Frequently Asked Questions
It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can be hard to make yourself vulnerable and talk about how you feel, especially if you've had a lot of times when you were misunderstood by others. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. It takes courage to start going to therapy. The fact that you are on this website, looking for help, and reading this right now shows that you are being brave and seeking help.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on for you, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to work with your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.
Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can reach out.
I offer a free phone consultation, and you can use that to ask me about how I have helped other people like you before, how I work as a therapist, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to discuss what's on your mind and we can decide together how I can help. My approach is not going to work for everyone and not everyone needs the services I offer. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.
If something feels too upsetting to discuss, that's normal, and we can go at a pace that feels comfortable for you. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to address and we can work together through the difficult stuff.
You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Your feelings are welcome as are your feelings about how you feel. I'm here to help you with whatever is going on for you and at a pace that works for you.
If you open up to me, I will not think you are crazy. In fact, I will think you are someone who is brave for sharing and who's experience is valid. Many people start out therapy with the same fear, and have found that their experiences are totally understandable and their challenges are real. You might be surprised to find out that in my experience, I’ve learned that while everyone’s struggle is unique, there are a lot of other people out there going through similar challenges. Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgement.
It can be concerning feeling like things you say or do in therapy could "get out." So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else (I can explain this more when we talk!), everything you share with me is completely confidential. I highly respect your privacy and value your trust. If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during a free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.
You might be asking about how long therapy will take because you are currently struggling and want relief fast.
If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing small amounts of growth quickly and you can start learning skills to help in the first few sessions.
By that point, they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives a bit better.
The total duration of therapy varies from client to client, the duration of therapy really varies and depends on your needs and goals. Some clients come for as little as 8-16 weeks, while other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy. It’s important to remember, however, that faster isn’t better and neither is more. Everyone works at their own pace and has their own needs. You and I will work together to find the length of time that works for you.
Overall, you can think of the first session as a free-flowing conversation through which we start getting to know each other. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.
Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:
What brought you to therapy?
Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?
What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?
You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about about my training or what sessions will be like.
The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel calm, heard, and cared for with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.
I'm here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can discuss what's on your mind and we can decide together how I can help.
Email me today to get your free phone consultation at info@ccbh-psychology.com.
No, the practice does not take insurance, at the same time we do provide super-bills that you can submit to your insurance company. Most insurance companies will provide partial reimbursement for out of network coverage.
I believe that diagnoses can be incredibly helpful in guiding clinical care, but only to a point. My main concern is to find out what you are going through and to work with you to figure out the best way to help. Note: A diagnostic code will be required for billing and submitting super-bills to insurance.