Individual Therapy
Taking the step to get individual therapy can feel overwhelming. Maybe you have tried to deal with your problems on your own, but haven’t been able to make much progress in resolving the issue. In individual therapy you and I can work together to identify your goals based on the outcomes that you want to achieve, develop a plan to achieve your goals, and then explore the root issues that are contributing to the problems that you are experiencing.
What types of problems can I help you with?
Constant feelings of anxiety and fear
Frequent feelings of sadness, depression and other negative feelings
Inability to control feelings of anger and frustration
Past or current involvement in emotionally, physically or sexually abusive relationships
Patterns of people pleasing, care taking and giving more than you receive in relationships
Feeling exhausted and unappreciated by constantly taking care of others while putting your own needs on the back burner
Use of alcohol or drugs to help forget about your problems, or to take the edge off of painful feelings.
Opening up to family and friends about what you’re going through may feel embarrassing, uncomfortable or an unrealistic option for you. However, getting help from a therapist will allow you to have a safe non judgmental space where you can feel free to talk openly about the issues that are preventing you from having a happy fulfilling life.
What is therapy like?
During the session you discuss things that are occurring in your life that you perceive to be a problem and how you may feel about the problem. I will use a variety of skills to assist you in identifying a solution to the problem that is in line with the outcome that you have identified for yourself (your treatment goal). I will help you to explore issues from the past that may be contributing to the problems that you are currently experiencing and will help to bring those things to your attention so that they can be resolved and no longer negatively impact your life. I will encourage you to speak openly and express any feelings or thoughts freely and honestly without fear of judgement, concern about offending anyone or hurting anyone’s feelings. I may ask you to complete a task or homework outside of the session to be discussed during the next session. I often incorporate psycho education in our sessions to assist you with achieving a better understanding of issues that may be impacting your progress towards your goal. During our sessions I will teach you to utilize mediation, deep breathing and a variety of techniques to assist you in managing your emotions and achieving emotional balance.
What will we discuss in therapy?
That depends on you. As the client, you are in the driver’s seat steering the car. As the therapist I am the passenger that is providing you with the directions that will get you where you want to go. It is always up to you to decide whether you want to follow the directions or take a different route. You control how fast or how slow it takes to get to your destination as well as where we are going. Therapy is all about you, therefore it is you that decides what is important for you to discuss during your sessions. Some people use their time in session to discuss their current problems and how they are being impacted by them. Others discuss their feelings and emotional symptoms, or problematic behaviors that they have engaged in over the past week. Some people explore the past, others prefer to discuss only the present. As your therapist, it is my role to help guide you through a healing process that will eventually help you to successfully achieve the goals that you established during the intake process. These goals, also known as your treatment plan, serve as the map that helps to navigate you through the therapeutic process. As your therapist, I will encourage discussion of your progress towards your stated goals each week as we work together to achieve them
How long will I be in therapy?
The length of treatment can drastically vary based on how severe your symptoms and/or problems are. The length of treatment can also be dependent upon the type of treatment that is provided. Depending on the situation, therapy can last from 3 months to several years. Treatment is typically considered complete once a client achieves their initial treatment goals.
Will you prescribe medication?
No, because I am a psychotherapist and not a medical doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner I cannot prescribe medications. However, if at any point in treatment it is determined that you could benefit from medication to relieve your symptoms, I will with your written consent, facilitate a referral to a local psychiatrist to arrange a medication evaluation.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the problems that you face can be handled alone or rise to the level that professional help is needed. Often it is easier to make that determination by taking a look at how the problems that you are facing are affecting your life. Typically, if your problems are negatively impacting you socially, emotionally, physically, legally, financially or interfering with your work/school performance these are indicators that you may benefit from seeking the help of a therapist. A therapist can provide assistance and support in helping you discover and work through the underlying issues that are contributing to your problems as well as helping you learn to cope in a healthier way.
Are the things we talk about in therapy confidential
Your records and anything that is discussed in treatment are protected by state and federal confidentially laws therefore I cannot disclose anything regarding your treatment or acknowledge that you are in treatment with me without your written consent, except under very specific circumstances. Those circumstances include: you telling me that you intend to harm yourself or someone else, you telling me that you have or are harming a child or an elderly person, your records are subpoenaed by the courts, you inform me that you have a communicable disease and are putting others at risk through your behavior.
What if I don't want to talk about something?
You will never be forced or pressured to discuss anything that you are uncomfortable discussing. Your treatment is based on what you identify is important for you, therefore you and I will work together to identify the goals that you want to work towards. If at any time you decide that you do not want to continue working on a previously stated goal, that goal will be discontinued. At no time will I ever ask you to discuss or engage in any activity that you do not want to.
What if I can't keep my appointment?
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify me twenty four hours in advance of your session. If an unforeseen circumstance arises and you are unable to notify me within the requested time. please contact me via text, email or phone two hours prior to your session to inform me of your need to cancel. All no call no shows will be billed the full session amount of $100.
What is your fee for therapy?
My fee for an assessment (mental health or substance use) is $150, and $100 per hour for individual sessions. I do accept insurance from Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Magellan, Medicaid and United. Payment is due at the time of the session
What if you don't take my insurance, can I still use it?
If you would still like to work with your insurance, your insurance may provide some reimbursement. To help, I can file out of network claims with your insurance on your behalf or provide a monthly superbill that you may submit to your insurance so that you can get reimbursed for your sessions
How do I know what my insurance will cover?
To find out what your insurance may cover, contact your insurance and ask if you have out-of-network mental health coverage. If you need to provide a “CPT code” or a “service code” you can provide the following codes:
- 90837-individual
- 90791-assessment
- 90839-crisis
You may also want to mention the type of license that I have to ensure services with my type of credential are covered. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist. Other things you may want to ask about are:
- What your deductible is
- What your co-insurance payment will be
- How many visits you get per year
- If you need authorization for your visits
- Details on how to submit a superbill
Contact me if you would like more guidance on how to figure out what your insurance will cover
What is the next step in getting started?
You can contact me at 919-824-8756 to schedule a free consultation and schedule an intake assessment. Once the intake assessment is completed you will be scheduled for your first treatment session.
