Frequently Asked Questions

It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can feel intimidating to sit with someone and talk about how you feel. It takes courage to start going to therapy. The fact that you are on this website, looking for a therapist, and reading this right now shows that you are being brave and seeking the help you need.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on for you, including feeling nervous. Our therapists are committed to putting you at ease and ensuring sessions are as comfortable as possible. You'll also have a chance to ask any questions you have during your free phone consultation.

When we talk about a "good fit" we're referring to a therapist that puts you at ease and with whom you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings. Someone with an approach that is similar to the kind of help you're looking for. For example, some clients are looking for a therapist that will take a more active approach in guiding the focus of each session, while others might want a therapist who lets the client direct the focus based on what's going on in their lives that week.

Take your time to read through our website and look at our therapists' pages to learn more about their approaches. If you sense that we could help you, then we encourage you to reach out. During your initial call with us, you’ll be able to share what’s going on for you. Once we understand your needs, we will help you choose the therapist that is right for you. Or, if you already have a therapist in mind, you may request them.

You can also ask us for more information about your potential therapist. You might be curious about how they have helped other people with similar issues or what a typical session with them is like. You can ask about this during your free 15-minute phone consultation and/or bring it up during your first session.

It may be helpful to think of the first few sessions as testing out the waters with your therapist. During these sessions, you’ll be able to start seeing what it's like to work with them. Keep in mind that each therapist’s approach is a little different, and not all therapists are a good match for all clients. What’s most important to us is that you find the right fit for you.

It’s normal if you don’t feel ready to share everything right away.

During your sessions, your therapist will never pressure you to talk about things that are too painful for you. It’s our job to give you space to slowly start to work through the tough stuff. Gradually, and at a pace that feels comfortable to you, you can share what you feel ready to share.

You can also share with your therapist that you are nervous to open up about something, and they will be able to talk with you about that too. Whatever is present for you or whatever you are going through, bring that to your session and you can explore it with your therapist.

If you open up to your therapist, they will not think you are crazy- they will think you are someone who's very courageous. We know this because many of our clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy).

Working with our clients has shown us that the challenges you are facing are normal and natural.

You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing you can say will cause your therapist to judge you. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and there are times we might be emotionally drained from the ups and downs in life. We all suffer in different ways.

Whatever it is you're going through, we provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgment.

Your privacy and trust are of the utmost importance to us.

It can be concerning to feel like things you say or do in therapy could "get out" or that others might find out about it. We want you to know that, unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with your therapist is completely confidential.

You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out. If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask your therapist or any staff member at any time.

You might be asking this because you think that therapy will be an overwhelming process, or perhaps you're worried about the financial cost.

If this is true for you, we want you to know that, on average, our new clients start seeing some positive effects after the first 3-5 sessions. By that point, they often feel a little more calm and hopeful that healing is possible.

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of our clients find 10-16 sessions to be enough to resolve immediate and specific challenges, while other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy.

You will work together with your therapist to find the length of time that fits best for you and your circumstances.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a two-way interview, where you and your therapist can ask each other questions and you can begin to get to know each other. Your therapist will invite you to share more about yourself and you can also share what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Your therapist will likely start by reviewing some of the important information from our intake paperwork, like confidentiality. Some questions that your therapist may ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy?

• What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?

You can ask your therapist questions as well. You might be curious about why they became a therapist or how they’ve helped other clients like you.

Keep in mind that it can take 2-3 sessions for a therapist to get all the information about your background and your life. This is especially true for clients who are using insurance to pay for services, since insurance requires that we gather certain information.

The most important part of a first session is that you get a sense if you feel your therapist is a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with your therapist, that’s a sign that it might be a good fit, and you can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

Sometimes the sessions when you feel like there's nothing to say can be the most impactful! However, if you feel like you need extra time between sessions, you can reschedule an appointment as long as you give 24 hours' notice, and/or talk to your therapist about meeting less often (every other week instead of every week, for example).

If you are using your health insurance to pay for services, we have to provide them with certain information. Primarily, we share any diagnoses you have, as well as what service was provided (e.g., individual therapy, family therapy, etc.) for each session we have.

Each health plan requires that treatment be "medically necessary" in order for them to cover it. Essentially, that means that whatever issue or problem that led you to seek therapy is having a real impact on your life in some way. We also have to document how you meet those criteria in our notes.

For the health plans that we are in-network with, they have the right to request copies of our notes to ensure that we are meeting our contractual obligations (for example, documenting medical necessity). We always ask if we can send a summary instead of copies of notes, but that decision is ultimately theirs. Please know that we are aware of this potential and are sensitive to the level of detail we provide in our notes. We also have the ability to go through and remove any non-treatment-related sensitive information before sharing any notes.

If you are using out-of-network benefits, we can refuse to share any of our documentation with your health plan, since we are not contracted with them. However, the plan may then decide to no longer cover these services.

If you have questions or concerns about how this works, please feel free to discuss it with your therapist and/or reach out to our founder and CEO, Dr. Jennifer Warkentin by phone (781-693-3200) or email (jwarkentin@essentialinsightscc.com).