FAQs

Our office is open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

We maintain a flexible schedule based on client needs and therapist availability. In addition to traditional hours, we offer early morning, late evening, and weekend appointments.

Please CONTACT US to schedule an appointment if you would like to receive services.

We offer a free 30-minute consultation, in-person, via video chat, or by phone, if you are interested in speaking with a therapist before starting services to see if therapy is right for you.

We understand that our clients sometimes need to cancel their appointments. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call us as soon as possible.

We require 24-hours’ notice for cancellation or rescheduling of sessions. We charge a $75 late-cancellation fee for sessions missed with less than 24 hours notice, as well as a $75 no-show fee for missed sessions with no notice given, in most circumstances.

Fees charged vary depending on services provided.

Our 60-minute regular session fee is $150. If you cannot afford our regular session fee and the cost is a barrier to you receiving therapy, please contact us to discuss available reduced fee options.

Payment is required at the time of services. Acceptable forms of payment include credit card, debit card, cash, or check.

While we work mostly with private clients, at this time we do accept a very limited number of insurance clients. If you are being seen via an insurance company, we will either bill your insurance carrier for in-network services or provide you with documentation required to request reimbursement from your insurance carrier for out-of-network services.

We are an in-network provider for a limited number of insurance companies. It is important for you to verify your mental health benefits so you understand your coverage prior to your appointment. Some insurance companies require a precertification before the first appointment or they will not cover the cost of services. Please note that you may be responsible for a co-pay amount as well as for fees billed but not paid by your insurance company.

We are considered out-of-network provider for most insurance companies. We can provide you with a detailed statement in order for you to file for reimbursement with your insurance carrier. To determine what your actual cost of counseling would be, contact your insurance provider regarding your coverage benefits and procedures for reimbursement and ask: 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?

Initial session are generally scheduled for 90 minutes in order for your therapist to complete an assessment interview with you. Subsequent sessions are usually scheduled for 60 minutes, often on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The frequency of sessions may change because of indications that more or less sessions would better facilitate your goals.

How long you are in therapy before seeing results depends mainly on what your issue is and how much ‘work’ you are willing to do on your issue. In fact, more than any other factor, the overall duration of therapy is up to you.

Research has found that the effectiveness of therapy is determined by the client’s willingness or resistance to change (40%), the quality of the relationship between the client and the therapist (30%), the client’s expectation or hopefulness that change is possible (15%), and the model or technique of treatment used by the therapist (15%).

Your first session with your therapist will be different from future visits. The initial visit is a period for you and your therapist to get to know one another and get an overall idea of how to proceed.

Future sessions will be more therapeutic in nature.

Keep in mind that psychotherapy can be a long term process and it is unrealistic to expect instant solutions to problems on the first day. Therapy is about equipping you with life-long solutions rather than a quick fix.

During the first session you will be asked about what brings you to therapy, about what you feel is wrong in your life, any symptoms you are experiencing, and your history. History-taking may cover such things as your childhood, education, relationships, your living situation, and your career. You may discuss the length of your treatment, the methods to be employed, and client confidentiality as well.

In subsequent sessions, your therapist will work with you on clearly defining your issue and help you to set and work on goals you want to accomplish.

Your therapist will typically review events in your life since your last session and work with you on analyzing these events. Your therapist may also explore events in your not-so-recent past with you. In discussing your life, your therapist may allow you to take the lead, or may ask you questions, or may share ideas.

In some instances, your therapist may assign ‘homework’ tasks for you to accomplish in your day-to-day life.

Approaches to psychotherapy fall into five broad categories which include:

1. Psychodynamic Therapy

2. Behavior Therapy (such as aversion therapy)

3. Cognitive Therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy and rational emotive therapy)

4. Humanistic Therapy (such as gestalt therapy)

5. Non-Traditional Therapy (such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, better known as EMDR)

Our therapists typically use an integrated approach, blending elements from different treatment models and tailoring interventions according to each client’s needs.

Practice methods may include discussion, analysis, and role-play. With younger clients, age-appropriate interventions such as play therapy, sand tray therapy, and art therapy may be utilized.

Yes, we do offer online therapy sessions via secure, confidential video chat.

The terms ‘counseling’ and ‘psychotherapy’ are sometimes used interchangeably, and although they have a similar meanings there are some important distinctions.

Counseling is a conversation or series of conversations, usually focusing on a specific problem and the steps required to address or solve it. Counseling usually refers to a brief treatment that focuses on emotional, behavioral, or social problems in the present, with little attention on the role of past experiences.

Psychotherapy typically has a longer duration than counseling. Some people participate in therapy off and on over a period of years. Instead of narrowing in on specific problems, psychotherapy considers behavioral patterns, chronic issues, and recurrent feelings. This requires an openness to exploring the past and its impact on the present. The aim of psychotherapy is to resolve the underlying issues which fuel ongoing complaints.

No, we do not provide crisis or emergency services.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in an emotional crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. They are available 24 hours a day.

LCSW stands for ‘licensed clinical social worker’. In Florida, it is a credential that signifies that the bearer has completed required graduate-level clinical coursework and clinical practice and has earned a masters degree in social work at a university accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, has completed post-graduate experience under the supervision on a Board-qualified licensed clinical social worker, has completed training in laws and rules and prevention of medical errors, and has passed the national clinical level examination developed by the Association of Social Work Boards.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, professional social workers are the nation’s largest group of mental health service providers. There are more clinically trained social workers than psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurses combined. Federal law and the National Institutes of Health recognize social work as one of five core mental health professions.

Psychologists have a doctoral degree in psychology and five years of graduate training in psychology. Psy.D. psychologists have the same training as those with the Ph.D., but there is less emphasis on research and experimental methods. Most state require one to two year of supervised experience after graduation for full licensure.

Psychiatrists have graduated from medical school and completed a resident program in psychiatric care. Some psychiatrists are board-certified, indicating they have received additional training beyond medical school and a psychiatric residency. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication to clients.

Advanced psychiatric nurses work as clinical nurse specialists or registered nurse practitioners and hold a master’s degree or higher in psychiatric mental health nursing. They are able to assess patients, diagnose disorders, provide psychotherapy, and prescribe medication in some states.