Common Questions
HOW CAN THERAPY HELP ME?
A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that therapists can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
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Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
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Developing skills for improving your relationships
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Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
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Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
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Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
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Improving communications and listening skills
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Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
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Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
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Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
DO I REALLY NEED THERAPY? I CAN USUALLY HANDLE MY PROBLEMS.
Everyone goes through challenging situations in life. Sometimes your way of solving your problems is efficient and you experience an overall sense of well-being. Sometimes you can benefit from an outside, professional perspective, the extra support therapy provides, and a new direction that is developed through your psychotherapeutic work. When you seek therapy, you are making an investment in yourself and your loved ones. Accepting where you are at in your life and making a commitment to change a situation that is not working for you takes courage and commitment. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits. You will learn to use tools to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and work with the challenges you face.
WHY DO PEOPLE GO TO THERAPY AND HOW DO I KNOW IF IT IS RIGHT FOR ME?
There are many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Whether you are going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are experiencing an overwhelming set of stressful circumstances, a Marriage and Family Therapist can help you see past your dilemma. Marriage and Family Therapists are generalists in the mental health profession: Our specialty involves relationships, family members of all ages (infants to elders), and we have a particular expertise in individual and family life transitions and crises.
WHAT IS THERAPY LIKE?
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual, couple, or family. Therapy is an experience. Through therapeutic conversation, experiential exercises, and psycho-education, you will reshape your dilemma inside of a safe, accepting, and challenging environment. That reshaping is then generalized to the challenging environment within which your dilemma resides, creating a more positive experience overall. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, dealing with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Early in therapy while you are working on understanding your dilemma and reshaping your experience, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly). Oftentimes clients will reduce their visits as their dilemma abates and will choose to check-in at a frequency that they feel best meets their needs.
WHAT ABOUT MEDICATION VS. PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Depending on the difficulty that you are having, therapy alone may be helpful, or you may be advised to visit with a psychiatrist to see whether medication could also be helpful. Typically, medication is most effective when it is used as an adjunct to the psychotherapy rather than when it is used as a solution by itself. Therapy addresses the values, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that maintain a difficulty. Medication addresses the neurotransmitters in your body that balance mood, attention, and satisfaction. We will work together to create an appropriate treatment plan that includes an integrative approach to wellness, including your psychiatrist, or your medical provider, to determine a treatment plan that is best for you.
DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE, AND HOW DOES THAT WORK?
We do not bill insurance companies...
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We will provide you with a superbill, upon request, that contains all of the information that most insurance companies need.
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You will be asked to pay for your full session at the time of services.
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Please check with your insurance company prior to therapy to understand your financial costs.
CONFIDENTIALITY
We adhere to The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act established as a national standard to be used in all doctors' offices, hospitals and other businesses where personal medical information is stored.
Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and therapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter. With Family therapy, you may decide to share information about your therapy experience with others, but the therapist cannot share information about your session without your written consent. Each family member who attends the session must sign a release of information if they wish the therapist to share information with other members of the family.
Exceptions include those times when danger to self or other is suspected. It is necessary at that time to secure the assistance that is needed to help you get beyond that point of danger.
The use of email: Please note that any case coordination, mediation, or advising must be done either telephonically or in person.