Participating in therapy can have a number of benefits. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for a variety of issues. They 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 can include:
- Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Finding solutions to whatever 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
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. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever difficulties you face.
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, or creative blocks. Therapy can provide some much needed encouragement and help with learning 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 achieving their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet their challenges and make positive changes in their lives.
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, it will be a little different for everyone. 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 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).
It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in your sessions into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in your sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your progress, such as reading a relevant book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors, or taking action on your goals.
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. Your medical doctor can help determine what’s right for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.
Yes! Many of our therapists specialize in working with couples and families.
The first step is to contact us – we can help figure out which therapist will be a good fit for you or your loved one, based on your needs and schedule. Once you have an appointment set up, you can either fill out the necessary forms here or you can arrive about 30 minutes early to your first appointment and complete the paperwork at that time.
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?
If you are still uncertain, our office staff would be happy to check the benefits offered through your plan or discuss our rates.
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 (such as your physician, naturopath, or attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission first.
However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to report any of 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.