What Am I Like As A Therapist?

Some words that have been used to describe me as a therapist are authentic, collaborative, laid-back, honest, straightforward, understanding, empathetic, and humorous/sarcastic. If these are words that you would want to describe your therapist, keep reading.

The first session is a get to know you session. I’ll try my best to get to know you as a person and try to understand your situation. I also understand that some things take time to open up about and will not force you to talk about something that you are not comfortable talking about. I understand that this is the first session and trust takes time to build. I’ll also provide you the opportunity to ask any questions you have for me, regarding my therapeutic approach or treatment.

Therapy with me is collaborative, which means we will come up with the treatment plan goals together. I don’t want you to be wanting to work on one thing and I have a completely different idea in mind. Therapy would not be successful and you would not find it helpful if we do not work together. Because of the collaborative nature, if you are ever unhappy with your sessions or treatment, please bring it up to me and we can discuss what you dislike and are wanting from therapy.

I consider myself a laid-back therapist, meaning I let you lead the session. You can talk about whatever you want, whatever is on your mind. My reasoning behind this is if you have something on your mind and I come to session with a specific agenda that is different from what you want to talk about, you are not going to pay attention to me, you are going to be focusing on what you want to talk about. If you are struggling to come up with things to talk about, I have no problem asking questions to guide the conversation. There are no right or wrong topics or things to talk about. There’s not one size fits all to therapy. I also understand that you may need different things from your therapist from session to session and try to be flexible to accommodate. 

I believe that the therapeutic relationship is the most important thing in positive outcomes from therapy. Because of this, I make it a priority to continuously work on the relationship with all of my clients. I do this through displaying empathy, understanding, being my authentic self with humor, and providing honest, straightforward feedback. I understand that healing, growing, and wanting to become the best versions of ourselves are all extremely difficult things and being a part of someone’s healing and growing journey is not something I take lightly. I am honored to hold that safe space, be that listening ear, celebrate the wins, and everything in between for you. 

My goal for you is that I become someone you trust to confide in and you can appreciate the ways in which therapy can challenge you, heal you, and help you grow in ways you never thought possible. I want you to help you grow and realize the person you’ve always dreamed of becoming. It is possible and you can become that person!

Benefits of Private Pay Therapy

You are probably wondering, what are the benefits of private pay therapy as opposed to using insurance to pay for therapy? That’s a valid question. There are actually many benefits to private pay. Have you ever thought to yourself, wouldn’t it be great if insurance didn’t dictate my therapy treatment, if my diagnosis wasn’t on my permanent record, if I didn’t have to worry about what insurance was or wasn’t going to pay, or if I didn’t have to wait until insurance approves my treatment to start. If these are some of the thoughts you’ve had then private pay might just be for you. Below are some of the wonderful benefits for private pay therapy. Check them out!

One benefit is greater confidentiality and privacy. Because with private pay therapy, there is not a third party paying for your treatment, they are not allowed access to any of your records, which increases confidentiality. This can create a safer space to share vulnerable topics without fear that anyone else will ever read the notes.

Another benefit is greater autonomy over treatment. Without insurance involved, they cannot dictate treatment, including length or type. This grants you more control over the length, frequency, and type of therapy, including alternative or holistic approaches. It also gives you the freedom to choose the therapist you wish without the worry of being in network with your insurance company. It provides you more flexibility and control over treatment. It gives you the opportunity to take your time to work on your goals at your own pace. You can move slowly and you have the opportunity to get to the root of an issue. You are truly in control of your treatment.

You’ll have faster access to treatment with private pay as you don’t have to wait for insurance to pre-approve your therapy treatment. There are also often waitlists associated with insurances. This is something that you can bypass with private pay. Therapists who do not accept insurance can often dedicate more time and energy to each client because they are not burdened by excessive paperwork and low reimbursement rates from insurance companies. Therefore, they will be able to get you in sooner and be more present during sessions.

With private pay therapy, insurance doesn’t dictate it, therefore, a formal diagnosis is not required. You can focus treatment on whatever you desire including stress management or relationship issues without a formal diagnosis. With private pay, you can bypass a diagnosis being placed on your formal record. A mental health diagnosis on your permanent medical record can potentially impact future life insurance or health insurance application. With a diagnosis comes stigma which you may want to avoid. 

Another benefit with private pay therapy is no surprise bills, you’ll know what you are paying upfront. With insurance it can be a surprise if they will or won’t pay and you can be left with a huge unexpected bill. With private pay, you can plan for the payments without a surprise. In some cases, the out-of-pocket cost may be lower than using insurance, especially for individuals with high-deductible plans.

Overall, private pay therapy offers many benefits and can be worth the cost for many. Private pay therapy might just be the way to go for you!