Frequently Asked Questions
What is psychotherapy?
A psychotherapist or psychologist can help you work through problems and help you live happier, healthier and more productive lives. There are several approaches to psychotherapy — including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, systems, and other kinds of talk therapy — that help individuals work through their problems. Psychotherapy is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual and a mental health professional. Grounded in dialogue, it provides a supportive space that allows you to talk openly with someone who’s objective, neutral and nonjudgmental (adapted from apa.org). How does psychotherapy help? For some people, it is hard to imagine that talking can help. Therapy is much more than talking. It is a healing relationship where your feelings about situations are deeply listened to and respected. It is a collaborative process of uncovering exactly what may be troubling you while supporting you in becoming who you want to be. Psychotherapy can help in very specific ways such as reducing distressing symptoms or improving an important relationship, and also in less specific ways such as feeling greater self-confidence and freedom to pursue your goals for life. Can you bill my health insurance? We are able to bill your insurance, though it is always wise to verify that services provided at Milwaukee Psychotherapy Collaborative are included as part of your insurance plan as this varies per plan. Many people chose to not to use their insurance for a number of personal reasons. Insurance companies require a therapist to submit a formal diagnosis that will become part of the individual's health record. Many individuals do not like this being included in their health record. In addition, health insurance companies can dictate what providers you are able to work with and how many sessions that you can receive. In certain circumstances, we are able to offer a fee subsidy to help off-set the coasts associated with mental health care. Please call or come in for a consultation to discuss this further. We offer half-hour consultations for $75.00 to discuss your goals for treatment and ways to make psychotherapy accessible. Can I receive a Good Faith Estimate of the cost of services? Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.
Does confidentiality really mean that everything is confidential? Confidentiality is a respected part of psychology and counseling's code of ethics. We understand that for people to feel comfortable talking about private and revealing information, they need a safe place to talk about anything they'd like, without fear of that information leaving the room. We take your privacy very seriously. In some specific situations, your psychotherapist or psychologist may have to share information without your written consent (adapted from apa.org). The common exceptions are:
How long does psychotherapy or counseling usually take? The length of psychotherapy will vary depending upon your presenting concern and goals. We encourage you to speak to your clinician about your expectations for treatment. What can I expect on my first appointment? For your first session, your provider may ask you to come in a little early to fill out paperwork if you haven’t already done so. Don't worry that you won't know what to do once the session actually begins. It’s normal to feel a little anxious in the first few sessions. Mental health clinicians have experience setting the tone and getting things started. They are trained to guide each session in effective ways to help you get closer to your goals. In fact, the first session might seem like a game of 20 questions. Sitting face to face with you, your therapist could start off by acknowledging the courage it takes to start psychotherapy. He or she may also go over logistical matters, such as fees, how to make or cancel an appointment, and confidentiality, if he or she hasn’t already done so by phone. The purpose of the first meeting is to help the therapist get a good sense of what has brought you to counseling. While understanding the root causes of what is going on may take much more than one session, at the end of that first meeting you should have a sense that your therapist is understanding you and what brought you into treatment. Somewhere around the first few meetings, your provider will work together with you to create a treatment plan. This collaborative goal-setting is important, because both of you need to be invested in achieving your goals (adapted from apa.org). What about medication? Medication can be an important part of any mental health treatment, though it is not usually prescribed in isolation. Studies about successful mental health treatment confirm that medication, when combined with good therapy, likely provides the best results. Not every condition will respond to medication, and not every individual wants medication. This is something that you can speak to your clinician about in depth. The decision to try medication will be made collaboratively with your counselor. If the decision is made to try a medication, your therapist will help to connect you to a psychiatrist or Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner. If you are already taking medication, your therapist can work closely with your physician to ensure that your treatment goals are being met. |