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Frequently Asked Questions
General1
Something in your life isn't working.
You want to be heard.
You want to process pain.
You want to learn strategies to improve your life.
You want to change.
Sometimes there are the more tangible problems that lead you to seeking therapy, i.e. increased sadness, isolation, panic attacks, risky behaviors and other times there are the problems you can't quite articulate, but know you need help to overcome.
For some people therapy is maintenance, a place to explore their lives, a place to be challenged and heard, and a place to be held accountable. You or your child do not have to be in crisis to seek therapy.
I work with people ages 10 and up in individual therapy. I specialize in the treatment of trauma and sexual abuse/rape. Additionally, I work with a variety of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, life adjustment issues, women's issues, college adjustment, and child/adolescent transition difficulties. I will work with children between the ages of 5 - 9 if the presenting problem is for exposure to child abuse or trauma. When working with adolescents under the age of 14, caregiver involvement is required because much of our work will include the family. I love meeting with people, and I know how much work occurs outside of my office with the love and support of loved ones.
When you're looking for a therapist you will hear the word "fit" come up....a lot. Being a good fit is something to look for in any relationship. In the therapuetic relationship it means does it feel like I can understand you and will be helpful for you. Do our personalities match? Does my style suit you? Sometimes we can discover this out during the free 15-minute consultation, other times it may take a few sessions. If I am not right for you, I will try my best to refer you to another practioner. I am a firm believer in referring out if I do not have the skills or cannot meet your needs.
As of right now, I am only an in-network provider for Highmark/out-of-state Blue Cross Blue Shield/Federal BCBS and Quest Behavioral Health. I do provide a superbill that you can submit to your insurance carrier for out-of-network reimbursement. Superbills provide all of the information that your insurance company will need to consider reimbursing you for said services. If you do have insurance, I urge you to call your provider for their out-of-network policy. Then I can provide you with the proper paperwork for insurance reimbursement.
No, I cannot. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications. Psychiatrists attend medical school and then complete a residency in psychiatry to provide medication. Psychologists, receive their doctorate degree in Counseling or Clinical Psychology and complete practicums and internships to provide therapy and diagnois mental health disorders.
Confidentiality means that as a client, you are entitled to privacy. This means that I cannot talk about what you have shared, acknowledge that you are in therapy, or release any information regarding your therapy without your consent. There are three exceptions to confidentiality which I am required by law to disclose:
1. Wanting to harm yourself or others
2. Child abuse (harm to those under the age of 18)
3. Subpoena from a judge
In the state of Pennsylvania, adolescents 14 and older must consent to therapy. When working with children and adolescents, there is also a level of privacy for things that are shared in with me. We will talk about this more at your initial session.
The frequency of therapy can vary depending on your need. Currently, I offer sessions on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. As therapy progresses some people move from weekly sessions to bi-weekly. In order for us to do meaningful work, we have to have consistency in our meeting schedule. I want all of the time we spend together to be fruitful.
Weird. (and that's okay).
For the first session I ask for you to arrive 15 minutes early to sign consent for therapy forms, HIPAA (privacy laws acknowledgement) paperwork, practice policies, and symptom measures. During your initial session, I will be asking you a lot of questions, to get to know more about you, any symptoms, why you are coming in, and your goals for therapy. This will help me to begin to understand your experience and what you desire from therapy. We will discuss your beliefs towards therapy and also how I view therapy. . The first session is much more structured than the rest of our sessions will be.
There is no specific time length for therapy. It can be short, medium, or longer term. My goal is to help you to get to a place that you're able to cope and implement the tools given outside of the therapy room. I like to check in with people throughout our time together to receive feedback and to assess your progress in therapy. Once you decide that you no longer want therapy we will prepare for termination. You can always come back even if you have terminated therapy previously.
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