F.A.Q.

I am a provider for several insurance companies.  However, there are many good reasons to pay out of pocket for your sessions:

• Privacy. No 3rd party will have access to any details of your treatment or even the fact that you are in treatment.
• No diagnosis.  All insurers demand a diagnosis for reimbursement.
• Insurance companies often put a cap on the number of sessions allowed.

For more about this see my blog post: http://lornahecht.com/2012/04/26/should-i-use-my-health-insurance-to-pay-for-therapy/

My rate is $180.00 per session and $130.00 per session for students, interns, and military families. Sessions run 55 minutes.

Unlike many other therapeutic approaches that involve the clinician telling the client how often they should come in, the family systems model maintains that clients are the best judge of the frequency of sessions. In fact, it is thought that more frequent sessions do not lead to faster change. Most of my clients report that coming in twice monthly works very well. Once they know what they want to work on between sessions every four to six weeks become the norm. This is one way to keep therapy costs down.

Another option for interested clients is that I have well qualified pre-licensed associates working under my license and supervision. They also work from a family systems perspective and they offer a sliding fee scale.

There is no set answer for this question. Variables include:

• Your goals for treatment
• How much thought and effort you maintain between sessions
• The nature of the issues you are facing

Many people come in to treatment with one particular problem they want to solve. They find relief and take a break from therapy. After thinking things through using family systems theory, some other clients realize that ongoing coaching can be a valuable resource. These are the folks who will continue to come in every month or two to receive guidance about the ongoing challenges that inevitably arise in any complicated life.

Once again, there is no set answer to this question. Most approaches focus solely on symptom resolution in one person, and make that the goal for treatment. Family systems theory takes a holistic view of the family, considering the interplay between every member. The overall goal is to assist clients in their efforts to thoughtfully think through and handle whatever challenges they are facing. Including in this is the reduction of problematic symptoms.

http://lornahecht.com/family-systems-theory-a-holistic-approach-2/
http://lornahecht.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-therapy-using-family-systems-theory/

It is a fact that no one therapeutic approach has been shown to be significantly more effective than any other. Many of the new so-called “evidence based” therapies make great claims about their effectiveness, however, much of the research has been shown to be flawed. The truth is, there are no sure-fire quick fixes to complicated emotional problems and anyone who tells you there are is either uninformed or dishonest.

I suggest reading the information on this website. You can also look through the blog archive and read some of the articles. Schedule an appointment if what you read makes sense to you. There is no commitment and it is important to find a therapist who is a good fit for you.

http://lornahecht.com/8-benefits-of-coaching-with-a-marriage-and-family-therapist-trained-in-bowen-family-systems-theory/
http://lornahecht.com/smart-skeptic-risks-therapeutic-overpromising/

It is my belief that when children develop symptoms, as is common, they are reflecting a level of anxiety in the family. Ultimately, this anxiety is generated by the adults-the parents-with whom they are interacting. Therefore, I work with the parents to relieve symptoms in a child.

http://lornahecht.com/parents-create-change-in-the-family-system/

I’m going to make a paradoxical statement here: The purpose of marital counseling is to have individual counseling in the presence of your spouse.

All marriages are made up of an uncountable number of reciprocities. That is, you and your spouse (and others in your relationship triangles,) react to one another over and over again in patterned ways. These patterns can get stuck and, in some cases, dysfunctional. The goal of therapy is to figure out your part in the reciprocities so that you can make modifications. This can be done with your husband present or without him.

If you are thinking about therapy then you are probably involved in a situation that concerns you. You may already have tried to find solutions, with poor results. I am trained to observe the family dynamic and to point out things you may be too emotionally involved in to see clearly. Once the process is illuminated you will be better equipped to find your own solutions.

Once again, relationships are made up of reciprocities. By making this statement I am not letting people of the hook for irresponsible or damaging behavior. But it is true that when one person in the relationship makes the decision to “show up” in a more deliberate, thoughtful way, the dynamic will change.

There are many therapists who specialize in specific conditions. I do not work that way. Instead, I view all symptoms-physical, emotional, or social-as coming out of a relationship process in the family. The goal is to modify that process, which can lead to a reduction in symptoms.

Personally, I am uncomfortable with the current emphasis on diagnosis. Being able to accurately diagnose a medical condition is essential to treatment. The same principle has been applied to mental disorders which has not turned out to be as effective, and can in many situations make things worse. I think it is far more accurate to look at the functioning of a family system as a whole and to view the symptomatic individual(s) within the context of what is happening between people.

No, the term “family therapist” means that I look at every situation from the perspective of the family. This can be accomplished with one person in the session, or a couple, or the entire family.

The belief that each individual should have their own therapist, as well as a separate couple’s counselor, comes out of a specific therapeutic philosophy. This may be a valid approach but as I see it there are several disadvantages:

• It is more expensive to maintain several therapists.
• There is a lot more time spent in therapy, which has not been shown to be more effective.
• Different therapists may give contradictory information.
• Systems theory maintains that there is no distinction between couple and individual issues; everything exists within the relationship process and context.
• Creating more therapeutic triangles may calm the system down in the short run but over time it is more likely for the family to develop a dependence on the therapists, and even to avoid dealing with difficult issues within the family.

While in couple’s therapy you will alternate between individual and joint meetings. This facilitates the ability to learn from your partner’s perspective while allowing space to focus on your individual goals.