Frequently Asked Questions
What is therapy?
Therapy, also called psychotherapy or counseling, is the process of meeting with a therapist to resolve problematic behaviors, beliefs, feelings, relationship issues, and/or somatic responses (sensations in the body). Through therapy, you can change self-destructive behaviors and habits, resolve painful feelings, improve your relationships, and more.Whether in individual, group, or family therapy, your relationship with your therapist is a confidential one and focuses not only on the content of what you talk about, but also the process. The therapeutic process--how you share your feelings and experiences--is considered to be just as important as the specific issues or concerns you share in therapy.
What is the difference between therapy and life coaching?
The major difference between therapy and life coaching is the focus of the work: therapy focuses on mental health and emotional healing, while life coaching focuses on setting and achieving goals. Life coaches identify and describe current problematic behaviors so the client can work to modify them. Therapists analyze their client's past as a tool for understanding present behaviors. In other words, therapists focus on “why” certain behavioral patterns occur, and coaches work on “how” to work toward a goal.
I'm not crazy, why would I need therapy?
Asking for help is not crazy and it is okay to need help. Life is a rollercoaster, sometimes fun, sometimes very scary. Some days we are able to handle what's around us, other days not so much. Clients come to us so we can help them organize and make sense of everything going on. Don't want to burden your family and friends? Come see us instead, we are here to listen. We are not taught how to cope in a healthy way with stress/depression/anxiety/etc, deal with trauma, or communication effectively in schools or maybe even at home. We become the teachers to help you live your best life despite what life throws at you.
What do each sessions cost?
How often do I have to come?
Check out each clinicians page to see their exact fee. Fees start at $100 and increases depending on the clinician and service. Frequency is determined by you and your clinician based on goals and current symptoms. Typically most clients attend therapy bi weekly although others need weekly as well as clients coming monthly just for check ins. Most individual sessions are 50 minutes long while other services may last a little longer.
Is there anything I need to do to prepare for the first session?
Prior to the first session, your clinician will provide you with consent forms as well as questionnaires to gather more information about your needs and background. Please have those sign 24 hours before your appointment so your clinician can review. Your first session is an initial evaluation where the clinician will ask a range of questions similar to what was in the questionnaire to understand deeper your thoughts, feelings, goals, etc. So maybe a little preparation for questions will be needed. We are glad that you have chosen us to be your clinician so all we expect is for you to show up and let us be a listening ear for you.
Fees are high, why doesn't the office take insurance?
Please visit out Fees and Insurance page for more details. Essentially, our clinicians want to provide our clients with the best experience and service possible. Although using insurance may be cheaper, there are many restrictions on both client and clinician side which hinder our ability to be fully present with the clients.
How do I know if we are a good fit?
Before making an appointment, clinicians are more than happy to set up a free consultation to answer any immediate questions you have about therapy and about ourselves to make sure that we are able to provide you the clinical skills you need to reach your therapeutic goal. To really know if we are a good fit, it is best to have the initial session to have a face to face conversation. It may be a good fit if you are able to easily open up and feel like you are comfortable with the conversation. Some clients have tested our clinicians before by speaking about all their struggles and feelings to see their clinician's reaction. Others will give feedback so that the clinician can pivot if need be.
How quickly will I see "results"
This depends on a lot of varying factors such as what your goals are, time to feel comfortable with your clinician, trauma, how ready you are to make changes even outside of the therapy room, your environmental stressors, how often you come, etc. A majority of clients can see changes 6 months to 1 year into therapy though. Some clients need therapy for years. It is safe to say, therapy is not a quick 3-5 sessions type of service. It is also not one size fits all so it takes time to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. If there is an immediate need to reduce symptoms due to distress, medication may be recommended in conjuction to therapy.
Is therapy confidential?
Therapy is under the umbrella of the medical professional so all sessions are covered under HIPAA, where client/therapy information is privileged information. No information is disclosed unless there is written consent provided by the client. Minors are given the same privilege as well and ask that parents respect the therapy relationship. The only exceptions are: Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately. If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police. If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.