples.
Credit, Debit, and Cash are all acceptable forms of payment. If you do want to pay with cash, please bring exact change.
Availability may change slightly from week to week
.We book all sessions on a first come, first serve basis, and sessions outside of typical work hours (evenings and weekends) do tend to fill up quickly. In your 15-minute phone consultation, we will look at our availability and determine which day/time works best for us both.
We make booking your first session as simple as possible! Step 1: Contact us through calling or filling out any of the forms dispersed throughout the website. Step 2: When we speak for your free 15-minute phone consultation, and you decide we are the right fit to help you eliminate your suffering and achieve your desired life, we set up your session for a day/time that works best for you!
We ask that you cancel or reschedule your appointment with at least 24 hours-notice. If it’s less than 24 hours-notice, you will be charged for the appointment.
