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What does it cost?
My fee is in the mid-range for private practice psychotherapy in
the Atlanta Area. We can visit about my fee during our first contact,
before you make your first appointment.
Will my insurance pay for my sessions?
Some plans (usually PPOs) will reimburse for my services; others
(HMOs) require you to choose someone on their list. You
may want to check with your carrier to see if your plan will
cover individual psychotherapy with the Psychologist of your
choice. I request payment at each session, but I am happy to prepare
a monthly statement (which requires me to provide a diagnosis
code) for you to submit to your insurance company. I do
not belong to any managed care provider panels, however, because
I find them too restrictive and not compatible with most people's therapeutic
needs. Also, managed care usually requires sharing private information
with several people, which goes against my ethical standards for
protecting your confidentiality.
I am on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield panel and I have a few slots
for clients who want to use this insurance.back
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What can I expect during the initial appointment?
When we meet for the first time, I will ask why you are wanting
to come to psychotherapy--what you want to work on and accomplish.
I will ask you some, not alot, about your familiy of origin in order
to get a psychological/emotional location for you. I will ask a
few other questions about your past experience with therapy.
Then I will talk about how I approach therapy, particularly
in terms of the map and operating instructions. I do a fair amount
of talking and beginning education in order for you to get an idea
of how I approach therapy. Every therapist has there own unique
approach as I do. This session is for you to see if I feel safe
and comfortable to work with, the atmosphere feels comfortable and
how I work makes sense to you.
If, at the end of the first session, we decide for
any reason that your needs would be better served by someone else,
I will do my best to provide more appropriate referrals. back
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How long will it take?
It is not possible to answer this question accurately, since the
length of treatment depends on your individual needs. After I learn
more about the issues you want to work on, I might be able to provide
you with some idea of how long we might be working together. back
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How long are the sessions?
Sessions are 45 minutes long. We will schedule regular
sessions ususally once a week, at set times, depending on your needs.
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What about medications?
Only psychiatrists and other MDs are licensed to prescribe medication.
I do, however, maintain a close working relationship with a psychiatrist
who is knowledgeable, ethical, and caring. I don't recommend that
all my clients get on medication, but I have seen some very
positive results for non-situational depression and/or anxiety.
If at any point you or I feel that medications might be
helpful, I would recommend that you make an appointment for
an evaluation, however the final choice is always yours. back
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Is it O.K. to pick a therapist out
of the phone book, or
are some much better than others?
Some are much better than others. back
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Is it best to work with a psychotherapist
who specializes
in the particular problem you have?
It depends. You want a therapist who works successfully
with your presenting problem and who is also likely to be able to
work with whatever else turns up. Psychological and life problems
come in all combinations, which is why the more experienced therapists
can cover a wider range. I started off my private practice specializing
in depression, childhood trauma, and adult children of alcoholics
issues. Before long I found myself dealing with a wide range of
issues. Problems that look similar can have very different causes
and underlying dynamics. A counsellor who can only do one thing
is usually working by formula at a superficial level. Few people
fit a formula. However if, as sometimes happens with psychiatrists,
the practitioner is a competent psychotherapist and then chooses
a specialty, that is fine, and could be better for rare problems
that generalists might not have experience with. back
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Why do psychotherapists charge for
the session when
the client is unable to give 24 hours notice?
This is to provide an adequate income for the therapist
while keeping the basic cost of sessions to a minimum. Twenty-four
hours gives the therapist an opportunity to offer the appointment
to someone else. This system is traditional among health care professionals,
though some massage therapists and others who are not very busy
accept shorter cancellations, and some family doctors handle the
matter by overbooking--not an option when appointments are for an
hour.
It is important for a psychotherapist to be consistent and objective
in carrying out his cancellation policy. If he gets involved in
judging how good the client's reason is etc. he makes himself into
an Authority Figure, which may upset the balance of power in the
relationship and disrupt the therapy. (The client may imagine the
therapist to be larger than life, but that is different from the
therapist buying into it.) Furthermore, it is best if the client
feels free to base his attendance on his own needs and does not
confuse the issue with feeling guilty or worrying about the therapist's
income. back
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How should I choose a counsellor or therapist?
If you know someone who can recommend a psychotherapist, this is
probably the best starting point. In the end, however, only you
can determine whether you are likely to be comfortable with someone,
and whether you will be able to be open with them. Ask questions
about their training, experience and qualifications. Satisfy yourself
that they are bona fide and competent. Take common sense
precautions to ensure your safety when meeting a new counsellor.
After an initial session or two, you should know whether you would
be happy to come back, and so begin to establish a trusting relationship
with them. back
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What about confidentiality?
You need to be able to trust your therapist with what are often
very private thoughts and feelings. This should be one of the subjects
covered when you meet for the first time, so that you are clear
about your therapist’s policy and procedures regarding confidentiality.
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How can I get the Most out of Psychotherapy?
From Leonard
Holmes, Ph.D
As a patient or client, most of what happens in therapy depends
on you. You are hiring your therapist to help you change things
in your life.
- It is important to be completely honest with your therapist. He or she can't help you if you withhold important information.
- Take some time after the session to review what was said and to think about how to act on it. A therapy session usually lasts under an hour, but you have many more hours in the week to follow-up on what was said.
- Be sure to do any homework that you were asked to do. Not all therapists assign tasks to do between sessions, but when they are assigned they are important to the process.
- Pay attention to your emotions between sessions. Let your therapist about any patterns that you notice, especially anything out of the ordinary. Write things down and take them to the session if you need to.
Psychotherapy is a partnership. It will be more
effective if you are an active partner. back
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What if I get too dependent on, or
attached to, my therapist?
A common misconception regarding psychotherapy is the fear of losing
one's independence. This fear stems from the mistaken notion
that the therapist somehow takes over the client, making important
life decisions for him or her, telling him or her how to feel, and
so on. Once again, the role of the therapist is more that
of an expert consultant than it is an authoritative boss.
The therapist helps the client to find the confidence to function
more and more independently and confidently in all aspects of life.
To see the ways in which the individual may feel unnecessarily dependent
on others, including the therapist at times, is sometimes a
goal of psychotherapy.
At the same time, it is common for the client to reexperience some
early aspect of childhood relationship with his or her parents in
the context of therapy. In psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy,
in particular, this experience is extremely important and necessary
to reprocess and resolve early conflict with parents.
In this sense, to feel a deep sense of love and attachment to the
therapist can be quite helpful. Building a sense of trust
and emotional intimacy with the therapist helps the client to feel
safe to restructure and understand old patterns. back
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What if I begin to have negative feelings
toward my therapist?
Negative feelings toward the therapist are common at times during
treatment, and may even be essential to make certain types of positive
changes.
In some forms of therapy, the client's early conflicts with his
or her parents are emphasized. In the safe environment
of therapy, the client is encouraged to experience and accept his
or her negative feelings which will likely arise toward the therapist
as a result of reencountering old family conflicts. As helping
the client to experience and examine these feelings is part of the
"job description" of being a therapist, such feelings
are neither "rude" nor unfair. Rather, as the client
begins to feel negatively toward the therapist, he or she can examine
the ways in which he or she attempts to avoid, ignore or displace
these feelings. Recognizing the underlying patterns that were
unknowingly adopted in childhood helps the client to understand
them from a more mature perspective and make changes. back
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What are some of the benefits
of psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy can reduce your level of stress, alleviate your symptoms
of depression and help you to develop better coping skills. As you
work toward overcoming fears of intimacy, you will be able to choose
healthier relationships and/or improve your marriage. As the therapy
progresses, you will begin to find fulfillment in your work or career
and increase your self- confidence.
By resolving old traumas you will better understand yourself, become
more relaxed and at peace and will develop a more hopeful outlook.
Basically, anyone who needs help making a difficult decision, who
wants to change some aspect of him/herself or who is seeking insight
or peace regarding some past incident, can benefit from psychotherapy.
And for more about why, click here.
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