Therapist For Adults, Couples & Families

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Finding an appropriate therapist that matches your particular needs is very important. Consider interviewing 3 different therapists recommended, by phone or ask for a free initial interview.

Look for an experienced therapist who is Licensed by the state of colorado as a social worker (LCSW), psychologist,(PhD or PsyD) marriage and family therapist (LMFT) or professional counselor(LPC).

Be advised that "Registered" therapists are unlicensed and do not require any academic or other training but can still practice as counselors in Colorado.

See "How to Choose A Therapist" on my web page for more detailed recommendations.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. There are excellent therapists who may no longer participate on health insurance panels for a variety of reasons, including the pressure to compromise best standards of practice and care.

If you're looking for the best therapists, consider searching beyond your insurance provider list. Often insurance recommendations are given solely based on zip code location, not by speciality, levels of expertise or experience.

Taking time to select an appropriate therapist who matches your specific needs will pay off in the long run. Be sure to ask specific questions about the therapist's level of training and experience.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. -Do you have openings? How soon can you get me in? How long is the wait?

-Are you available for appointments on weekends? Evenings?

-Do you charge for an initial appointment? How much?

-What is your fee? Do you take reduced sliding fee clients? Is there a cash discount? Do you take credit cards? Must I pay in full at the time of service, or can I make partial payments?

-How long are your sessions? 45, 50, 55, 60 minutes?

-Are you in my insurance plan's mental/behavioral health network? Do you file my insurance claims for me? Can I just pay my insurance co-payment?

-What is your theoretical orientation for doing therapy? Freudian? Psychodynamic? Behavioral? Cognitive? Systemic? Humanistic? Existential? Transpersonal? Ask them to explain the difference. A combination can sometimes be best.

-How long have you been practicing psychotherapy? Are you licensed? Do you have a consulting supervisor? What is your experience with my kind of problems?

-What's the expected time frame in order to treat my kind of problem? Is it a long term or short term course of treatement? What results could I expect?

-What's your preferred style for doing therapy? Individual? Group? Family? Weekly? Monthly?

-Where do you practice? Private office, hospital, clinic, agency, group practice? Is there free parking? Near a bus route?

-Are you available for emergencies by phone? Do you charge for phone calls? Reading emails?

-What is your policy for cancellations, lateness, forgetting or changing appointments?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Ideally it's best to seek professional help early on before the crisis hits. Often people put off getting help until their suffering is near intolerable. It's often best to address problems as soon as possible. There's many tools and techniques that you may be able to quickly learn that can help prevent small issues from turning into unmanageable problems.

FYI, I offer new clients a free one hour face to face initial interview to help determine if we have a good match for working together. If we decided to continue, the initial interview will be back billed. This no obligation get acquainted session is a very good way to find out how to receive the best help available.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I've been practicing out patient psychotherapy in Boulder County since 1979. Prior to entering private practice, I was employed as a therapist with the Mental Health Center of Boulder County, Longmont office working with children, couples and families. Issues included complicated cases involving substance abuse, depression, anxiety, suicide, couples in crisis, grief and loss.