FAQs

At your first therapy session, we get to know you. We’ll discuss the reasons you came to therapy and what we can do to help. We will get an overview of who you are so we can better understand your current concerns. Then, we’ll discuss what treatment will be like for you and decide plans for ongoing treatment together. This is also a time where you can determine if you feel comfortable with us. If you don’t feel we’re a good fit, we can help you find someone who might be a better match.

To begin, we will meet once a week. we find it’s important to gain some momentum in the beginning by meeting weekly or progress can stall out. Once some or all of your goals are met, meeting less often will make sense.

In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and psychotherapist. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client.

However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:

• Suspected abuse or neglect on a child, dependent/disabled individual, or elderly.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself.
• If your information is subpoenaed by the court.

In the above circumstances, a therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

Teletherapy is any remote therapy that uses technology to help the therapist and client communicate. Some examples of teletherapy include:

• doing therapy sessions over the phone
• using videoconferencing for individual, couples, or group therapy
• receiving therapy via email

Teletherapy is not for everyone. Some drawbacks include:

• Protecting Health Information: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare providers, including therapists, to protect patient or client privacy. Unsecure chat and other programs may expose sensitive data, so clients should work only with therapists who encrypt data.
• Therapy environment: For people with little privacy at home, finding the time and space for therapy can be difficult. Treatment in the office may offer a low stress alternative to treatment at home.
• Technical difficulties: Slow internet connections, glitches in video software, and communication delays can make online therapy feel more stressful and less personal. For people who lack technological proficiency or do not trust digital platforms, telehealth may not be a good option.
• Communication: Communicating across certain platforms can make it more difficult to read body language and other subtle cues. Email and phone therapy eliminate these forms of communication all together.

The benefits of teletherapy with a licensed therapist include:

• Greater access to care: Some people are unable to use traditional therapy due to physical disabilities, geographic location, or scheduling issues.
• Costs: May allow clients to incur fewer therapy-associated expenses when they do not have to travel to receive treatment or pay for child care.
• More privacy: People who choose teletherapy do not have to sit in or pass through a waiting room with other people but can seek treatment in the privacy of their own homes. For some, this alleviates privacy concerns.
• Health benefits: The COVID-19 health crisis demonstrates that the ability to seek medical care at home can slow the spread of illness and protect vulnerable populations. Teletherapy allows people to get mental health treatment at home without risking the spread of infection during epidemics and pandemics.

Yes, we do accept insurance. Please check our Fees and polices page. If you have PPO insurance, you can call your insurance company to determine if they will reimburse all or part of the cost of therapy. If they do, we are more than happy to provide you with the paperwork needed (usually called a “superbill”) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.