FAQs &
What to expect in therapy
Do you assign diagnoses?
As an Adlerian, I am relatively less concerned with the label and more concerned with what’s going right. If you intend to seek reimbursement from your insurance, however, you will need a diagnosis (since insurance doesn’t cover people spending money on just being a human being). I am trained and authorized to assess a lot of things, which can help us arrive at a diagnosis. I prefer to do so collaboratively.
What do I need to do to solve the problem?
Interestingly, just showing up and working on building our relationship goes a long way. You can be proactive in doing research or you can trust the process. If you need more information, I’m happy to provide resources like podcasts, books and websites you can read, and online self-assessments. But with certain disorders, this may be more of the problem. Therapists also see a lot of people wanting homework so that they can do something, but then having barriers to doing the task. We don’t want you to have more things to feel bad about, so showing up is a great way to work on your issue.
How long will I be in therapy?
Everyone’s treatment plan and process looks different. That being said, an average therapeutic timeline can range from 3 months to 1 year, depending on your main therapeutic goals.
My job is to work myself out of a job. If we resolve your problems, you won’t need me anymore! But, for a lot of folks, one hour a week, it’s gonna take some time. There is such a thing as brief therapy. We can tackle one issue at a time and if you see some improvement, you can go practice your new skills in the wild and come back when a new issue arises. I’ll do my best to get you relief as quickly as I possibly can. Your contribution of courage, determination, and flexibility will make a big difference too.
Initial appointment
In your first session we will go over the informed consent form and introduce ourselves to each other again (we will have spoken already on the consultation call). You’ll disclose the issues you are coming to therapy for in conversational terms and I will translate. This leads us into collaborating on identifying your goals for therapy. I will also assess things like your memory and attention, ask you about your level of daily functioning, supports, and notice your strengths. We are building rapport and trust, which goes a long way. It’s not diving deep into anything to start.
Do I have to come every week?
Usually I like to see people weekly initially for the best results.
Some may benefit from one session per week on-going, while others may be able to have session every other week. After an initial session I will be able to adequately recommend a frequency for treatment. If this is your preference, mention it up front.
If price is a barrier, this is certainly considered. We also want to take into consideration the acuity of your particular case and sometimes people just need more time in the beginning. So, this is a nuanced and complicated answer, but the short response is that it’s individualized, but you never have to do anything you don’t want to do!
No Surprises Act
New federal laws help protect people from surprise medical bills with a Good Faith Estimate.
Multiply your weekly therapy cost by 48 (the amount of weeks I work in the year) and you will arrive at your annual estimated therapy cost.
The No Surprises act which is a part of the consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, is designed to protect clients from receiving unexpected medical bills.
The "Good Faith Estimate” is to give an idea of what you'll be charged with, prior to begin services.
