FAQ
How do I know if I need to start therapy?
We have found that individuals vary in their threshold for the level of discomfort they are willing to tolerate in their lives. If you are here visiting this webpage, you may want to use this as an indicator for your willingness to begin a therapy process.
How long does therapy take?
Sessions last for 50 minutes unless there is both a clinical need and a client preference to meet for longer sessions and/or more frequently.
I am switching from another therapist. Will you speak to my former therapist?
We encourage you to give us permission to contact your former therapist to gather information and that vital to your treatment. We will not contact anyone without your written consent. We do, however find it helpful to connect with other/previous professionals and we find that this collaboration ultimately shortens our assessment process and improves the treatment itself.
How do I get buy-in from my partner, child, or family to begin therapy?
If there’s a problem, the people in your life have some awareness of it. They can feel the tension, they witness the arguments and they know the price that everyone is paying. When you can take a stance about wanting to begin a therapy process in order to improve the relationship or the family, this takes the emphasis off the individual and does not make them feel attacked, thereby removing their need to be defensive.
When it comes to children specifically, we like to emphasize that this is a process for the whole family (which it truly is). We encourage parents to share with their children that every member of the family will be a part of therapy, with some sessions being reserved for the child, other
sessions being reserved for parents, and yet others for parent-child or whole family work. In this way, the child does not feel like he is being dragged in to therapy to be “fixed.”
How does confidentiality work?
Not only do we believe in the discrete nature of our services, but legally speaking, we have to abide by doctor-patient confidentiality. All of your information is protected and kept on a secure database. We also do not speak to anyone about your treatment without your authorization.
There are exceptions to that confidentiality rule, such as when a person is a danger to themselves or someone else, which will be explained both in our intake paperwork, and also by your therapist at the first session.
What problems do you treat?
We treat a wide variety of presenting issues, which include:
• Relationship/couples issues
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Compulsive Overeating
• Anorexia and Bulimia
• Body image issues
• Parenting/child behavior problems
• Sexual problems and addiction
• Trauma from sexual abuse, sexual assault
• Compulsive spending/shopping
• Alcohol/substance abuse
• LGBTQ+ concerns
• Attachment issues
• Anger management
• Executive functioning and ADHD
• Work/life balance
• Grief and bereavement
Do I have to be at my child's session?
Every family is different and has different needs. In general, we believe that kids are only partially capable of implementing the work we do in therapy and generalizing it into their day to day lives. Hence, we will be asking for the parents’ time.
Our intake sessions for children are always in the presence of the entire family (everyone who lives in the household), followed by a parent only session, where you can fill us in on everything you couldn’t say in front of the kids. Then we begin to see the kids alone but always collaborating and integrating the family into treatment in the form of parenting sessions, sibling work, parent-child sessions or whole family work, depending on what the child needs.
There will be times your child comes alone into the therapy room and other times where you will join them or even come in alone (or with your child’s second parent). Every family is different and the therapist working with you will know at what schedule to call you in.
Parents must be present during home sessions.
Do I have to be at my child's Field Based Behavior Support appointment?
This session will take place at the child’s school, so a parent does not need to attend.
I am not tech-savvy. How can I access virtual therapy regardless?
You do not need to be tech-savvy to access sessions online. We use a secure platform (which really just means an app). You can open the session on your computer, tablet, or Smartphone. Every week, you will receive a link with a session reminder. At the time of you appointment, you will click on the link in the email and automatically be connected to your therapist.
What is the price for therapy?
Pricing is based on experience, qualifications and training of the clinicians with whom you work. We do have a limited number of sliding scale slots available. Please contact us directly for more information.
How do I get started?
Each new client starts with a free 10-15 minute phone consultation with our head Psychologist, Dr. Sharon Arbel to determine which service would be most appropriate and which clinician would be the best match. If you are ready for your consultation, please reach out to her by phone at 818-921-6806.
How Does Virtual Therapy Work?
One of our clinicians will set up an online session for you using a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. You will then receive an email reminder from the system with a link to the session. You will click the link at your scheduled session time and your therapist will be waiting for you on the other side of the virtual call. EASY! It is important that both therapist and client conduct the session in a completely private space with no noise or distractions, to allow for maximum level of comfort and connection. You do not need to be tech savvy or knowledgeable to participate in online therapy. You only need a computer, smart phone, or tablet with an internet source. We offer child/family, individual (adult), as well as couples sessions online and have been incredibly effective with this way of working.
Which of your therapists will I be working with and do I know if we will have a good connection?
If you have specific therapist that you prefer to work with, we are happy to accommodate that request. Either way, you will have an opportunity to speak with your assigned therapist over the phone prior to your intake session. We encourage you to let a connection naturally build over the first few sessions so you can understand what the therapeutic relationship will be like throughout the process. It is hard to judge a connection by just one or two sessions.
How do I know if my child needs testing or therapy?
Generally speaking, any learning or cognitive difficulties should first be examined via testing while social, emotional, behavioral, and relationship issues lend themselves better to therapy. Of course there is some cross-over between those categories and if you are confused about this, we can help you clarify your child’s needs in the first phone consultation when you reach out to us.
Do you prescribe medication?
We do not prescribe medication but if that is a part of your current treatment, we will collaborate with your psychiatrist. Alternatively, should you need/want medication in the course of your treatment, we are happy to refer you to Psychiatrists that we know and trust.
Do you take insurance?
We do not take insurance up front but we are happy to provide a superbill for those clients that would like to access their out of network benefits and seek reimbursement from their insurance company. If you would like a monthly superbill sent to you, please notify your therapist at intake.
Do you see families?
Yes! We provide family therapy to families with young children as well as families with adult children. While most therapists do not provide whole family sessions, this is indeed one of our areas of specialty.
How do I make an appointment?
The easiest way to make an appointment is to contact us at (818) 921-6806. We will answer any questions you have and send you a link to our online client portal, where you can access all of our intake paperwork.
Do you provide home-based therapy?
Our current home based program is reserved for children and teens managing behavior, social, and executive functioning issues. Also, with the expansion into the virtual therapy realm, many of our clients access therapy from the comfort of their own home.
What is your cancellation policy?
We have a 24 hour cancellation policy. All sessions not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice will be charged a full session charge.
What are your office hours?
Each therapist maintains their own schedule. Scheduling is best discussed with the therapist to which you are assigned.