Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you prescribe medication?
   
   No. Only a medical doctor, such as a psychiatrist or a family physician, can prescribe medication. However, when I determine that medication may be the appropriate treatment or may be an effective adjunct to the treatment I provide I will refer my clients to a psychopharmacologist for a medication evaluation.
   
   
2. What is a licensed professional counselor?
   
   A licensed professional counselor is a mental health professional trained to help people negotiate various emotional concerns. They hold Masters (M.A., M.A.E., M.S., M.Ed., M.A.Ed.), Specialist (Ed.S.) and Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Mental Health Counseling or a closely related field. To become licensed as a professional counselor one must have graduated from an accredited program that must have contained specified coursework and an internship. Further, they must have completed two years of supervised clinical experience, a national exam, and they must agree to abide by a code of ethics. You can learn more about Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) by visiting www.lpcanc.org, www.counseling.org, www.nbcc.org, or www.amhca.org.
   
   
3. What is an Ed.S. degree?
   
   An Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree is typically defined as 30 graduate hours beyond a Masters Degree. Many professional counselors have enhanced their Masters level training by earning an Ed.S. In essence, an Ed.S. is a graduate degree that is greater than a Masters, but less than a Ph.D.
   
   
4. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
   
   Cognitive Therapy, or CT, was developed by Aaron Beck, MD. Cognitive Therapy is based on the cognitive model, which is, simply, that the way we perceive situations influences how we feel emotionally. For example, one person reading this might think, “Wow! This sounds good, it’s just what I’ve always been looking for!” and feels happy. Another person reading this might think, “Well, this sounds good but I don’t think I can do it.” This person feels sad and discouraged. So it is not a situation which directly affects how people feel emotionally, but rather, their thoughts in that situation.
   
   When people are in distress, they often do not think clearly and their thoughts are distorted in some way. Cognitive herapy helps people to identify their distressing thoughts and to evaluate how realistic the thoughts are. Then they learn to change their distorted thinking, and when they think more realistically, they feel better. The emphasis is consistently on solving problems and initiating behavioral change.
   
   Behavior Therapy, like Cognitive Therapy, is based on scientific research and is often effective in a brief period of time. Behavior Therapy focuses on how people learn and how what they have learned affects their behavior in various situations. Behavior Therapy is used to change/modify unwanted behaviors and is also used to treat many kinds of problems and disorders.
   
   Frequently, Behavior Therapy is combined with Cognitive Therapy to help people gain a better understanding of the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Frequently, this combined approach is referred to as “Cognitive Behavior Therapy,” or CBT.
   
   To learn more about cognitive-behavioral therapy please visit the following: Academy of Cognitive Therapy www.academyofct.org or the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy www.aabt.org.
   
   
5. Do you accept insurance?
   
   Yes, we accept most insurance. For a listing of the insurance I accept and the managed care panels I am on at the present time, please click on the insurance link above right.
   
   
6. Do you have any ongoing groups at your office?
   
   Yes, I have several therapy groups ongoing at my office. Please note that a therapy group differs from a support group. I do not facilitate any support groups at the present time. You may learn more about the various types of groups at www.asgw.org. Please click on the bulletin board link to see a list of current groups ongoing at my office.
   
   
7. Is cognitive-behavioral therapy effective?
   
   Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the few forms of therapy that has been scientifically tested and shown to be effective in many clinical trials for many different disorders. You can contact the Academy of Cognitive Therapy at www.academyofct.org or the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy at www.aabt.org for up to date research information on cognitive-behavioral therapy.
   
   
8. Is therapy expensive?
   
   Therapy can be expensive. However, the benefits of psychotherapy cannot be measured solely in monetary terms. Psychotherapy often provides people with skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.
   
   Sometimes we can gain a clearer perspective on the value of psychotherapy by comparing the cost of therapy with the costs associated with other things we value. For example, consider what you pay for vacations, cars, and clothes. The monthly cost of therapy is roughly the cost of an average car payment. Do you value your emotional well being as much as your car? Many people can undergo 5-6 months of therapy for the cost of an average week long vacation. Vacations are nice, but which do you value more—your marriage or a vacation? Sometimes this type of comparison can provide an alternative perspective about the costs associated with psychotherapy.
   

Let us know if you have any other questions we have not answered.

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