A few questions commonly asked...

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED THERAPY?

Many people struggle with this question, and often continue to try and handle things on their own, despite feeling terrible. Below is a list of common issues that indicate someone may be in need or could benefit from therapy.

Constantly feeling overwhelmed and stressed
No longer interested in the things you used to enjoy
Even if you have a good day or two, you always go back to feeling sad
Never feeling good about what you look like, what you’ve accomplished, or who you are
Often easily irritated or annoyed by little things
Frequent unwanted negative e thoughts about yourself or others
Feeling alone and not sure who you can turn to or trust
Struggling with trust issues that you cannot seem to put behind you
Feeling unsatisfied with the relationships in your life
Grieving the loss of a loved one, relationship, or job
Others in your life have voiced concern that you don’t seem like yourself
Feeling that sometimes it would be easier if you were dead
Routinely using alcohol, drugs, and/or food to cope with your feelings

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THERAPY?

Lean new coping skills to reduce your stress and anxiety
Get a better understanding of why you do the things that you do, especially making the same mistakes over and over
Improve communication skills, which will help to make the relationships in your life more satisfying
Learn how to recognize and change old patterns of thinking, which will improve your mood and reduce your anxiety
Learn to be a better partner, parent, and/or friend
Feel supported and understood by someone else
Learn to accept and love yourself, instead of being your own worst critic

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Your initial contact with me will be either through email or phone
I will get back to you within 24 to 48 hours of your initial contact
The next step would be a free phone consultation, where we will talk briefly about your current concerns. The purpose of this is to help me determine whether I am the best person to treat your concerns.
If I am not the best person to help you, I will attempt to provide you with referrals to someone who may be better suited to helping you
During our initial phone conversation, I will discuss with you fees and insurance issues
If we agree to set up an initial appointment, it will likely be scheduled within one week of our conversation
At the initial session, you will be asked to either arrive early to fill out paperwork
The initial session will last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes and will entail me asking many questions about your entire life so that I can get a good sense of both your current and past difficulties
At the end of the first appointment, I will share with you my impressions and recommendations, which may include beginning individual therapy with me
You get to decide at this point how you want to move forward
If we agree to start individual therapy, an appointment will be scheduled at that time for us to begin
Therapy sessions are 50 minutes in length and typically take place weekly or bi-weekly depending on your needs

DO YOU TAKE INSURANCE?

I do not participate on any insurance panels; however, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement from your insurance company if you have out-of-network benefits
To find out if you have out-of-network benefits, call your insurance company and tell them that you would like to see an out-of-network psychologist, and ask how much you would be reimbursed for an initial consultation (the code for this is 90791) and subsequent individual psychotherapy sessions (90837)
In addition, you may want to inquire if you have an annual deductible