What we don’t need in the midst of struggle is shame for being human.
-Brene Brown
Choosing therapy, and a therapist, is an important decision. I am here to provide support as you navigate this process. Below are some common questions and answers.
What is therapy?
Therapy is a process where you have the support of a trained professional to help you navigate through some of life’s more challenging experiences and emotions. This can include life transitions (divorce, college graduation, a recent move), academic concerns, parenting work, depression, anxiety, and much more. You get to identify what you want to discuss in sessions, and set personal goals with the help of your therapist. Therapy can also help you better understand yourself, your past experiences, and what values you want to embody as you move forward. Therapy also includes exploring your strengths, because often you are already succeeding in many areas, and we can use your strengths to make lasting-changes elsewhere.
What will I do in therapy?
Therapy looks different for everyone, because it is individualized to what you need. You get to decide how sessions are structured, whether that be creating a space to reflect and process, or looking for more direct feedback from your therapist in order to learn new skills and strategies. This is something that will be decided between yourself and your therapist.
For children and adolescents, games, books, worksheets, and art are incorporated into the session in order to introduce different skills and strategies at a developmentally appropriate level.
Will my therapist give me homework?
The answer is…YES! I assign “homework” to all my clients from children, to adults, to couples, depending on the goals that are being worked on. I use the word “homework” loosely, because I hope that my clients are discovering new skills, strategies, and ways of thinking that are helpful outside of session, so they start to use it more and more. At times, in order to determine what’s going to work for you, you may be asked to try some new things outside of session time.
How long will I be in therapy?
There is no determined timeline for when therapy is over. This is a decision that you get to make, hopefully, in collaboration with your therapist. Some clients start to feel and see improvements after a few sessions, or goals are quickly being achieved due to commitment to change outside of session. Others incorporate therapy into their long-term self-care plan, and see the benefits of continued therapy for maintaining their progress and self-growth.
In the beginning, I suggest that my clients start with weekly appointments in order to establish rapport and goals. This frequency changes as therapy progresses, and clients can decide what they need in order to achieve goals, and balance their schedules. This can mean bi-weekly appointments, once a month check-ins, or in a time of crisis or high-need, twice a week.
How much does it cost?
Session fees are $150 for a clinical session (45-53 minutes). If I am in-network with your insurance provider, Headway Therapy (my provider platform) will submit insurance claims on your behalf. They will bill your cost-sharing portion; typically this is co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance. For out-of-network insurances, you will be required to pay the full fee at the time of service. You may be able to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider for out-of-network services.
I strongly encourage you to call your insurance provider to confirm coverage prior to our initial session.