What should I expect in therapy?
Each therapist is a little different. I take a collaborative, active, and conversational approach. I emphasize the importance of a strong therapy relationship, and I will regularly check in with you to make sure you are getting what you are looking for.
What happens in the first session?
Before your first visit, you’ll receive a welcome email confirming the day and time of your appointment. The email will also include directions on how to find my office and a link to the important forms you will need to fill out before the appointment. (If you can’t find the email, the forms are here, too.)
In the first appointment, we will review the intake paperwork, discuss confidentiality, and go over scheduling and payment. Once the housekeeping tasks are taken care of, we will get to the important part: why you are coming in to therapy.
I will ask lots of questions and listen as you share what brings in you in and what you want to get out of therapy. We will start to develop our therapy relationship and we will start to develop goals for your treatment.
How long does therapy take?
There is no way to say beforehand how long therapy will take. Each person and each problem is different. In general, the longer you’ve struggled with something, the longer it will take to change the way you think and act in order to overcome it.
Therapy also depends on your own motivation or willingness to do sometimes difficult work on yourself.
Will I be charged if I miss a session?
When you make an appointment, you are getting exclusive access to my time and expertise that no one else will have for that period. Of course, I understand that sometimes things come up and you cannot make it, so my cancellation policy is designed to provide you some flexibility while also protecting my time. If you cancel an appointment 24 hours in advance, you will not be charged. If you cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled time, you will be responsible for the fee for that session.
Which insurance do you take?
I am in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO.
Where can I find the intake forms?
You should have received an email with directions on filling out the forms. You may also access the forms here.
Isn’t there some law about surprise medical bills? Do I need to know about that for therapy?
The No Surprises Act of 2020 seeks to protect patients from surprise medical bills, and yes, it applies to psychologists. The law is especially relevant for uninsured or self-pay patients. In brief, the law states you have the right to a good faith estimate of what it will cost you to work with me. I have always done this anyway, but there are some further details all providers are required by law to post and that you can find here.
Photo by Ashkan Forouzani 🇮🇷 on Unsplash