F.A.Q.s

Ondina's Therapist Office


What is therapy?

Therapy is a place where you can talk about issues and problems in your life in a confidential setting. It is different from talking to family or friends because you are focusing on the particular issue or issues that brought you to therapy without the distraction that socializing can bring. Unlike with family and friends, you are not going to be told what to do or what your therapist’s opinion is; instead, you will be provided the tools and environment to access your own solutions and knowing.

In this way, therapy provides a unique environment for you to address what is going on in your life. Therapy takes courage and a willingness to deal with your stuff rather than run away, hide from it, stuff it down and the million and one other ways we can distract ourselves. I always have enormous respect for my clients because of this.


Why Therapy?

Sometimes there is a specific issue or problem in life which can feel beyond your control or simply keeps resurfacing. For instance, with addictions it can be confusing because even though we know it is destructive to continue with the addiction we can’t seem to stop ourselves. It can be useful to have a place where underlying patterns or beliefs can be explored. This requires a focused setting and a specially trained listening ear, which therapy provides.

Therapists are trained to notice and name patterns and motivations underlying our actions. This insight and understanding can be the first step towards untangling complex problems.


How do I start finding a therapist for myself?

Asking friends for recommendations or researching online are probably the most common methods. Look for a therapist who has knowledge about what you’re dealing with. I recommend interviewing initially on the telephone. How does the therapist work with your particular issues? What is their training and background?

If you like what you hear and you feel like a good initial connection was made, arrange for a session. Sometimes therapists will give an initial half session for an interview.

I recommend interviewing at least two or three therapists before deciding. This can be challenging as you are essentially meeting a stranger and talking about intimate aspects of your life. If you are not in crisis, it is better to pace your interviews.

When you have done all the above it is time to decide. Which therapist did you feel really understood what you are dealing with? Was a good connection made? Do you feel like you could trust this person? Do they have the expertise to help you?

In the end choosing a therapist is largely an intuitive process. Despite all their credentials or the recommendations given, if you didn’t feel a connection this therapist is not for you. Trust your heart and go with your gut.


How long will it take?

Some people come into therapy with a very specific problem or crisis. In this case, it is possible to give a more realistic time frame for its desired resolution.

A therapist can work with you to come up with an outline for your treatment: how to address your issue; what methods will be used; an approximate time frame; check-ins; and resolution and termination.

Other times people may have long standing issues and difficulties that have been running them for awhile but are not urgent. These issues can have deep roots in childhood or even earlier. In cases where deeper exploration is needed, therapy will involve a longer ongoing process. In this case you have a safe place to explore deeper underlying issues. It is important to have regular check-ins with your therapist to discuss how you feel your treatment is progressing, what is working well for you, what you might like to do differently etc. This will facilitate a more timely and fine tuned process for your healing. In both cases, having a strong and trusting relationship with your therapist will both speed up and deepen your healing work.


What’s the Difference between a Psychiatrist, Psychologist + Psychotherapist? What’s an MFT?

In this short video I’m going to address the difference between a psychologist, psychia- trist and psychotherapist just because so often this is an area of confusion! Then I will explain what the 3 letters after my name mean: MFT.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who mostly prescribes medication. Sometimes a psychiatrist also provides counseling or therapy but mostly people are referred to them to get a prescription for meds. For instance if my client tells me they are considering tak- ing anti depressants or anti anxiety medication I will refer them to a psychiatrist.

Unlike psychiatrists, psychologists are also trained in giving psychological tests (like IQ tests or personality tests). People will go to a psychologist to be tested and also to do counseling or therapy. In some cases a psychologist might have completed a training that grants them prescription privileges but usually they just administer tests and do counseling.

So what about a psychotherapist? I am psychotherapist and all I do is therapy. I do not prescribe medication or administer tests. I am trained in all kinds of therapeutic modalities such as EMDR, hypnosis, EFT and so on. These are all just different forms of psychotherapy.

So in summary: a psychiatrist prescribes medication; a psychologist does testing and a psychotherapist does psychotherapy although all three might do some form of counsel- ing as well.

Very briefly before we end, I just want to highlight another area of confusion which is the 3 letters after my name: MFT.
MFT means that I am licensed in the state of CA that is all
! If you want a licensed psychotherapist (which I recommend) look for these three letters.

MFT stands for Marriage and Family Therapist. However this title is misleading because not all MFT’s work with marriages or families. There are plenty of MFT’s who do not work with marriages or families! They might just work with individuals or children for instance but they are still an MFT because they are a licensed psychothera- pist in the state of CA.

So I hope this video has helped clarify some things for you because it can be confusing!

What is a Good Faith Estimate?

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.

You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.