Services

Participating in therapy can provide many benefits. Cognitive-Behavioral techniques help you look at the thought patterns and ways that you interact with others or yourself that may be contributing to cycles of anxiety or sadness. The therapy process can provide alternative perspectives and the chance to better understand the way you think and feel. The goal of therapy is to provide you with clearer goals and enhanced coping strategies.

Some of the benefits include:

• Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
• Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
• Getting back to feeling like yourself again
• Finding more satisfying relationships
• Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
• Managing anger, grief, depression, and other challenging emotions

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully made it through tough times before, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they are stuck and that is admirable.

You are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

In general, you can expect to talk about the current events happening in your life, your personal history that may be relevant to your current issue, and review progress from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or focus on personal growth.

I usually schedule therapy on a weekly basis, at least initially, with a move to meeting every other week once you feel some progress has been made and you are looking to maintain that progress.

You will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. Beyond the work you do in sessions, I may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy - such as reading a book, journaling on specific topics, or taking action on your goals.

In my experience, therapy combined with medication can provide more long term relief from symptoms compared to medication alone. Therapy provides tools and skills that increase one's resilience to the ups and downs of life and helps prevent the return of low mood or anxiety once a medication is stopped.

Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is highly effective. Medication can be considered the life preserver needed when it is hard to keep your head above water, while therapy is focused on learning to swim in the stormy waters and move to more stable waters or shore.

I am considered an "out of network" provider and do not take insurance payments directly. Many forms of insurance (e.g., PPOs) will cover out of network services at a percentage of the cost. I provide superbills (receipts) that clients submit to insurance for reimbursement according to their coverage.

To determine if you have mental health coverage, call your insurance carrier and ask:

• What are my mental health benefits?
• How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
• Do I have a deductible I need to reach first?
• Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. What you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone without your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except in these situations:

• Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, or elders
• If the client is seriously in danger of harming themselves or has threatened to harm another person