Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.
What about medication vs. psychotherapy?
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
How can Therapy Help me?
Therapy is an individualized journey with multiple ways of reaching an end destination. Some people seek therapy with specific goals in mind while others come with less defined objectives. In either case, benefits are achievable.
Therapists are trained to provide support, problem-solve along side a client, and enhance coping strategies for difficult feelings or stressful situations. Therapist provide a safe place to explore and process without the constraints of judgement or biases, all while being protected through confidentiality.
People seek out therapy for a variety of reasons. Some include depression, anxiety, relationship problems, LGBT+ exploration, addiction, spiritual conflicts, life transitions, body issues, stress, grief, and more.
Therapy helps by providing the opportunity to gain greater understanding of you, your feelings, and your struggles. It provides a consistent focus on your personal growth and development. Often people will feel the benefits in the way they feel emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.
Benefits of therapy depend on your personal goals but often include increased self-esteem, mood management skills, healthier relationships, better management of stress, the healing of wounds, advanced problem solving skills, decreased emotional pain, and increased communication skills.
Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.
While it is true that most people are managing their current situation, it is likely that a fresh, unbiased perspective can help illuminate patterns that were previously unnoticed. For many, receiving extra support allows them to move from surviving to thriving. Understanding yourself, your situation, and your choices more clearly often leads to greater control in your life's direction.
What is Therapy like?
Therapy is a unique experience, different for each individual. In general, you can expect to discuss what brought you in, current events in your life, and your personal history. You can expect to talk about your feelings and patterns in your life that you may, or may not be aware of. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or on-going, to deal with layered issues or deeply engrained patterns. Another reason people opt for on-going treatment is for more personal development. It is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).
Our stance on medication
While we value the contribution of pharmacological therapy, we know that this is only one treatment approach. Many people would like alternative options to psychotropic medications in supplementing their mental health. We respect this preference.
4 Directions Integrative Mental Health values holistic care. This means we honor the connected nature of a person, including their physical, emotional, mental, social, and/or spiritual needs. This idea that one area of a person’s life affects another area of their life is what drives our integrative health approach. We honor the idea that there are natural ways of achieving goals and are prepared to utilize them when appropriate.
Our aim is to explore your goals and develop a integrate approach of safely achieving them. Generally, we seek to integrate consistent psychotherapy into these goals for the most effective results.
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you should do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:
- What are my mental health benefits?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.
However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:
* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders requires therapists to report to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.