How do I know if the treatment will be beneficial?
Some therapy success “metrics”—like developing your self-awareness and insight—are measures that often perplex patients the most because they feel less tangible. Say you’re receiving therapy that’s insight-oriented: Success would mean that your insight has deepened. In other words, you understand yourself, your feelings, and your behaviors more than you did before therapy started.
Another helpful measure to look at is whether you’re actually implementing the mental health tools you’re learning. You also know therapy is working if you are doing the skills you have learned in session outside of session and seeing that it works or helps. This might feel similar to behavior change but tends to be a bit less objective. “Therapy [might be] working if you are able to set better boundaries, trust yourself and your decisions without reassurance seeking, validate yourself and others, or prioritize your needs and demands in a more balanced way.
How long will my treatment go on for?
With therapy, there usually is no set length of treatment. Therapy can last anywhere from one session to several months or even years. It all depends on what you want and need. Some people come to therapy with a very specific problem they need to solve and might find that one or two sessions is sufficient. Other people come to therapy with more complicated issues they are grappling with and may feel they need a few months or more to understand and resolve their issues. Other people come with long-standing problems or difficult feelings and may benefit from longer-term therapy.
How can therapy help me?
You Deserve Support!
Therapy can help people cope with a wide range of experiences. Anyone can enjoy the benefits of Therapy, whether you want to set life goals or establish healthy relationships. You don’t need to be in a debilitating crisis to get support.
If people are proactive about their mental health, they can prevent their concerns from festering into a larger problem. Therapy can provide relief from symptoms and restore one’s quality of life. It can help people learn how to be themselves again.
Everyone has emotional challenges. In today’s America, solutions are available to more people than ever. No one needs to suffer alone.
What about medication vs. therapy?
Personalizing Your Treatment
Different people respond to treatments differently. Therefore, if one treatment does not help, try adding the other. Research shows that Therapy can be helpful even for people who do not respond well to medications. Therapy and medications both require that you stick with the treatment. Results usually do not happen overnight. Therefore, only start a treatment if you are willing to continue it long enough for it to help you.You will be most likely to stick with a treatment if it makes sense to you. Therefore, it’s important that you discuss the treatment thoroughly with your Therapist, and that the treatment is explained in a way that you can understand. When in doubt, ask again. Your Therapist can inform you of the best evidence and make a specific recommendation for your condition.
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 exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:
Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police.
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.
What is therapy like?
Every therapy session is unique and caters to an individual and their specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during therapy sessions.It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around fifty minutes.
Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth.
There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. It is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life between sessions.
For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. People seeking therapy 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:
- Real strategies for enacting positive change
- Self-compassion, respect and understanding
- Perspectives to illuminate negative patterns & feelings
- Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance
Do you take insurance?
Services such as therapist visits, group therapy, and emergency mental healthcare are typically covered by health insurance plans. Rehabilitative services for addiction are also included.