What’s the difference between a Marriage and Family Therapist and other counselors?
Marriage and Family Therapist are uniquely positioned to treat relational difficulties. Our training deals specifically with understanding family, couple and relational dynamics as they relate to mental health. As part of our training, we are taught to look at people within the context of what helped create some of those mental health symptoms. To gain licensure, we are expected to undergo hundreds of hours specifically working with families and couples. This orientation is particularly useful for individual therapy as well, because it can help create additional perspective that allows a person to shift thinking, and create new relational patterns.
What can I expect from therapy?
I encourage an open, warm, and safe environment where client’s can open up about what’s bothering them. For many people the idea of talking about their problems is scary, because avoidance is often a main way of coping with what feels too difficult to handle on our own. By creating a safe environment, I hope we can develop a therapeutic relationship where you feel comfortable changing coping strategies that are no longer working for you. At the end of the day, it’s about what you are looking to achieve with therapy, and I view myself as a consultant helping you toward those goals.
How long are sessions?
Sessions are typically 55 minutes. In cases where couples are experiencing a lot of gridlocked conflict, 110-minute sessions are also available and are planned as part of the client’s overall treatment plan.
What if I am not ready to have my partner or family in session?
Individual therapy is always an option. During the collaborative treatment planning process, we will discuss your goals and how best to achieve them.
Do you take my insurance?
I accept a variety of insurance carriers, and many insurances also offer out of network benefits. Please contact your insurance provider to understand whether you have a deductible, and whether the deductible has been met for the calendar year.
Do I need therapy if I am taking medication?
Medication works to change brain chemistry. Therapy works to change how you view the world. Medication can support the therapy process by alleviating some of the physical symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, so you are better able to examine beliefs and perspectives that are no longer supporting your highest self. Medication alone will not change the lens you use to view the world.
How long do I need to be in therapy?
My goal is to help you achieve your goals. I encourage open dialog about where we are within the process, while also knowing that the process is far from being a straight line. Often people are not sure where they want to go with the process, and part of the work becomes figuring out what’s important to client’s mental health. It’s important for me to try and meet you where ever you are in your mental health journey.