Frequently Asked Questions

Do you take insurance?

We are an out-of-network provider. Our services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. We provide a superbill (paid invoice with appropriate medical billing codes) for you to submit to insurance for reimbursement. If you are unsure of what your out-of-network benefits are, you can check your coverage by contacting your insurance company and asking the following questions:

Do I have out-of-network mental health insurance benefits?
Do I have out-of-network telehealth mental health insurance benefits? If so, what parameters are there for this type of coverage?
What is my deductible and has it been met?
How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?

What questions should I ask during our consultation?

You can ask any questions that help you understand how I conduct my sessions. Some questions include:

Do you specialize in my problem?
What makes you a specialist?
Have you helped many people like me?
What is the typical outcome of those cases?
What type of treatment styles will you use?
Can you explain those treatment styles to me?
How will I know therapy is working?
Do you give me homework?

How much are sessions?

In an effort to provide you with an updated fee, please contact us at the Thriving Wellness Center. Therapy is an investment, an investment in yourself to help you live a more fulfilling and satisfying life. The cost of therapy takes into account the therapist's experience, education and time.

How should I prepare for therapy?

When you are preparing for therapy, an important and helpful first step is to set goals.

The best way to do this is to ask yourself, “How would I like to be different by the end of therapy?” You may want to think about specific changes you’d like to make at work, at home, and in your relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and others.

You may want to think about the symptoms that bother you and what it would be like if they were diminished. Together, we will help evaluate and refine these goals and help you determine how we can prioritize these goals for you.

How long are therapy sessions and evaluations?

Individual sessions are 45 minutes in length, while couple’s sessions are 55 minutes in length.

Evaluations are 2-3 hours in length.

Where are you located?

We have two locations in New York and New Jersey. We also offer virtual Telehealth therapy as well.

What is psychotherapy (therapy)?

Psychotherapy, sometimes called talk therapy, is a treatment that involves a talking relationship between a therapist and a patient. There are many types of psychotherapy including psychotherapies that help patients change behaviors or thought patterns, psychotherapies that help patients explore the effect of past relationships and experiences on present behaviors, and psychotherapies that are tailored to help solve other problems in specific ways.

Learn more about Couples Therapy by visiting What to Expect in Couples Therapy

How long will I be in therapy?

The decision about the length of treatment is made collaboratively with your therapist. During the initial assessment, the therapist will have a better ability to gauge how long it might take to reach your goals.

Some people have a very specific issue and only need a brief amount of time to work through it. Others have a more long standing relationship with their therapist – working on a multitude of issues together. If you are in crisis, it’s helpful to come in two times each week initially. Meeting with your therapist weekly creates effective treatment because it allows for continuity and momentum.

Research compiled by the American Psychological Association indicates that on average 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures. There are a growing number of specific psychological treatments of moderate duration (e.g., 12 to 16 weekly sessions) that have been scientifically shown to result in clinically significant improvements. In practice, patients and therapists sometimes prefer to continue treatment over longer periods (e.g., 20 to 30 sessions over six months), to achieve more complete symptom remission and to feel confident in the skills needed to maintain treatment gains.

As you begin reaching your goals, we will taper sessions so you can become confident in your ability to handle problems on your own and show how you’ve learned the skills. Once you feel ready, we will head towards ‘graduation’, where you will be finished with treatment.

You are always welcome to come back, and booster sessions are recommended every three, six, and twelve months to make sure that the progress is maintained.

Do you get homework in therapy?

This is entirely up to you! Some people love doing homework between sessions and some do not. We will work with you whatever your choice. If you decide that you are able to do homework, homework assignments will be used to help rehearse new skills, practice coping strategies, and restructure destructive beliefs. We will work at your pace.

If traditional homework, like worksheets, are not your thing, we can also send you articles to read, podcasts to listen to or youtube videos that can help support our work together. Your work with us is completely unique and customizable to fit you.

How will I know if we are a good fit?

The best work can be done when you feel comfortable with your therapist. Contact us to schedule a free 10-minute consultation. During your consultation please feel free to ask any and all questions that can help you understand how your therapist works, any experience your therapist may have in working with your particular set of issues. We suggest you gauge your own comfort level during the consultation.

Should I take medication in addition to therapy?

Medication is a personal choice. But, we like to say “pills do not create skills” and what this means is medication does not create new thought patterns or create new abilities. Therapy works to create new thought patterns and ways of thinking that can help you mitigate conflict, create more positive opportunities, and better ways to view things.

Many people can be treated without medication, as therapy has shown to be very effective. But there are many advantages and disadvantages to be considered. And, some disorders respond better with a combination of medication and therapy.

However, if you are currently on medication or would like to be on medication, we will coordinate care to make sure that all providers that you are working with are working collaboratively.

If you are not on medication and do not wish to be on medication, we might assess after a short time how much progress is being made to determine whether you might want a consultation at that time to discuss your options.

What is your cancellation policy?

It is very important that you attend and be on time to your sessions for the best results.

If you must cancel your therapy appointment, we require 24 hours notice. If you do not give 24 hours notice, you will be responsible for the full cost of the session. Extenuating circumstances (severe illness, inclement weather, death of a loved one) will be taken into consideration. In the event you must cancel a session, an effort will be made to make up the session within the current week (schedule permitting).