FAQs

Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you’ve faced, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you’re at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

At this time, I am only an out of network provider.

Why I Don't Accept Insurance:

Ensuring Quality and Personalized Care

At LifeHealingHeart, my primary commitment is to provide you with the highest quality of personalized care. By not accepting insurance, I can devote more time and attention to each client, tailoring sessions to your unique needs without the constraints often imposed by insurance companies.

Protecting Your Privacy

Your confidentiality and privacy are of utmost importance. Insurance companies often require detailed personal information and treatment plans for reimbursement purposes. By not involving them, your sensitive information stays strictly between you and your counselor, ensuring your privacy is fully protected.

Avoiding Diagnostic Labels

Insurance companies typically require a mental health diagnosis for reimbursement. This can lead to unnecessary labeling, which might not accurately reflect your situation or could become part of your permanent medical record. By opting out of insurance, I can focus on your well-being without the need for potentially stigmatizing labels.

Flexibility in Treatment

Insurance plans often come with restrictions on the type, duration, and frequency of therapy. This can limit the therapeutic process and hinder your progress. Without these constraints, I can offer more flexible and innovative approaches tailored to your specific journey towards healing.

Transparent and Simple Pricing

I believe in transparency and simplicity when it comes to costs. Without the complexity of insurance billing, I can offer straightforward pricing and payment options. This means you always know what to expect, and there are no surprise fees or complicated paperwork to manage.

Enhancing Therapeutic Relationship

A strong therapeutic relationship is built on trust, consistency, and mutual understanding. By eliminating the middleman (insurance companies), we can focus on building a stronger, more effective therapeutic alliance that prioritizes your needs above all else.

Commitment to Your Long-Term Well-being

Insurance-driven therapy often emphasizes short-term solutions due to reimbursement limitations. My approach is to support your long-term well-being, focusing on sustainable and meaningful progress rather than quick fixes. This holistic approach is best facilitated outside the constraints of insurance policies.

Your Choice Matters

I understand that not accepting insurance may require a greater financial commitment. However, many clients find the investment worthwhile for the benefits of a more personalized and confidential therapeutic experience. I am committed to working with you to find the best possible solutions and offer various payment options to make therapy accessible, and offer a generous sliding scale.

To determine if you have out of network mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, the first thing you can do is call them. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you understand their answers. Some helpful questions you can ask them:

What are my mental health benefits?
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and psychotherapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist’s office. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Physician, Naturopath, Attorney), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children and elders.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client has threatened to harm another person.

What is therapy like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session. Depending on your specific needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or your desire for more personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly).

It is important to understand that you will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, your therapist may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals. People seeking psychotherapy are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives, and take responsibility for their lives.

Why do people go to therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to psychotherapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (marriage, new child, unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, spiritual conflicts, and creative blocks. Therapy can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these periods. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people seeking psychotherapy are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make changes in their lives.

What about medication vs. psychotherapy?

It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the cause of our distress and the behavior patterns that curb our progress. You can best achieve sustainable growth and a greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what’s best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.