Healing in Therapy | Letter from a Therapist
September 8, 2023
Letter from a therapist about what healing in therapy entails. How do you know if you’re on the path to healing in therapy? What is your therapist’s role? What is your role?
FAQ
Most Popular therapy related Questions
Therapy Treatment FAQs
Meeting consistently and stably on a weekly basis will help build safety and trust, which is essential for the work to progress on a deeper level. Biweekly sessions impact the effectiveness of therapy.
Often, meeting less frequently results in a ‘catch up’ type of session and does not allow for the time, space, and emotional capacity needed to address what goes on beneath the surface.
Depending on the level of our work, there are also times when meeting two or more times a week is appropriate, and that will always come from us talking and making that decision together.
Therapy can last any time between a year to many more, as long as you are still progressing from our work. The length of therapy depends on what you want and need, and what you want/need can be fluid and dynamic.
Healing and personal growth is not strict or predictable. You can start off by wanting to address something very specific (e.g. “I want to feel less anxious”), but through our work together could realize a deeper meaning to these anxious symptoms (e.g. “I feel anxious because I am terrified of intimacy” to “I’ve had very familiar experiences of being emotionally suffocated when I was close to people”). Realizing these deeper long-standing issues may then shape the focus and length of treatment.
Regardless of why you are seeking therapy and how long you hope to be in treatment, it is important to remember that your thoughts and input are invaluable to us, and the pace and length of treatment will always be a collaborative discussion.
No information will be released without your written consent unless mandated by law. Possible exceptions to confidentiality include but are not limited to the following situations: child abuse; abuse of the elderly or disabled; criminal prosecutions; situations where the client is a danger, physically or emotionally, to themselves or another person.
Anyone who wants a space to explore and discover more about themselves can benefit from therapy. If you’re unsure, try asking yourself these questions:
- Am I content with the way I live my life?
- Is the way I live myself and relate to others congruent with what I authentically value , feel, and want?
- Are there areas of my life or self-development that I feel stuck in?
- Have I been trying the same things over and over again to feel better, expecting different results, but still feeling stagnant?
You may not need to know the full answer to these questions to try a few sessions. Sometimes, mulling this over aloud with a therapist can help you sort out your thoughts and answers. That’s also part of the therapy process!
Here are 3 simple steps.
Virtual Therapy FAQs
Online therapy, also known as teletherapy, online counseling, and virtual therapy, is the delivery of psychotherapy via a modern video platform that’s confidential and secure.
There are so many benefits to online therapy. Access to quality counseling services expands beyond a confined office space. Geographic location does not have to be a limiting factor in your search for a therapist you feel safe with and can trust to guide you through your mental health journey.
Don’t settle for anyone just because they are available at a certain location. Therapy is a vulnerable process, and it’s so important to find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with.
Maybe you’re too overwhelmed and overcommitted to even think about calculating travel time or rearranging your schedule to commute to therapy. Or maybe medical or mental health matters make it complicated. Professionals and students can prioritize their mental health despite busy schedules.
Online therapy gives you the flexibility of taking care of your mental health from the comfort of your home, office, or car.
We provide online therapy in the states of District of Columbia, New York, and New Jersey.
Online therapy, also known as teletherapy, online counseling, and virtual therapy, is the delivery of psychotherapy via a modern video platform that’s confidential and secure. The platform we use is called Doxy. This can be used on a laptop, phone, or tablet as long as there’s internet connection. No downloads or signing up required. Just click on the link at the time of our appointnment, enter your name, and you’ll be in the virtual ‘waiting room’ until we start the session.
It’s important to note that the nature of electronic communications technologies is such that there are still risks associated with participating in telehealth including, but not limited to, the possibility that despite reasonable efforts and safeguards on our part, sessions could be disrupted or distorted by technical failures and/or interrupted or accessed by unauthorized persons. To minimize this risk or any other disruptions, see below.
Take some time to find a comfortable private space where you can feel safe enough to be real and vulnerable. This can be anywhere – your bedroom, office, bathroom, your car, or even a walk in a quiet park – as long can you can be undisturbed by others and can speak freely without worrying that others will hear you.
If you are in a room and want additional privacy, you can also have white noise or a podcast playing right outside your room. This drowns out the noise so that others outside of the room cannot hear your session inside.
Next, make sure that your internet connection is good. Test your internet connect on the video platform we use. If it’s not stable, you can close programs running in the background, pause large downloads, and move closer to your router. This should improve your overall connection quality.
Online therapy may not be suitable for you in these situations…
1. You have a serious or complex psychiatric condition that requires intensive treatment such as addictions, active suicidal/homicidal thoughts, or psychosis.
2. You are in a crisis situation that requires a high level of support and intervention.
3. You don’t feel comfortable using technology for therapy sessions.
4. You do not have reliable internet access or technology. Understandably, frozen screens and dropped calls are inherent risks associated with teletherapy. However, if this is an ongoing issue in your day-to-day, in-person therapy may be a better option.
5. You do not have regular access to a private disruption-free environment.
Insurance & Payments FAQs
A 45-minute individual therapy session is between $150 to $250 depending on the therapist you work with and modality (individual versus couples). A sliding scale fee is available depending on financial need. You choose which payment method works best. You have the option of making payments by credit card, HSA/FSA, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle. Contact us to inquire about rates for the specific therapist you would like to work with.
We are out-of-network providers for all major insurances, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, and United Health Care.
Out-of-network psychotherapy coverage varies by carrier and policy. If you have out-of-network coverage, you can get reimbursed approximately 50-80% of each session after the deductible is met. It can be confusing if you don’t know the right questions to ask. Here is some guidance below.
Navigating insurances can be a headache sometimes, but once we figure out the process, it should get easier. The questions to ask are listed below. It’s helpful for some people to find out just so you know your options when you want to see an out-of-network provider.
Step 1:
I’m an out-of-network provider. To find out if you have out-of-network benefits, you can call the number listed on the back of your insurance card and ask the following questions.
Does my plan have out-of-network coverage for outpatient mental health visits? (If they need to know, the CPT code for individual therapy is 90834 and the CPT code for couples therapy is 90847)
Are teletherapy sessions covered? (If they ask, the place of service code is 02)
Is there a deductible (aka the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket each year before the insurance starts covering the costs) for these visits? If so, what is the deductible and how much have I met?
Is there a limit on the number of sessions my plan will cover per year?
What is the ‘allowed amount’ for CPT code 90834 or 90847?
How much will my plan reimburse each visit once I reach the deductible?
How do I submit the Superbill to you? Is there a way for me to submit it online? (this may be an easier way compared to snail mail)
How long does it take to process the Superbill and get reimbursed?
How will I get reimbursed?
Step 2:
I can guide you through the reimbursement process and provide the paperwork you need to submit a claim to your health insurance for reimbursement. Most clients are able to submit this through their online insurance portal.
Step 3:
You’re responsible for payment of the session fee. Depending on your specific plan, your insurance company will mail you a check to reimburse a portion of that cost.
In order to avoid disruptions that may impact both you and other clients, there are two important policies related to appointments:
(1) Lateness – If you are late, we will end on time to avoid running over into the next person’s session.
(2) To avoid cancellation charges, please call/text/email to cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours in advance, or you will be charged fully for the missed appointment. The fee does not apply if we are able to reschedule for another time within that week that works for both of our schedules.
That being said, we understand that in extreme circumstances, there may be emergencies that keep you from giving proper notice. In such cases, we’ll discuss, and the fee may be waived.
We accept Zelle, Venmo, Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and credit/debit cards.
Prioritize Your Mental Health And Self-Care From The Comfort Of Your Home.
Schedule a phone consult here. We’ll chat about any questions you might have, and it’ll be an opportunity for us to learn more about you and what you’re going through.
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