dOES therapy actually hELP?
Well, yes! In general, mental health counseling / psychotherapy is a cooperative process by which an individual can find solutions and resolution to persistent problems and underlying patterns that keep them from achieving overall satisfaction, enjoying certain aspects of life, or simply "being himself, herself, or themselves". Often time people are struggling with levels of depression, anger, trauma, anxiety or other common issues which present obstacles to satisfying relationships, academic success, connected emotional lives, fulfilling careers, positive self esteem, and other psychological wants and needs. Through psychotherapy, people learn to recognize, confront, and resolve problematic patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving which are related to the difficulties they are currently experiencing in their lives.
Therapy is an effective way to better understand human emotions and, consequently, to enrich one's understanding of their patterns. Individuals can learn to develop more fulfilling, deeper relationships with family and friends, and can often become more successful in their careers and other life pursuits. In addition, as emotional functioning is closely related to physical functioning, mental health counseling can help individuals deal with medical issues such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and many others.
Therapeutic approaches differ in many basic ways, but they all include work with a trained clinician that helps the client, through seeing him or herself in a variety of new ways and from ever-shifting viewpoints, to facilitate change and personal growth.
How long does therapy take?
Because psychological needs and goals vary from individual to individual, there is no easy answer to this question. In general, however, short-term therapy is typically best-suited to individuals who have very specific goals and needs, such addressing an upcoming event or coping with a specific situation. The duration of short term therapy tends to be anywhere from 6 months to a year during which the therapist may be relatively directive, working with the individual to cultivate goal-oriented patterns and behaviors without going deeper in terms of psychological processing.
Contrastingly, long-term therapies tend to be less structured in approach and one can choose to be in active therapy or maintenance therapy for years. Although specific goals and behaviors are targeted, long-term psychotherapy takes the time to go deeper and understand the origins of unwanted feelings and behaviors. This approach can alleviate acute emotional issues and also addresses general life situations that inevitably arise. In addition, long-term therapy is particularly well-suited to addressing more subtle emotional issues, such as pervasive feelings of dissatisfaction. Longer-term therapy also helps people who wish to experience life and relationships in a more satisfying manner. Longer-term therapy encourages the client to explore their personality to uproot certain obstacles and undesirable patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. Although it is a good idea to have a basic understanding of short-term versus long-term psychotherapy, you do not need to make this decision yourself.
In the first few sessions, DeAne will work with you to better understand your goals and will suggest a plan of treatment. At that time also, we will decide together what will be the most effective schedule for your needs as you begin cultivating your forward movement in your life.
Do you Prescribe medication?
No. If necessary, we will make referrals to a psychiatrist who can meet with you and determine if medication may be helpful in alleviating some of your mental health needs. DeAne prides herself in being proactive in creating positive collaborations with local psychiatrists and prefers a team orientated approach when involved in medication management.
Do you Accept INsurance?
Although we are primarily a private pay practice, we do have a few insurances we still accept. If your insurance is not listed, please feel free to still contact your insurance group to check on if you have out of network benefits. You may visit our insurance page for more information.