FAQ's
General Questions
How do I schedule an appointment?
You can schedule your first complimentary consultation for either Therapy or Coaching service by contacting me here.
What happens during the complimentary consultation?
I will contact you by phone or video conference through a secure platform for the initial 15-minute consultation. We will discuss what your goals are, and whether therapy or coaching would best serve you. The first consultation is also a time for us both to discover whether we are a good fit. I will answer any other questions you might have, as well as discuss fees and scheduling. Should we decide to move forward with an initial appointment, we will be sure to exchange necessary information.
What's your cancellation policy?
For Therapy and Coaching Sessions: If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please call within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment time. The full fee for the appointment will be due if missed or cancelled with less than 24 hours in advance.
What is your payment policy?
I accept payments through cash, checks and credit cards through IvyPay, Square payments, and a secure client portal. Payment is due at the beginning of the session or at the time that services are rendered.
Questions About Therapy
Can I meet with you over the phone or online?
Yes, therapy and coaching sessions are available both online and over the phone. Online counseling session options can be found here. Learn more about coaching and therapy services.
What are your fees?
My rates for both therapy and counseling services vary and can be found here.
Is therapy right for me?
Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. People seek out therapy for many reasons: communication blocks, relational discord, conflict, fears, anxiety, sadness, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and major life transitions.
Many people benefit from therapy because it helps them take responsibility, create greater self-awareness, and work towards change in their lives.
Does therapy mean that there's something wrong with me?
Absolutely not! Everyone goes through life obstacles and experience painful difficult situations along the way. Sometimes these obstacles warrant us to seek extra support and there is nothing wrong with this. If you're feeling stigmatized for wanting to start therapy, I like to remind people that therapy can be for those who have enough self-awareness to realize they would like 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.
You may also find that a supportive objective professional can help you discover how you can be the best you, and thrive in all your relationships more easily. Therapy can help you learn how to have healthier relationships, and live a more meaningful and satisfying life.
How can therapy help me?
Everyone's experience with therapy is different and the outcomes may vary. However, please understand that you get from therapy what you put in. Some of the benefits available from therapy include:
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Coming to understanding yourself better, and clarify your goals and values
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Developing skills for maintaining healthier relationships
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Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
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Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
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Improving communication and listening skills
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Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
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Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
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Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
What is therapy like?
Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during therapy sessions. Commonly, people schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts 50 minutes.
I believe therapy can be most effective when you are an active participant, both during and between the sessions. There may be times when you are asked to do "homework" – to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as monitoring the behaviors you want to change, or reading a specific book/article. This "homework" can help you process what we discuss in session and really integrate it into your life between sessions. People seeking psychotherapy are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives. Here are some things you can expect out of therapy:
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Compassion, respect and understanding
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Perspectives to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings
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Real strategies for enacting positive change
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Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance
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 medication alone may not be a long-term solution to changing the behaviors and situations that we want to heal. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy help us look at the root causes of 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? How does insurance work?
At this time, I do not accept insurance.
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 legal exceptions to this rule. Exceptions include:
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Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
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If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police.
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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.
Questions about Coaching
What is coaching?
A coach serves as your partner in self-discovery, personal growth, goal-setting and goal-reaching. The goal is to help you discover within yourself the beliefs or issues that are blocking you from getting all you want out of life, and to help elicit from within you your own best solutions or new ways of being to live more of the life you want to live.
What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
The easiest way to explain the difference between coaching and therapy is that therapy services focuses on helping the client dismantle past trauma and/or other challenges and coaching services focuses on helping the client move forward and in some cases could resemble having an accountability partner.
Both coaching and therapy can help you achieve your personal goals, but there are some key differences between the two.
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In the therapy setting we have therapist/patient privilege such that all communications, including the mere fact that you are a client, are kept strictly confidential (This is subject to certain legal exceptions, which you can read about above).
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As a coaching client, while my policy is to keep what is said in our sessions confidential, the fact that you are a client is not confidential and there are no strict legal requirements for confidentiality. Again, it is my policy to keep what we discussed in confidence.
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If you are a coaching client only, I am not your therapist and will not be providing any psychotherapy. During the treatment, I may recommend that you engage a therapist. If this situation arises, we will discuss your options at that time.
During your complimentary session I will help you make the determination between becoming a coaching client or a therapy client.
Have more questions? Contact me at, contact@thepleasurecollectivellc.com