Therapy Insights

What To Expect

Please contact me to schedule a 15-20 minute phone consultation before scheduling your first appointment. This phone conversation is to ensure that I am the best fit for your therapeutic needs. We will discuss reasons for therapy, a short overview of presenting issues, and appointment fees.

Your first visit will establish a vital foundation for your therapeutic goals. This visit consists of asking questions to gain a thorough understanding of your reasons for beginning therapy. Together, we will explore your mental health struggles and symptoms, interpersonal relationships, and therapeutic goals. We will also discuss your personal, family, social, and developmental history.

Questions

How can Therapy help me?

There are many benefits that can be gained from participating in therapy. Therapists provide support and guidance. They can teach you ways to implement healthy boundaries in relationships and develop problem-solving skills. Therapists can help you create healthy coping strategies to manage depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, and self-esteem. Therapists can help develop personal growth and ways to cope with the stressors of everyday life. They can provide an objective perspective and a safe space to explore uncomfortable and difficult feelings that are hard to express or articulate. How to obtain the greatest benefits of therapy depends on the effort and motivation you put forth toward each therapy session. Various goals that can be attained through therapy include:

• Developing a deeper understanding of your identity and values

• Learning how to implement effective communication to improve your relationships

• Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy

• Exploring healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety

• Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures

• Discovering effective ways to solve issues in your family, marriage, and peer relationships

• Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence

Do I really need Therapy? I can usually handle my problems.

If you feel that you can continue to handle your struggles and life stressors independently, that's great! However, there are added benefits from participating in therapy that cannot be obtained alone. Therapy is for those who are self-aware and realize they need outside help. This is something that should be admired! Those who pursue and participate in therapy realize their difficulties, want to change their behaviors, and seek out effective ways to manage life and all that comes with it!

Why do people go to Therapy and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for pursuing therapy. Some may be going through a major life transition (i.e. unemployment, divorce, new job, attending a new school, etc.) or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Others need help managing matters such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addiction, family or relationship issues, or anger management. Therapy can provide guidance and encouragement to help endure these periods of time. Often, those who pursue therapy are ready to learn more about themselves, conquer life challenges in their lives, and are willing to make changes.

What is Therapy like?

Therapy is a different experience for each individual as it is tailored to their presenting problems, needs, and goals. One can expect to discuss the current events happening in their life. interpersonal relationships, personal history or past events that are relevant to their issues, and the difficult emotions that come with these topics. Therapy is typically a long-term commitment and a continuing process as it can delve into psychological and behavioral issues one may not be aware of. However, it is ultimately one's choice that dictates how long therapy is. It is most common to schedule weekly appointments with a therapist to gain the most out of therapy. In order to obtain the best results, one must be an active participant in the therapeutic process.

The goal for every individual who attends therapy is to develop the ability to use what was learned in therapy and apply it to their daily lives. A therapist may suggest skills to use outside of therapy. This could including noting specific reasons for particular behaviors, using guided meditation, or journaling.

What about Medication vs. Therapy?

It is evidence-based that therapy in conjunction with psychotropic medication is the most effective solution to managing emotional and psychological issues. However, many people who pursue therapy do not want or need medication. The best way to achieve sustainable mental health is with an integrative approach using both therapy and medication. Therapy helps to uncover the causes to emotional issues and provides the skills to manage these symptoms over the life-span. Medication reduces symptoms to increase one's functioning in order to implement the skills learned in therapy. Psychotropic medication should never be forced on an individual in therapy and should be based on an individual's discretion.

Do you take Insurance and how does that work?

Yes, I accept some insurance policies. Please contact me at 516-610-0352 or email me at jkaplanlmhc@gmail.com to discuss further. If I am not in network with your insurance, I recommend that you contact your health insurance plan to see if you have out-of-network benefits. If you do not have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a receipt to your insurance company for reimbursement. You can then submit the receipt to your insurance company for reimbursement.

If you are looking to pay out of network, please contact me to discuss appointment fees.

Confidentiality and Therapy

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and their therapist. Successful therapy requires a strong degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is not typically discussed anywhere but in the therapist's office. The topics discussed in therapy will NOT be shared with anyone other than the therapist. This is called "Informed Consent". Informed Consent can be breached if the client provides written consent for their therapist to speak with a family member, emergency contact, doctor, school counselor, psychiatrist, or any other treatment provider to coordinate the client's care. By law, a therapist cannot release any information without obtaining the client's written permission.

However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to breach confidentiality if:

1. There is suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, or elders.

2. The therapist has the reason to suspect the client is in serious danger of harming themself, has threatened to harm another person, or is in a dangerous situation.

Therapists must inform the authorities, including Child Protection Services and Law Enforcement based on information provided to the therapist from the client and/or collateral resources.

Contact Me

Reach out with your therapy questions and get answers today.