FAQs

I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?

Not at all. For a long time, mental health has had a stigma attached to it. If you have a sprained ankle you would call the doctor, if you have anxiety, you call the therapist! People who ask for help and know when they need it are usually people who have tried to help themselves first but find it makes more sense to consult the professionals. Everyone needs help now and then. In our work together, I’ll help you explore and identify your strengths and how to use them to reduce the influence of the problems you are facing.

Is therapy expensive?

A thorough evaluation and good therapy is an investment of your time and financial resources, there is no getting around it. There are many factors to consider, such as insurance coverage for out-of-network benefits, presenting issue, desired outcome, etc. Let us know your situation and we will try to help you understand the financial impact so you can plan accordingly! Please read more about this here.

My schedule is tight/I live far away from your office, can we do telehealth sessions instead of in-person?

Yes! My practice offers HIPAA compliant telehealth. I can serve anyone in the state of New York through telehealth sessions (Syracuse, Utica, New York City, Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, Watertown, etc.). Contact your insurance company to ensure coverage.

What’s the difference between talking to you or my best friend or family?

Friends and family are essential support systems, we agree. Working with a trained professional can offer many important benefits in addition to those natural supports: an outside perspective, evidence-based interventions, a non-judgmental space to share and listen to yourself, and a dedicated time to focus on your own goals without having to reciprocate in the same ways you would a friend/family member. Counseling is completely confidential. Keep your friends your friends, your coworkers your coworkers and get a therapist to work through mental health issues with; you’ll thank yourself in the long run!

Why shouldn’t I just take medication?

Medication is another resource for some individuals and sometimes, a life-saving resource. Depending on your situation, I can help you decide whether therapy might be an added benefit to your situation. Sometimes medication and counseling combined provides the best outcome. Medication does not teach new skills or perspectives, but can help an individual to be more open and able to focus on learning new skills and perspectives in therapy.

How does it work? What is therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for counseling, it will be different depending on the individual. A mental health therapist/counselor can guide you on how to best use your time during session if you are unsure. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs and will clearly discuss any recommendations with you or your family. 

Initially, we gather history and information about current functioning and what brings you to counseling. Then we develop a treatment plan together, where we can identify some short-term and long-term goals you would like to achieve, and define how we will achieve those goals. Therapy should not be a mystery, you should feel like an active participant in the process.

How long will it take?

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time counseling can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek counseling in the first place. 

My goal is to help you get back to living your life using your own resources and natural supports as quickly as possible!

I want to get the most out of my therapy or evaluation. What can I do to help?

Your active participation, dedication and honesty will be crucial to your success. Ask questions of your therapist, do the work outside of session and provide feedback on the interventions. Therapists only get 1 hour every week or two, the real work happens outside the therapy office and we will help you better if we know how it’s going!

What is the difference between an “Evaluation” and “Therapy”. 

Everyone starts out with an evaluation. This is one or two sessions where we gather family history, history of the problems, identify strengths, identify current symptoms and explore whether it would be a good therapeutic “fit” for you, meaning, would we work well together and can I help you achieve your goals?  

ADHD Evaluations are a little different in that the evaluation period can last a little longer (1-4 sessions, depending on the situation).