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- The Therapy Process
- The First Session
- Financial Information
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About Services:
I offer sensitive psychotherapy to individuals and couples struggling with a wide variety of issues. I have extensive experience working with anxiety, depression and relationship concerns. I particularly enjoy working with issues related to identity, including sexual identity, gender identity and self-esteem. I also really enjoy helping clients who are struggling with family of origin issues. That said, I generally do not do family therapy, but at your request I am happy to invite family members to participate in particular sessions if you believe doing so will help you address a specific concern. Whatever your concerns, I will be happy to discuss my experience and treatment approach so you can decide whether you'd like to pursue therapy with me.
As part of therapy, we will discuss session length and frequency. Most clients schedule a single, 50-minute session per week, but your needs may vary. During times of greater distress, you may wish to meet for longer or with greater frequency. Similarly, as you begin to experience positive changes and feel more able to manage your concerns on your own, you may wish to meet less frequently. I welcome these changes and will help you adjust therapy to fit your needs.
The Therapy Process:
Change can occur in many ways. At times, therapy will focus on the future you want. At other times, it will focus on the past as a means of understanding how you've arrived at your present difficulties and what may be preventing you from thinking, feeling or acting differently. Finally, therapy will sometimes focus on the experiences you are having in the present moment. This can even mean talking about the "therapy relationship" as a way of better understanding your relationships in general. It is not at all unusual to have strong feelings and reactions to therapy and even to your therapist. I will always do my very best to be open and receptive to your reactions and feelings about me, our therapy relationship or the therapy itself.
I believe that our inner lives (e.g., our thoughts and feelings), our relationships and our behaviors are all connected and interdependent. As a result, I may encourage you to approach your concerns from a variety of different perspectives simultaneously. This may include understanding yourself better (e.g., insight), experiencing a wider range of emotions, considering different perspectives or experimenting with new behaviors. By using a variety of perspectives, you not only increase the possibility of growth and change with regards to your current concerns, but you may also develop skills and strategies that will aid you in future struggles.
I will work hard to create a safe therapy space with you. Our relationship will provide support, encouragement and guidance, as well as a means to better understand your struggles, and a place to try new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Ultimately, however, the direction your therapy takes is up to you. The decision to try new ways of being is yours, as is the decision not to try these things. I will never force you to do anything you don't wish to do, and we will always make time to discuss both the risks and rewards of change.
The First Session:
The decision to start therapy is often accompanied by significant emotions. Some clients feel pride and relief that they've taken a big step toward improving their lives. Others feel scared or overwhelmed with uncertainty about what the process will be like. Still others may feel sad or even disappointed; sometimes it is hard to admit that we need others to help us. It's not uncommon to feel a variety of emotions, even some that seem conflictual. Whatever your feelings are about starting therapy, I hope you'll share them with me, and I Iook forward to hearing them.
When you schedule your first appointment, I will ask that you show up a few minutes early to complete two important pieces of paperwork. The first of these is a therapy consent form , which outlines your rights and responsibilities as a client and my responsibilities as your therapist. In particular, it explains your rights regarding confidentiality and the few circumstances in which your confidentiality is limited. Finally, it goes into a little more detail about some of my policies (e.g., payment, missed appointments, etc.). The therapy consent form serves as a contract between you as a client and me as your therapist. When we sit down face to face, we'll go over any questions or concerns you might have before signing the form. For your protection, you will get a copy of the form to keep and one will also remain in your file. Because I really do want you to ask as many questions as you need, I also want you to have plenty of time to review the form. You can preview a copy by clicking here or by using the link on the left side of the screen.
The second form is a client information questionnaire. On the form you'll be asked to provide contact information, and details about your concerns. You will also answer some very general health questions and -- if applicable -- provide details on your health insurance (for this reason, please try to bring a copy of your insurance card to our first session). All this information will help me get to know you a little more quickly. It will also help guide our face to face interview, so we spend as much time as possible on the issues that are important to you. You can preview a copy of this questionnaite by clicking here or by using the link on the left side of the screen.
It may sound like a lot, but most clients complete their paperwork in 10 to 15 minutes. The first session itself is really our chance to get to know one another. First, I will look over your paperwork and conduct an intake interview. Most of my questions will focus on those areas that you identified as most important on your questionnaire. Other questions may not seem directly related to your concerns, but help me get a more complete picture of you and your struggles. My final questions will focus on your goals for therapy. The more specific you can be, the better. That way we'll both have a good way to measure your progress and success in therapy. Toward the end of our hour, I'll stop asking questions and give you a chance to ask any questions of your own. Truthfully, I encourage your questions at any point, but I like to make sure that we set aside some dedicated time for concerns or questions you may not have thought of earlier. Finally, we'll discuss your treatment options.
Financial Information:
Many clients find it hard to discuss issues related to the cost and payment of therapy services. I encourage you to raise whatever concerns you may have, and I will do everything I can to make this discussion as comfortable as possible. In my experience, those clients who are actively involved in the financial aspects of therapy also tend to be more involved in the therapy process in general. As a result, they often get more out of therapy and do so in a shorter period of time.
As of August 1st, 2007, my base rates are as follows:
- Individual/Couples Therapy Session (50 minutes): $130
- Initial Intake Session (50 minutes): $180
- Pre-therapy Consultation (15 minutes): Free
- Report preparation: $130/hr
(Report preparation includes, but is not limited to, specialized testing, disability or other legal documentation, etc. Routine documentation such as intake reports, case notes and insurance billing are included in session fees)
Whenever possible, I accept insurance. Please note, however, that each insurance policy -- even when issued by the same company -- differs. Some are fairly generous in their benefits, others are not. I strongly encourage you to contact your insurance company and inquire about the exact nature of your mental health benefits. Remember: any fees that your insurance company doesn't pay become your resonsibility. To help you better understand your insurance policy, I have put together a list of questions and terminology you can use in talking to your insurance company. You can download this list using the link on the left side of the screen or by clicking here.
In certain cases, I am also willing to discuss a sliding scale fee. The exact fee will depend on your ability to pay (i.e., your income) as well as your specific therapy needs.