Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why therapy? Can’t I just read a self-help book?
2. What is a Marriage and Family Therapist?
3. How do I choose a therapist?
4. How do I pay for therapy?
1. Why therapy? Can’t I just read a self-help book?
First and foremost, psychotherapy is a relationship between you and your therapist. As Lou Cozolino writes in his book The Neuroscience of Human Relationships (2006), “It is the power of being with others that shapes our brains.” The emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology tells us that friendships, marriage, psychotherapy – really any meaningful relationship can reactivate the neural pathways and actually change the structure of the brain.
How does this happen? It happens through the actual experience of relationship with another person who is compassionate, empathic, and safe. Research shows that it isn’t so much the modality of therapy, but the quality of the therapeutic relationship that allows for transformation. Our wounding happens in the context of relationships, and so must our healing.
2. What is a Marriage and Family Therapist?
Marriage and Family Therapists are licensed therapists who have completed a master’s degree and/or a doctoral degree as well as 3,000 hours of supervised counseling, and state licensing exam. Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists who specialize in relationship issues. The scope of an MFT’s practice can include the treatment of individuals, couples, families, children, and adolescents.
Here at Hope Counseling Center our therapists treat a wide range of issues, such as: anxiety, depression, life stress, attachment challenges (including adult attachment issues), grief and loss, trauma resolution, dealing with the effects of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse or neglect, addictions, divorce, parenting, marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, job stress, life transitions, eating disorders, spiritual issues, and family or origin issues. Our therapists are trained in a variety of treatment modalities including, but not limited to: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, attachment therapy, EMDR, family systems, narrative therapy, psychoanalytic, and gestalt.
3. How do I choose a therapist?
Your relationship with the therapist is the key factor in effective therapy. You want to choose one who has education and experience with the type of issues for which you are seeking help.
We encourage you to read through the individual therapists’ pages to see if there are one or more therapists that might be a good fit for you. If so, please call and we will be happy to talk with you further. When you call the therapist, it is helpful to have some specific questions in mind. In the course of the conversation, you’ll probably begin to have an intuitive sense of whether you want to proceed to make an appointment. The actual in-person appointment with help you and your therapist decide whether you would like to work together.
Each therapist sets their own fees and will talk with you personally to make arrangements for setting the fee and payment. Many clients choose to pay for therapy out-of-pocket or what is also called fee-for-service. If you have a health savings account, we can provide a billing statement for you to submit for reimbursement. Fee-for-service provides the maximum level of confidentiality, since no third party (insurance company) is requesting information regarding your treatment. You and your therapist determine how many sessions you have, not your insurance company. If you choose to use insurance, you need to be aware that they will require information about you, including a mental health diagnosis. The number of sessions is usually limited. Again, statements can be furnished by your therapist to submit for reimbursement.