Is therapy right for me?

Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems with anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the advice of counsl as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and general life transitions. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.

Do I really need therapy?  I can usually handle my problems.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, 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 need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. 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.

How can therapy help me?

A number of benefits are available from participating in psychotherapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Many people also find that counselors can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. 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

• Compassion, respect and understanding
• Perspectives to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings
• Real strategies for enacting positive change
• Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance
  

What is a LMFT?

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists trained to handle much more than individaul issues. They are recognized in all 50 states and around the world as a specialty. LMFTs are experts in sexual issues, relationship issues, parenting issues, anxiety, depression, sexual addictions, grief/loss, anger management, codependency, marriage counseling, work stress, and much more.
 
Unlike psychologists, LMFTs education and training is more eclectic. They view difficulties from a systemic perspective and draw from many differing techniques to create positive change in your life including behavioral, cognitive, emotional, communication, and spiritual techniques. 
 
Couples/Relationship Therapy

Whether or not you’re experiencing relationship and communication problems, meeting with a marriage or couples counselor for the purpose of improving your relationship can be an exciting journey. In our personal experience, too often, people put off therapy until one or both have already given up, and then they seek a therapist to “take the curse off.” Getting a marriage or relationship tune-up might be the best thing you ever do.
 
When undergoing marriage, relationship, couples, or family counseling the real client is the relationship or relationships. Therapy involves a dialogue with you, your significant other, family members, and your therapist as you navigate to discover what you want in a relationship and how that can come about.
 
An LMFT is trained to detect both the issues and desires you bring to the relationship. You and your partner will then look at the patterns that exist in the relationship, use them as part of the session, and guide each person to discover the changes they can make to enhance the relationship.

Is medication a substitute for therapy?

In some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you. 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.

Do you accept insurance?
The answer is some and here is the reason why.  I have made a careful decision not to be a participating provider for many managed care programs. Being such a provider would mean that I would be employed by the insurance company instead of working directly (and privately) for you.

• You enjoy a much greater degree of privacy and confidentiality, as I am not required to share a great deal of your personal information and history with the insurance companies.
• We are not limited to only a certain number of sessions or certain treatment protocols that are determined by the insurance companies in order to tightly control their costs.
• Because you are working directly and privately with me, we can decide together on the methods we will use and the length of time we will work together, rather than having these decisions made by an arbitrary third party.

• 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?
• 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 dependant 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.