how can therapy help?

Therapy can be an extremely valuable asset when it comes to navigating relationship conflict, work-life balance issues, high levels of stress, parenting disagreements, family disputes, marriage problems, symptoms associated with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, trauma, and many other complications. Therapy provides a fresh perspective on difficult problems, and can point you in the direction of new solutions. It can also provide you with the support, guidance, and empowerment you need to live a happier, healthier, and more meaningful life.

Why do people go to therapy?

People have many different motivations for seeking therapy. Some are struggling with major life transitions (unemployment, kids, divorce, new job, etc.), while others are unhappy with the state of their job or relationships with others. Others may seek therapy because they are 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 therapy are ready to understand the challenges in their lives, as well as make changes. Therapy helps by providing people support and encouragement, knowledge and understanding, and evidenced-based tools to successfully navigate life's most complicated struggles. 

Do I really need therapy?

In our opinion, everyone can benefit from therapy at some point in their life. Therapy is a means of rediscovering and redefining yourself. It can help you gain different perspectives on the issues you face, and it can help you find new solutions to ongoing problems. By receiving therapy, you are taking care of yourself and nourishing your mind, body, soul... and you're bettering your relationship with yourself, others, and the world around you. Therapy teaches you how to to take your happiness into your own hands, overcome tough obstacles, and change your current situation for the better. Needing therapy doesn't mean you’re damaged, disordered, or that your life is doomed. It means you want to be more fulfilled in life... and that you value self-care, growth, happiness, healing, and personal transformation.

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.

medication vs. therapy?  

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. 

Does what we talk about remain confidential? 

Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust, and can involve discussing highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but the therapist's office. Therefore, confidentiality is one of the most important components in the client-therapist relationship. You may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone else on your behalf at some point (i.e. a friend, family member, or another service provider such as a physician, naturopath, attorney, etc.), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission first. This is called "Informed Consent".

State law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality at all times, except in the following situations:

• Suspected abuse of a child or elderly person

• A client who is threatening to harm someone else

• A client who intends to harm himself or herself 

Should an incident of mandated reporting present itself, we will make every effort to enlist the client's cooperation in reporting.

Do you take insurance?

While health insurance can help offset the cost of therapy and make it more affordable, there can be also be trade-offs in choice, flexibility, and confidentiality when utilizing your health insurance plan. Moreover, insurance can limit the kind or duration of treatment you receive. For these reasons, Seattle Therapy Group has chosen to not be listed as preferred provider on any insurance panels. However, many of our clients are still able to gain reimbursement for some or all of our services through their out of network coverage. If this is the case, we are happy to provide you with monthly invoices to submit to your health coverage plan or employer for reimbursement and/or flex spending purposes at your request.

Please call your insurance carrier to determine what mental health benefits you have, if any. Check your coverage carefully and make sure you gain a clear understanding of your mental health/family therapy reimbursement benefits and how to utilize them before we begin our work together. 

Helpful questions to ask your insurance provider include:

• What are my mental health benefits, if any?

• Do I have out-of-network coverage?

• How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?

• What is the process for obtaining insurance reimbursement?

• Is approval required from my primary care physician prior to receiving therapy services?

• Do you cover both individual counseling and marriage and family therapy services?

• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

• How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?

• Do you only reimburse for certain diagnoses, procedure codes, and/or session lengths?