Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If I Need Therapy?
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People seek therapy for a variety of reasons. Some come to address a persistent symptom or are going through a difficult life transition that they are having trouble adjusting to. Others come because of a general dissatisfaction with their lives, hoping to remove the obstacles preventing them from achieving all they hope they can be.
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While seeking therapy is a personal decision, the following questions may help to clarify your need for therapy.
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Is there a persistent problem or way of feeling that has been bothering me for a while?
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Is there something I want to change about me or my life that I have been unable to accomplish myself?
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Does the issue feel too big to tackle by myself?
If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions……it’s time.
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How Will I know If You Are the Right Therapist for Me?
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You really need to meet me face-to-face to get a good idea of who I am as a person and as a professional. At our first meeting, ask yourself these questions:
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How easy is it to talk to her?
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Is she someone I could trust?
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Is she really listening to me?
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Do I feel comfortable with her?
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Mostly, “Do I like her”?
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I do offer a 15 minute phone consultation at no charge. Feel free to give me a call at 610-952- 4750, leave your name and phone number and I will return your call as soon as possible.
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How Do I Prepare for My First Session?
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Show up with the intention to be as open and honest about yourself as you can be. The first session is like a first date. I will want to learn about what is bringing you to therapy at this time in your life and hopefully you will be interested in filling me in. Most likely, there is much you’ll want to tell me and I’ll be listening carefully and giving you my full attention.
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What Is A Marriage and Family Therapist?
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Marriage and Family therapists (MFTs) are relationship specialists who treat people involved in interpersonal relationships. We are trained to assess, diagnose and treat individuals, couples and families to achieve more adequate and satisfying relationships in their marriage, family and/or in their general social functioning.
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How Do You Maintain Impartiality When Doing Couples Counseling?
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I've had couples come to me with this question after a negative experience where one partner felt “ganged up on” by their partner and a previous therapist.
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Being an emotionally focused couple’s therapist (EFT) makes it easy for me to maintain impartiality. EFT views the chronic struggling leading a couple to seek help as a reaction to the distress created from not having their primary (attachment) needs met. Looking through an “attachment lens” allows me to see each partner’s behaviors through this perspective. From this lens we can begin to understand behaviors that look provocative, negative or irrational as the partner’s best efforts to get their needs for connection and closeness met. “It’s never about the dirty dishes”.
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Is My Confidentiality Completely Protected?
The short answer is yes. I’m bound by law to protect your confidentiality. There are a few exceptions that are related to child or elder abuse, a threat to harm another person or if you are in danger of self-harm.
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If you choose to use a third party payer to pay for therapy, it will be necessary to provide the information required by your insurance company which will likely include a diagnosis. No information will be released to your insurer without your consent.
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Why Don’t You Take Insurance?
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I have a fee for service practice which means that I do not sit on any insurance panels. Most insurance companies will partially reimburse for my services as an out of network provider. If you choose to use my services you should check with your insurance provider and ask if they reimburse for an out of network provider. Some questions to ask your insurance company are listed on my financial policy page.
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The reasons I have chosen not to participate in insurance networks are two-fold:
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Insurance companies require a mental health diagnosis, which becomes a permanent part of your medical records. This not only compromises your privacy and confidentiality, it may affect your future eligibility and cost should you wish to make a change in your insurance.
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Your insurance company only allows a limited number of sessions per calendar year. This may or may not be a sufficient amount of sessions for you depending on your goals and other factors.