How can therapy help me?
A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, social anxiety, body image issues, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, chemical dependencies, career impasses and creative blocks.
Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communications and listening skills
- Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
Do I really need therapy?
Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through many difficulties you have faced, there may be tough times when you need extra support. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand. 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.
Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?
People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, death of a loved one etc.), or other stressful circumstances. Therapy can provide an unbiased perspective and introduce skills to get you through difficult time.
You may have reached a point where you feel hopeless about ever enjoying more satisfying relationships. Our relationships are like a microcosm; a window into your very individual internal universe, into the ways the past is still alive right now. Therapy can help you unravel your particular history that negatively impacts your relationships.
What is therapy like?
Each person has different issues and goals for therapy. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and share your feelings, observations, thoughts, realizations and insights.
Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).
You will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. Therapy is about questioning yourself, your assumptions, and appearances. The therapeutic process allows you to gradually get in touch with deep-seated feelings & anxieties revealing inhibitions and underlying desires and ambitions. Together we can work to unravel the defenses that have been unconsciously built to protect you from feeling, and have kept you out of the present.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
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 underlying cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress.
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
Please call your insurance carrier and ask what your mental health coverage entails. 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?
- What is my deductible?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Is therapy confidential?
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 child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police.
- If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.