FAQ

Some indicators that therapy can be beneficial:

• Feeling sad and unmotivated
  • More days than not I feel sad and/or alone.
  • I have had suicidal thoughts.
• Excess worry and/or stress
  • I feel anxiety often.
  • I find it hard to relax.
  • I feel angry often.
  • I have panic attacks.
• Poor self-esteem
  • I don’t feel good about myself.
  • I feel unlovable.  
• Trauma or abuse
  • I have had emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse.
  • I’ve experienced a life and death situation that causes anxiety, depression, or moodiness.
  • I think I may have PTSD.
• Alcohol or substance issues
  • Alcohol or drugs have had needed consequences.
• Life transitions
  • I seem to be making the same mistakes in my life.
  • I don’t know what decisions to make.
  • I have no good options to make life better.
• Relationship problems
  • My relationship continues to have problems.
  • My partner and I have difficulty communicating.
  • I have had infidelity in my relationship.
  • My marriage may be ending.
• Workplace issues and/or stressors
  • The stress at my job is overwhelming.
  • I may lose my job.
• Child and teen issues
  • My child’s behavior is challenging.
  • My parenting does not seem to be working.
  • My child’s grades are poor.
  • My child gets in trouble at school.
  • My child has difficulties getting along with others.

Therapy is a very personal experience.  Feeling comfortable talking about some of life’s most vulnerable issues is very important.  At A.C.T we try to offer a wide array of therapists with varying ages, ethnicities, personalities, and specialties.  The intake specialists are trained to pair you with a therapist that meets your particular needs. Feel free to ask questions about each of the therapists’ style. 

After your first session, the therapist will work with you to develop a “treatment plan”.  This plan identifies goals, objectives, and a roadmap of how you will get there. The therapist will occasionally review the treatment plan with you to find out how you are doing to achieve the goals you have set forth.  When all your goals have been achieved and agreed that no more sessions are needed, then you can check off “success”. Don’t worry though, you can always come back if you need to work on new issues in your life.

All therapists are bound by the limits of confidentiality.  That means that everything you say in sessions are totally confidential UNLESS you convey you are going to hurt yourself, someone else, or if there is child abuse involved.  Therapists are legally bound to report these 3 issues to the appropriate authorities. On a rare occasion, a subpoena of your records will be requested. Without your permission, therapists should always fight to maintain your confidentiality to release records.  Rest assured, confidentiality is a high priority and you should feel confident that what you say in therapy sessions will go no further than the 4 walls of that office.

Children can be seen as early as 4 years old.  Make sure you schedule with a therapist that has training working with children. 

Being impartial and non-judgmental is crucial as a therapist, especially when working with couples.  Identifying negative patterns and reinforcement of positive ones is a critical first step in beginning to change relationships.  Open discussions of each partner’s perspectives are developed in a safe atmosphere. Weekly assignments are often provided to continue to reinforce positive interactions.  Don’t worry… therapists that work with couples have heard everything so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed talking about the struggles you have had.

Therapists will often provide “assignments” or “homework” for the week.  The magic of therapy usually doesn’t happen at the office. It occurs with your hard work throughout the week with the guidance and support of your therapist.

Most sessions are between 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Most clients will be seen once per week in the beginning of therapy.  After several weeks, the therapist will discuss if weekly visits are required or if it is more prudent to “stretch” out how often you are seen.  Don’t worry… we work with your work and life schedule to make coming to therapy work for you. There is no strict guideline of how often you need to be seen.

A.C.T. does not prescribe medication.  In order to prescribe medication, you will need a M.D. or a professional with a specialized license (such as a nurse practitioner).  A.C.T. therapists are trained to be knowledgeable of when to refer out for a medication consult. We will often refer you to your Primary Care Physician or a psychiatrist when a consult for medication is needed.  Feel free to discuss these options with your therapist.

A.C.T. accepts almost all major insurances to include most Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).  Call the office to ensure your insurance is accepted. The intake specialists will handle everything in getting your benefits set up and will convey exactly what your benefits entail. 

Persons that don’t have insurance or choose not to utilize health insurance benefits, A.C.T. provides self-pay clients a sliding scale for services.  Call today to find out the different rates for services.