FAQs
- How serious does my problem have to be to see a therapist?
- What is the difference between psychotherapy and counseling?
- What Psychotherapy is not?
- What Psychotherapy is?
- What is relationship counseling?
- What is Marriage and Family Therapy?
- What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
- What is Life Coaching?
- How can I be sure the things I tell a Therapist will be kept confidential?
- We are undergoing fertility work. Can a therapist help?
- We are considering adoption. Can a therapist help??
- I have children and so does my fiancée. Can family counseling help in the transition?
- If I have insurance or an EAP why would I choose not to use it?
Q. How serious does my problem have to be to see a therapist?
A. If it is serious enough to bother you, it is serious enough to seek help. If it is often on your mind, it is probably affecting your life both at work and at home. You don’t have to try to work it out on your own. We can help. There is a better way.
A. Therapists provide both psychotherapy and counseling. Some people prefer the word counseling to psychotherapy, because they think that psychotherapy should be reserved for people with deep psychological issues. The truth is that psychotherapy can be used for both deep issues and personal growth issues.
A. Psychotherapy is not what you think. It is not a massage and it is not advice. It is not "unconditional positive regard" either, although sometimes that’s part of it. There is nothing wrong with support and nurturing, but they are not, by themselves, psychotherapy. You need to feel you can trust your therapist, but it’s not necessary that you always be comfortable. In fact, if your therapist’s questions don’t stir up a little discomfort, you may not be getting anywhere.
A. Psychotherapy is not what you think it is about how you think. Psychotherapy calls attention to unrecognized assumptions in how you think. It makes a distinction between what you think about and how you do that thinking. It is less concerned with looking for causes to explain what you do and more concerned with discovering patterns in the meanings you make of what you're doing. Psychotherapy is about how you live with your emotions. It is about the perspectives you bring to relating with the people who matter to you. It is about what you aspire to in your life and how you may unwittingly make it harder for yourself to reach those goals. It is about being helped to see that the change you seek is already latent within you. It is coming to recognize and appreciate the spark of something eternal that is your core. Psychotherapy is not what you think; it is about how you live with yourself right now.
James Bugental, PhD
A. Relationship counseling is the process of a neutral therapist or counselor talking with the parties in a relationship to help recognize and better manage or reconcile troublesome differences. There can be many kinds of relationship counseling but the most common are couples counseling, marriage counseling, and family counseling. Typically, two or more people agree to talk with a counselor together and discuss specific issues that are causing stress in their relationship.
A. A family's patterns of behavior influences the individual and therefore may need to be a part of the treatment plan. In marriage and family therapy, the unit of treatment isn't just the person - even if only a single person is interviewed - it is the set of relationships in which the person is imbedded.
A. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) emphasizes the role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. CBT stresses the fact that thoughts, rather than people or events, cause our negative feelings. CBT is a structured collaboration between therapist and client and often calls for homework assignments. Brief and time-limited, CBT includes rational emotive behavior therapy and cognitive therapy.
A. Life coaching is a new type of therapy that helps healthy people to realize their goals in work, family and life. Although many psychologists also consider part of their treatment to be a form of life coaching, this therapy doesn't focus on treating mental illness. Executive coaches, for example, may be enlisted to help a chief executive become a better manager.
A. Confidentiality is the law and our therapists are fully compliant with Federal Privacy Laws. For more information about the Federal Privacy Laws click here (PDF). However, there are instances – under court order or if you pose a threat to yourself or someone else, where the therapist may have to disclose certain information shared.
A. Yes, studies have shown that reducing stress can have a significant effect on the outcome of assisted reproduction. Fertility treatment is physically, financially, and emotionally overwhelming and it adds tremendous pressure on a couple. Counseling, either individual, couple or in a support group can be of great assistance.
A. Yes, the decision to adopt a child can raise significant issues that may or may be apparent. If left unresolved they can add tremendous stress in a relationship impacting the entire family. Couple and even family counseling can be of great assistance.
A. Yes, Step or Blended families are common in our society, but they bring a new set of complications and personal dynamics into the home and as well as into the extended families. Identifying issues and taking preemptive action can forestall serious problems later on. Both Couple and Family Counseling can be of great assistance particularly if there are teenagers involved.
A. Insurance and/or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may or may not help you pay for certain types of psychotherapy. But remember, even if your insurance covers the treatment there are other issues to consider.
- Insurance policies usually limit the number of sessions that they cover.
- When EAP sessions are offered, many companies do not allow therapists to “self-refer.” That means you would have to change therapists after your EAP sessions are completed.
- Insurance companies also limit the types of issues or concerns they will cover. For example, most insurance companies do not cover marriage counseling or ADHD.
- Your confidentiality can be compromised if you use insurance to pay for your therapy. The insurance company has the right to request the therapist’s files.
- Insurance companies require a therapist to give a diagnosis. This diagnosis can go into the records of the insurance company, and they may then share this information with other insurance companies. You may later be denied health insurance coverage, or have premiums raised based on a past diagnosis from a therapist.
- And perhaps, the most important issue is that a diagnosis from your therapist (which is required when you use your insurance benefit) could keep you from getting insurance in the future. This is a link to an article describing some of the problems you may face if you use your insurance to see a therapist.
Read related article
Some of these factors may make using your insurance a less attractive option when seeking therapy. It is important to make an informed decision when deciding to use your insurance to pay for counseling.
