FAQs

what to expect, how to pay, and how to get started

Do I need therapy? How might therapy help me?

Therapy may be recommended when any type of mental health or emotional concern affects daily life or causes distress. It can help you learn about what you’re feeling, why you might be feeling it, and how to cope. Therapy also helps people understand that they can do something to improve their situation.

What’s the difference between talking to you versus my best friend or a family member?

The difference is between someone who can do something and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, therapy is completely confidential. You won’t have to worry about others “knowing my business.” Lastly, if your situation provokes a great deal of negative emotion, if you’ve been confiding in a friend or family member, there is the risk that once you are feeling better you could start avoiding that person so you aren’t reminded of this difficult time in your life.

How confidential is it?

As a therapist, you are obligated to uphold your profession’s ethical standards. Your clients have a right to privacy, and you have a duty to hold up your end of the bargain by respecting that right. The only exception here is if the client is an imminent and violent threat towards themselves or others. We are then legally obligated to break confidentiality.

Do you provide in-person or online counseling?

Due to COVID-19, all counseling sessions are currently conducted via a secure, HIPPA compliant, and easy-to-use telehealth platform (similar to Zoom or Skype). We recommend finding a quiet, private place for your sessions.

How does therapy work? What do I have to do in sessions?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, the healing process will be different depending on the individual. Your therapeutic approach will be specific to your needs.

What should I expect from my first therapy session?

Most likely, you’ll find yourself talking about your current symptoms or struggles, as well as saying a bit about your relationships, your interests, your strengths, and your goals. Most importantly, you will begin making a connection with your therapist.

How often should we meet and how long will it take to reach my intended goals?

To begin, we will meet once a week. It’s important to gain some momentum in the beginning by meeting weekly, or progress can stall out. Once some or all of your goals are met, meeting less often will make sense.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to say exact time requirements on a general FAQ page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them. The length of time therapy can take to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors driving you to seek therapy in the first place.

How do I get the most out of therapy?

We’re so glad you are dedicated to getting the most out of your sessions. Your active participation and dedication are crucial to your success. After all, we only see each other for one session a week. It’s the work you do outside of our sessions that will really help you see your personal growth and development.

It’s also important to stay dedicated, even when it’s hard. It can be frustrating because therapy is supposed to make you feel better. In actuality, it is normal to occasionally feel bad or worse after therapy, especially during the beginning of your work with a therapist. It can be a sign of progress. As counterintuitive as it may sound, feeling bad during therapy can be good.

My partner and I are having problems. Should we be in individual counseling or come together?

If you are concerned about your relationship, and you would both like to work with me, I would initially work with both of you together. After this work, if you would like to continue in individual sessions, I would recommend you both to find an individual therapist, because of the conflict from a dual relationship.

I am seeking couples counseling for a nontraditional couple, can you help us?

Absolutely! We work with all kinds of couples, including those that identify as non-monogamous, non-cis-het, and non-gender binary. Everyone is welcomed, valued, & respected at Amani.

Will my insurance cover the cost of services?

DeLorean works with a number of health care providers. Depending on your current coverage, it is possible for services to be covered in full or in part. Please contact your provider to verify how your plan compensates you for psychotherapy services.

We recommend discussing these questions with your insurance provider to help determine your benefits:
– Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?
– Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it, and have I met it yet?
– Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
– Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?

What happens after I exhaust EAP benefits?

Employee Assistance Programs will cover the cost of services for a predetermined amount of meetings. After those meetings elapse, additional services will be self-pay if insurance doesn’t cover it. Therefore, we typically recommend looking for health providers who are covered by your insurance to reduce costs after EAP.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards as forms of payment.

What’s your cancellation policy?

If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours beforehand. Otherwise, you may be charged for the full rate of the session.

Don’t see your question?

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any additional questions.