Common Questions When Starting Therapy

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 Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, and stress management.   Many people find the addition of therapy to be an asset in managing many day-to-day struggles that can be difficult to manage alone.  While therapists do not tell you HOW to manage these issues, they can offer new perspectives, tools, and directions for dealing with these concerns.  The benefits of therapy depend on YOU and the work YOU put into applying the tools learned and, in some cases, changing patterns and routines.  Therapy can be hard work, and you can do it!

Each client has different goals and objectives for therapy, therefor therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly). 

A typical session lasts about 50 minutes.   Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more complex or difficult patterns. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist that typically occur weekly at first and then become less frequent as progress is made.   Your specific treatment plan and goals will be developed between you and your therapist.

To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them: 

• What are my mental health benefits?
• What is the coverage amount 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 I have a deductible to meet?
• Is this therapist in network?

Life can be busy and it's not always easy to make it to in-person therapy sessions. That's why I offer teletherapy services that allow you to connect with me from the comfort of your own home.  Teletherapy sessions are secure, private, and convenient.

Confidentiality is one of the most important building blocks between a therapist and client. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subjects that are usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. You will sign an informed consent before starting treatment. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.  In these instances, a release of information will be signed.

State laws and professional ethics require that therapists maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

• Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
• If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.