Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
How might therapy help me?
Psychotherapy can be a powerful tool to develop an increased understanding of who you are and what drives your interactions with the world. A relationship between a therapist and patient is ideally different from other relationships. A therapy session is at its core about YOU, your needs, your concerns, and your experiences. There is no need to choose your words wisely to avoid offense or bragging or taking up all the time, etc. Having access to the undivided attention of an interested and compassionate therapist can in and of itself be highly rewarding. Freed from the constraints that are usually present in social interactions, there is more room for exploration and authenticity.
But therapy is more than dedicated time with a compassionate person. Using my understanding of how minds work and how people interface with their environments, I can draw your attention to opportunities for growth and relief. Over time, I can call on a growing library of stories and daily interactions we have discussed. We can look together for blind spots, we can search for themes in your interpersonal dilemmas, we can notice patterns and explore their origins. A fresh perspective on an old problem can open up new possibilities. We can brainstorm concrete strategies to interface with the world in more satisfying and effective ways. As the saying goes, knowledge is power.
Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.
This is a fair question. Therapy need not be for everyone. Many people are successfully able to navigate their concerns in other ways. Some find solace in religion, or treasured relationships, in hobbies, physical activity, or in nature. Those who seek out psychotherapy may understand that the tools they are currently using are just not getting to the root of the problem. Sometimes, other techniques had been working just fine, until a major event (divorce, bereavement, parenthood, a new job, a move, etc.) shakes up your life. Psychotherapy both adds a new set of tools to your toolbelt and can help you make better use of old strategies.
Through the course of our work, you may develop new insights into how to strengthen your social supports and how to add new ones. You may utilize mindfulness techniques to feel more deeply connected with yourself on that upcoming hike, or feel armed with a cleaner sense of self at the next meeting with your boss. We are working on short term strategies while simultaneously creating enduring and meaningful change.
Psychotherapy techniques include modalities highly targeted at a particular symptom presentation or diagnosis. We can work together using Evidence-Based approaches to gain relief from your illness or symptoms. My psychotherapy approach is informed by many modalities including Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Behavioral Activation/SMART Goals, sleep hygiene and CBT-Insomnia, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, Cognitive Processing Therapy, executive function boosting strategies, etc. We will work together to find the strategies that work best for you.
People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.
What is Therapy like?
Therapy can be a very different experience depending on the type of therapist you choose to work with and what you are looking for. In our work, you can expect to meet regularly, typically at least weekly. During our sessions, you will talk about what is on your mind that week. Sometimes this is talking about events from the previous week that feel notable or reflecting on what we discussed the previous week. Alternatively, you may come in wanting to reflect on an old event that is troubling you. Other times, I will encourage you to explore a topic that I suspect will be especially useful at that time. It is true that you get out of it what you put in, but there is no need for excessively time-consuming or unpleasant preparation between sessions. As you become more familiar with my style, you may begin to notice events during the week that will likely make for good topics to discuss in therapy. I will be there, offering my undivided attention and curiosity, ready to hold your hand through the process. We can always adjust our pace or topic to help you feel our work is progressing in a way that feels comfortable and useful to you.
Is therapy confidential?
It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
This can depend on a few factors, most notably your preferences as well as your particular symptoms. As a psychiatrist, my core training is first as a medical doctor. We need to make sure that your physical body is adequately attended to before we assume your concerns are purely psychiatric in origin. For example, “fatigue” can mean many things – anemia, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, iron deficiency, a sleep disorder, a thyroid disorder, chronic infection, pronounced depression, etc. Before assuming that there is a purely psychological root to the symptom, I first consider in my differential diagnosis all the potential etiologies of your distress. This may involve working together with your primary care doctor or other specialists to ensure these medical etiologies are being adequately explored and addressed. Even when we feel confident that your distress is best characterized as a psychiatric concern, certain symptoms may clearly call for medication, while others may be highly unlikely to respond to medication. In some cases, the optimal approach includes both medication and therapy. Stylistically, the longer I practice the more I tend to defer the use of medications when I believe that psychotherapy or behavioral approaches will be more useful, create more enduring improvement, and have less unwanted side effects. We can work together to determine the best approach for you.
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
Psychiatric care is provided in a fee for service model and payment is collected directly from the patient at the time of service. Fees may be reimbursable through your insurance as out of network benefits. Coordination with your health insurance is unfortunately not something I am able to assist with. Upon request, I will gladly provide you with the billing information most insurances require to process reimbursement. I am also happy to answer questions that may assist you in communicating with your insurance provider.
To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:
- What are my mental health benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
- How much is my out-of-network deductible?
- Do I have an out-of-pocket maximum?
- Does my employer offer other options to cover medical expenses not covered by insurance (i.e.: Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account)?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
