How do I know if I should seek therapy? If you have spent time concerned that what you thought was a temporary hindrance or a passing mood might be lasting too long, then it is a good time to see if therapy could be helpful. If you have tried several treatments but weren’t sure if they were evidence-based or had doubts about whether it was you or the therapist, then it is a good time to give it another try. If you have minimal benefits from medication or find that symptoms return after medication, then it is a good time to address underlying contributing factors that are driving the symptoms.
What is the 15-minute free consultation? Our therapists are happy to answer any questions from you along the way or even before therapy is started. The free optional 15-minute consultation is helpful if you would like to get a feel for who your therapist is and what therapy with this provider would be like.
What is required of me in therapy? Therapy is different for everyone and you get out what you put in. Depending on your therapist’s approach, you may be asked to try different coping skills each week or track symptoms. Sometimes a worksheet is provided. If you do not prefer worksheets or have tried this approach previously, our therapists coordinate with you to find a way to address your symptoms in a way that will work best for you. It is not a mysterious process (like in some movies or TV shows) and is actually quite transparent. Your willingness to implement change and openness to trying different approaches is what obtains results. We all spend years in the same thinking pattern, and it takes time to re-route your thoughts in a way that can be helpful to you instead of harmful to your mental health.
It’s my first time in therapy, what do I need to know? Your first visit will be an assessment where your therapist will assess your current symptoms and determine a helpful treatment plan. You will be asked about your history of treatment and what worked/didn’t work so that we can choose an effective approach. You can feel free to ask questions about your therapist’s approach and anything else. We are more than happy to include you in the behind-the-scenes therapy explanations.
How do I know if it’s working? After the first 3 sessions, If you find that you are leaving sessions with information or a perspective that you find helpful, then it is working. Therapy is about integrating these into your daily life situations. We discuss what worked and what didn’t in order to best find a method that suits your circumstance. As other issues come up, we discuss their importance and process them so that they do not interfere with your progress or contribute to your symptoms as they might when you are not in therapy.
Can therapy replace medication? In some cases, it can. An assessment of your symptoms and your coping ability informs whether medication can be more helpful or not necessary.
If I have multiple issues, how do I know which one to work on first? This is our job to determine and help guide you through the therapy process. Relieving yourself of the responsibility of deciphering through this can lift a great burden from you. After an initial assessment, your clinician can provide you with a working treatment plan and explain the therapeutic approach for your specific case.
I’ve been to multiple therapists in the past. What might be different this time? Therapy is different for each time that you seek it. The specific issue may be different; your symptom presentation may be more or less intense; your willingness to take in advice could be different; your therapist may be different and have different expertise or qualifications. A therapist’s fit with you is an important aspect of therapy. It is not uncommon for people to have different therapists until they find one that fits best with their personality and needs from therapy.
Should I do telehealth or in-person visits? In-person visits have the potential to be more effective given the degree of rapport and personal feeling to therapy that facilitates treatment efficacy. However, if you are geographically or financially restricted, teletherapy (video and audio) is a decent alternative. We offer both and can advise you which would be best in your particular situation.
What if I do not want to use insurance or if I do not have insurance with mental health coverage? Most all insurance plans have some degree of mental health coverage. We have reasonable self-pay rates and are happy to check with your insurance to see if we can bill from out of network. If we are unable to do so, we can still provide you with a “superbill” which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. We are in-network with some insurance companies and usually in the process with a few more just to make sure we are offering the best level of access for our patients.
