FAQ

Here is a collection of common questions regarding me, therapy and other topics.  

Credentials
What kind of therapist are you?
What's the difference between psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, and professional counselor?
LPC, LCSW, LMFT... what does it all mean?

Fees & Money
How much do you charge?
Are you willing to negotiate fees?
Do you accept insurance?


Therapy
What goes on in therapy?
What does "Congitive-Behavioral" mean?
I don't know what's wrong with me.
How long before I see results?



Credentials

What kind of therapist are you?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor.  This means that I have gone through graduate school and received a Masters Degree (MA) from an accredited school.  For the state of TN I was required to earn 60 credit hours plus a nine-month internship.  

What's the difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a professional counselor?
Both the social worker and the professional counselor have Masters Degrees.  The social worker is usually trained to enact change in the community, hence "social worker".  The professional counselor is trained to enact that change on an individual level.  However, both, if licensed, can practice psychothrapy.   A psychologist has a doctorate degree and can do both psychotherapy and pschological testing.  A psychologist went to graduate school plus at least a 1 year internship.  Finally, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specific training with psychiatry.   A psychiatrist went through medical school plus a "residency" in psychiatry.  Each professional comes at the issues from a different perspective, usually due to his or her training.

LPC, LCSW, LMFT... what does it all mean?
LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor.  LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. 

Fees & Money

How much do you charge?
My usual fee is $100 per therapy hour.  For group therapy, the fee is $50 per therapy hour.  

Are you willing to negotiate fees?
Occassionally I use a standard sliding scale to determine what is appropriate, if requested.  It is based on income.  The client requesting this is asked to provide proof of income (as well as a reason for this request).
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Do you accept insurance?
No, for a variety of reasons.  Insurance companies want to have updates to "approve" more therapy time.  This requires excessive disclosure about the content of therapy.  Insurance companies also favor quick turn-arounds, which is not therapeutically conducive. 

Therapy

What goes on in therapy?
This is a very hard question to answer.  Therapy is not easily described in words.  We will sit and talk to each other.  We will learn about your current problem, why you are coming to therapy, and how we can change that.  I will give feedback when appropriate.

I don't know what exactly is wrong, but I know there is something wrong.
This is very normal.  Come in and explain to me what is going on in your life that you do not like and we can work from there.  A lot of times, the "presenting problem", or the original reason why people come to therapy, is not the "core problem".

What does "Cognitive-Behavioral" mean?
When I describe myself as a Cognitive-Behavioral therapist, I am saying that I will focus on your thoughts while in therapy.  We will address thinking patterns that lead to behavior patterns.  Cognition simply means thinking.  

How long before I see results?
Also a hard question.  It depends on how much you work in therapy.  It also depends on what the "presenting problem" is.  Some people see improvment quickly while others may need 20 sessions.  I normally recommend 6 sessions before expecting a substantial change.  But 20 sessions is very common as well.  Either way, it will be a while before major changes occur.   However, each session should give you something to take with you and apply to your life.