Questions about Therapy

What benefits can I receive with therapy?

Many benefits are available from participating in therapy. Therapy can be supportive and problem-solving. Therapy can enhance coping strategies for many issues such as depression anxiety, relationship concerns, grief, stress, and addictions. Many clients use therapy for personal growth, an enhancement to their relationships, and just coping with daily living. Therapy can provide new perspectives on difficult problems and/or create new solutions to chronic problems. From what you learn and take into practice, your therapy can have life-long benefits.

Here are some of them:

• Better understanding of yourself, goals and values
• Develop skills that improve your relationship
• Resolution to the issues that led you to therapy
• Better ways to cope with stress and anxiety.
• Improved anger management
• Improved communication and listening skills
• Changing old behaviors to developing new ones
• Creative ways to solve problems in your family and/or marriage
• Boosting your self-esteem and self-confidence

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

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 are in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking assistance through therapy. Therapy can provide long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome 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 but the essential motivation is the readiness to meet the challenges in your life and then to take on the responsibility for making a change.

Explain to me what therapy is like?

In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session.  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).

Best results in therapy are obtained with your active participation. This is so because what you discover or learn in therapy needs to be brought into your life outside of therapy. You may be given books to read, or a suggestion to journal your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and experiences. You may even receive insight about yourself and this may allow you to take a new action on your goals. For the most part, people who seek counseling are ready to make positive changes in their lives.

What about medication vs. psychotherapy?  

It is well known that the long-term solution to mental and emotional pain cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, as medications tend to do, therapy looks at the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that may curb our progress towards health. If medication is prescribed by your physician it is also known that sustainable mental health growth can best be achieved with an integrative approach to wellness of both medication and psychotherapy.

How does insurance work and do you take clients with insurance?

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?
• Is approval required from my primary care physician?
• You may be covered under an EAP plan from your employer. It would be wise to check this out.

The above answer was provided to help you if you have insurance to cover the costs of counseling.

What insurance do I take?

Please check the FEES page for the insurance carriers Relational Counseling is a provider. 

Should your insurance carrier not be listed, I will help you file a claim with your insurance carrier as a provider who is out-of-network. I will happily provide to you, receipts for your counseling sessions. These receipts are then used to file your claim for reimbursement according to your insurance plan.

Will our conversations in therapy in therapy remain confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist’s office.   Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone.  This is called “Informed Consent”.  Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (you’re your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law, your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.