FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I find a therapist that’s right for me?

Finding a therapist that is a good fit for you is an important aspect of engagement in the therapy process.  I encourage everyone I know to read about a prospective therapist on their business website or on their professional profiles on sites like Psychology Today and Facebook to see if the therapist’s experience and area of focus fit your needs.  I also encourage people to call the therapist and talk to them to see if you feel like they would be a good match.  Many therapists offer free brief consultations via telephone.  At Awakening Prosperity Therapy, I offer a free 20 minute telephone consultation to assess whether I am a good match for what you are looking for.  You can reach me by phone at (253) 368-7560 or by email at AwakeningProsperityTherapy@gmail.com.

What is tele-mental health or online therapy?

Tele-mental health is a way to deliver professional mental health services over a secure online platform that protects your Personal Health Information (PHI) and abides by HIPPA laws.  Online therapy allows clients to attend session where ever they are in the state of Washington without having to come into a physical clinic or office for services.  As long as you feel that you have adequate privacy and are comfortable in the location you are in (i.e. your home, your office, your car) then we can conduct therapy sessions over a secure video platform (like Zoom).

How does tele-mental health or online therapy work?

After you schedule your appointment, I will send you an email with a unique link to a secure video conferencing platform.  At the time of your scheduled appointment, you simply follow the link and join me in a secure conference room.  You can join me on your computer, tablet or smart phone.  It is important to ensure that you have access to a reliable internet connection.  I conduct therapy in a secure office over high speed internet.  No one but me has access to your files or my professional records.

Who is or isn’t a good fit for tele-mental health/online therapy?

Research shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person clinical services.  Research indicates that the consistent support delivered in weekly or every other week services has a significant impact on change in a client’s life.  So, in some cases, clients may have even better results from online therapy simply for the convenience it affords them.  Getting to a therapy session can be a challenge either due to transportation, traffic or timing.

Online therapy is well suited for those who have access to the internet, have basic skills to maneuver emails and applications, have a private location to have therapy, and have one or more problem areas in their life they would like support with.  Online therapy services are not well suited for those that have persistent and/or chronic mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or psychosis; those who are engaging in self harming or suicidal behaviors; couples with active domestic violence; or young children.

Are there issues or types of clients you do not work with?

 

What is your role as a therapist?

I see my role as a supportive coach and consultant.  Follow me here for a minute… Life is a journey that holds many beautiful sights, rich experiences and fun, lively adventures but at times gets rough.  If it was easy to navigate around those tough times you probably would not be considering the help of a therapist.  I see my role as an adviser on your journey – I am like guide that provides insights, available options, highlights possible outcomes by taking various routes and helps you understand the pitfalls you’ve experienced in the past.  Like that adviser, I am not always with you but accessible to you when needed through weekly sessions and by phone or email in between until you are able to successfully navigate around life’s challenges.

 

What should I expect at the first session?

During the first session, you will complete paperwork about yourself, discuss what brings you in, and start establishing goals for therapy.  It’s also a time for you to get to know more about me and my approach to therapy.

 

What does therapy look like after the first session?

After our initial intake session, we will meet and spend approximately an hour a week talking.  I may encourage you to do some activities outside of our therapy sessions.  But, generally, it is my goal to have our sessions feel comfortable and casual – just two people talking.  At times I may challenge you to think about something you have shared from a different perspective or to apply a skill you have learned.  But again, we are just two people talking and I am your adviser, not an expert on your life.

 

How long does therapy last?

The therapeutic process is unique for each client.  In the early states, we talk about what you’d like to see changed in your life and develop goals that will guide our work together.  As you meet each goal, we will discuss whether other goals could be added and what that would look like.  But, it’s not uncommon for people to be working towards goals and discover that those goals are not truly what lights them up or perhaps the original goals are not something they are ready for just yet in life; in any case, we will alter our course of work together.  Although we set goals in therapy, attaining those goals is not the measure of success. To me, the measure of success is that my clients feel they are supported so they can find their voice, learn new skills and try new or different things that were previously outside their comfort zone.  The process of therapy is where we measure success not merely the outcome of attaining goals.  Thus, if clients decide to end therapy prior to attaining a goal, that’s perfectly okay.  We end when clients feel ready.

 

Do you accept my insurance?

I am an in-network provider for Lyra Health.  Please see the Services page for more information.  I can provide you a detailed receipt of services that you can submit to your insurance plan in an attempt to get partial or full reimbursement for out-of-network mental health services.  You can also utilize your Health Savings Account to pay for therapy if you wish to pay out of pocket.  I also accept personal MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.

 

What’s the benefit to paying out of pocket?

In order for your insurance to cover therapy services, you have to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. You might not be comfortable with a mental health diagnosis being a part of your medical record.  Or, perhaps you do not feel you meet the criteria for a mental health “disorder” but would still like to work with a therapist to get ideas and support.  In full transparency, insurance companies do have the right to request copies of your medical records such as intake assessment records and treatment plans to ensure that services your are receiving are justified.

Additionally, many insurance companies won’t pay for couples therapy so one person in the dyad would need to be the identified client and receive a diagnosis.  In any case, when using insurance, our therapy goals need to correlate to the diagnosis on record and why you are seeking therapy services.  For couples, this can often exacerbate existing conflict by causing one partner to feel as though they are the “problem” in the relationship or the other partner to feel absolved of any responsibility to the existing conflict.  To be clear, I view couples’ issues as problems between two people not within the people.

If you have other questions that were not answered here or elsewhere on my page, I encourage you to reach out to me by email at AwakeningProsperityTherapy@gmail.com or by phone at (253) 368-7560.