Question 1

What areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Carbon - Monroe - Lehigh - Northampton

Question 2

Is therapy right for me?

Accepted Answer

Choosing to seek counseling and therapy is a truly personal decision. Some individuals seek therapeutic support to cope with long-term mental health concerns, anxiety, and depression. Life-altering situations like a career change or divorce can lead others to seek help. It's also common for people to consult a therapist for personal development and understanding. A therapy session can provide valuable insights, bolster support systems, and offer new tactics for navigating life's myriad of challenges. Anxiety, depression, stress management, body-image concerns, conflicts, grief, and significant life changes are all things that can addressed by a licensed therapist. Therapy is a viable choice for anyone striving to maximize their life's potential through self-accountability, enhanced self-awareness, and commitment to positive change.

Question 3

If I can usually handle my own problems, do I really need therapy?

Accepted Answer

Navigating life's challenges is common. We all go through it. It's part of the human experience and there's no shame in reaching out for extra support when the going gets tough. Recognizing that you need a helping hand is an admirable demonstration of self-awareness. Accepting where you currently stand in life and actively seeking therapy shows personal responsibility and commitment to change. Therapy offers an array of enduring advantages and support, equipping you with essential tools to circumvent triggers, alter harmful patterns, and triumph over the various challenges you encounter.

Question 4

How can therapy help me?

Accepted Answer

Psychotherapy offers quite a few advantages. It serves as a support system, a problem-solving aid, and a means to enhance coping mechanisms for various issues such as relationship difficulties, unresolved childhood trauma, grief, stress management, anxiety, depression, body image struggles, and more. Many individuals find that therapists can significantly help in managing personal development, interpersonal relationships, family issues, marital problems, and everyday life stressors. Therapists can offer a new outlook on a challenging issue or guide you toward a feasible solution. The gains you reap from therapy hinge on your engagement with the process and your efforts to apply what you learn. Some of the benefits that therapy offers:

• Gaining a deeper understanding of yourself, your objectives, and your values
 • Acquiring skills that help enhance your relationships
 • Finding resolutions to the concerns that prompted you to seek therapy
 • Learning innovative ways to manage stress and anxiety
 • Handling anger, grief, depression, and other emotional burdens
 • Enhancing communication and listening skills
 • Modifying outdated behavioral patterns and cultivating new ones
 • Discovering fresh approaches to handle problems in your family or marriage
 • Boosting your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Question 5

What is therapy like?

Accepted Answer

Therapy is tailored to the unique needs of the individual, addressing their specific needs and goals. Typically, therapists will use weekly, 50-minute sessions to explore the primary challenges and concerns in your life. Sometimes therapy can be brief, focusing on a particular issue. In other instances, tackling more complex concerns or ongoing personal development will take place over a longer duration. Occasionally, you might be asked to undertake specific tasks outside of your therapy hours, such as reading a certain book or documenting specific behaviors. The effectiveness of therapy lies in processing the discussed topics and applying learned insights to your daily life. Active participation is key in therapy, both during sessions and outside of the office. Individuals who opt for psychotherapy should be ready to embrace accountability, strive for self-improvement, and develop a greater sense of self-awareness. Here’s what you can expect from therapy:

• Empathy, dignity, and comprehension
 • Insights to shed light on recurring patterns and negative emotions
 • Effective strategies for instigating positive transformation
 • Established and effective methods coupled with practical advice

Question 6

Is medication a substitute for therapy?

Accepted Answer

Though therapy and medication can sometimes individually address mental and emotional problems, combining these treatments often yields the most effective results. This is a decision to be made in conjunction with your healthcare provider. While medication can manage the symptoms, therapy delves deeper into the root cause of your distress and the behavioral patterns impeding your progress. An integrated approach to wellness, where both treatments are leveraged, facilitates enduring improvement and fosters a more profound sense of well-being.

Question 7

Is therapy confidential?

Accepted Answer

Generally speaking, the confidentiality of all communications between a psychotherapist and their client is protected by law. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client.
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However, certain legal exceptions do exist. These exceptions include:

• In circumstances where child abuse or neglect of a dependent adult or elderly person is suspected, therapists are legally obligated to immediately report such cases to the appropriate authorities.
 • If a client poses a serious threat of bodily harm to another person, therapists are mandated to inform the police.
 • In instances where a client is at risk of self-harm, therapists will strive to collaborate with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if the individual refuses to cooperate, further steps may be necessary.

Question 8

How will I know when I'm "done" with therapy?"

Accepted Answer

The answer to this question is unique to each person and depends on their goals for therapy.
 
If you came to therapy to resolve specific issues that are impacting your life, then you may be "done" once those issues are resolved. For example, maybe you keep having big arguments with your partner or you're having a hard time getting over a break-up. Once the crisis is over, you may be "done" with therapy.
 
That said, even when the immediate issue is resolved, you may decide to continue therapy. Therapy can improve other aspects of yourself and your life, even if you're not dealing with current problems. Many people use therapy to keep improving themselves, even when they seem happy and successful. Everyone can benefit from therapy, and nothing needs to be "wrong" with you to see a therapist.

Question 9

Can I do counseling over the phone or through video calls?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can schedule counseling sessions to be done on a phone or video call.

Question 10

Do you prescribe medication?

Accepted Answer

No, we do not prescribe medications. If I believe you may benefit from medication, we may refer you to a medical professional who can discuss that with you.

Question 11

Can you diagnose mental illness?

Accepted Answer

Yes, diagnosis is how treatment is determined.

Question 12

What issues can couples therapy help with?

Accepted Answer

Couples therapy can help with:
 • Arguments and conflicts
 • Jealousy
 • Fear of rejection and judgment
 • Lying, deception, and secrecy
 • Lack of trust
 • Co-dependency
 • Poor communication
 • Trouble connecting like you used to
 • "Cheating" and infidelity
 • Lack of emotional or physical intimacy
You may be afraid that your situation is "too much" for therapy to handle, but we have helped many people who felt that way, so don't let fear stop you from reaching out!

Question 13

Do you counsel couples who are now divorced?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's common we see people who are divorced. Even after a marriage has ended, the former partners usually still need to interact, especially when sharing childcare responsibilities. Counseling is useful in these situations for smoothing out antagonism or resentment so everyone can move forward without further conflict.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THERAPY

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