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 good evaluations 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, but having a trained professional look at things from an outside perspective is often a great addition to your supports. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, 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.

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 type of treatment plan where you will participate in what goals you would like to achieve and we would agree on how to 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”, or that we would work well together and I think I can help you. 

ADHD Evaluations are a little different in that the evaluation period can last a little longer (1-4 sessions, depending on the situation), and once the evaluation is complete, the client will receive a written report and then the relationship will end.