Therapy: Where to Start

Lately, you’ve been interested in getting started in therapy. This could be for yourself or for a loved one, like your teen, or in couples or family counseling. However, you’re unsure where to start when it comes to therapy.

 

It could be that lately you’ve been feeling extremely overcome with anxiety. It leaves you feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and like you’re juggling a million things at once. But you don’t know how to slow down and calm down.

 

Or, you have been feeling depressed, finding yourself having a lack of motivation or desire to do anything anymore. You may struggle with feelings of self-doubt, loneliness, and difficulty regulating difficult emotions.

 

Maybe you are having issues in your relationship or family dynamic. This could look like a lack of communication, a lack of understanding, or general conflict issues going on. It could be that you have a teen you are struggling to get along with, or having difficulties parenting a child.

 

It can seem like a vulnerable and intimidating process. If this is your first time wanting to get started in therapy, just know this is an amazing first step in the right direction! Once you get connected with a good fit therapist, everything starts falling into place.

 

There are a few first steps when it comes to beginning therapy in Simi Valley. First, you will want to consider the benefits of therapy. Try to identify your current needs, and how therapy will help your situation. 

 

Next, understand potential costs and insurance benefits. Therapists can be either in-network or out-of-network with your insurance, so make sure to gather information about this with them. Therapy can be considered an investment in yourself or your loved ones.

 

Third, hold phone consultations with potential therapists or agencies until you find the right fit. At group practices, you may encounter an intake coordinator, who is able to determine the best therapist for your needs. You’ll want to work with a therapist that presents themselves as kind, empathetic, understanding, and accepting. Working with a quality therapist will go a long way.

 

Finally, schedule your first intake session! These sessions are all about gathering information about you and your needs. It may feel like you aren’t getting started just yet, but this is a crucial first step in beginning therapy. Your therapist will gather information to get to know you and your situation. From there, they will begin identifying and establishing goals with you.

 

Getting started in therapy in Simi Valley, CA can be an intimidating process, but it does not have to be. Call us today at (805) 774-1506 for a free consultation with our friendly staff.

 

Therapy: Where to Start: Consider some benefits in getting started

 

Consider what has led you to seek out counseling in the first place. As described in the introduction, it could be somewhere along the lines of anxiety, depression, relationship or familial issues, or a combination.

 

Perhaps you may even be struggling with trauma symptoms and are in need of trauma therapy. Or, you identify on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and are seeking LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy. Click here to access the blog on what LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy is!

 

What would be some benefits for you in getting started in therapy? Do you feel fatigued and overwhelmed with difficult emotions you struggle to express? Maybe you’re worn out by feeling angry all the time which can leave you exhausted. You may even have physical symptoms like headaches, chest pains, difficulty sleeping, and more.

 

Some examples of benefits would be that you will have your very own safe space to work through difficult issues. Perhaps you feel alone and that you have no one to turn to. Now, you will have someone who only has a focus on your well-being and making sure they can support you.

 

Some goals for therapy could be increased communication skills and ability to express your feelings in a healthy way. Maybe you are wanting to develop better habits or routines for yourself. You want to get back on track in regards to school, work, or in social relationships. 

 

Whatever your goals for therapy may be, a therapist in Simi Valley is here to support you along the way. If you do not yet have any goals, they will work with you and collaboratively establish some. By mutually agreeing with you about what can be worked on, true progress will be made.

 

Anxiety therapy in Simi Valley, CA provides you with skill sets to move through life without the burden of feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or nervous.

 

Therapy: Where to Start: Understand potential cost and insurance benefits

 

Understanding potential costs and insurance benefits prior to getting started in therapy is important. You want to make sure you understand whether a therapist is in-network or out of network.

 

An in-network therapist is a provider who is paired with an insurance company or multiple insurance companies. This would mean that they accept your insurance and are able to bill the insurance directly, while you pay a certain co-pay. Your co-pay ranges depending on your benefits, so always verify this with your insurance directly.

 

An out-of-network therapist is a provider who is private, and not paired with any insurance companies. They do not bill insurance and do not accept payments from insurance, but rather from the client directly. The payment would be their full session fee. It’s possible that your insurance may provide you with out of network benefits, which is called co-insurance. 

 

Essentially, you will have a certain deductible that needs to be paid to the therapist directly before your co-insurance kicks in. Once you have paid your deductible amount, you will continue to pay upfront for the full session fee to the out-of-network therapist. However, the out of network therapist may provide you with superbills. 

 

These superbills can be submitted to your insurance as an out of network claim. You will want to submit these from the start of your services, so that your payments contribute to your deductible. Once the deductible is met, you will submit the superbill, and the insurance will pay you a certain percentage back. This is called reimbursement. 

 

Session fees can vary depending on the providers, length of the session, and more. Inquire about the expected fee per session to see if it would be a good fit for you. Contact us today for more information!

 

Our friendly staff at New Leaf Marriage & Family Therapy are more than happy to answer any questions in regards to session costs or what insurance involvement looks like.

 

Therapy: Where to Start: Hold phone consultations until you find the right fit

Consider holding phone consultations until you have found the right fit. Phone consultations are usually free and can last around 10 minutes long. During these consultations, the therapist or intake coordinator will want to gather background information.

 

This can look like understanding what’s led you to seek therapy today. It’s important that the providers obtain this information to see if you are a good fit for the practice first. This is so they can determine whether they are able to provide you with the proper level of care, or would need to refer you out. 

 

Once that is determined, they will share further information about their experience, availability, and session fees. If that information aligns with your needs, it could be a good fit for you. You can also get a sense of their personality and if you feel comfortable getting started with them.

 

It can feel strange getting started in therapy. In reality, you and your therapist are strangers. You may not feel an instant connection right off the bat. Or even that you want to jump into being vulnerable with them. And that’s okay.

 

Therapy is a process and an investment in yourself. As long as you go into it trusting the process, you are capable of making real change within yourself. Whether it’s yourself, you and your loved one, your child, or your teen getting started in therapy in Simi Valley – our goal is to ensure you feel comfortable and safe.

 

If you are struggling with grief, consider reaching out to us for grief counseling in Simi Valley. You do not have to go through this alone.

 

Therapy: Where to Start: Schedule your first intake session

After you review all information about getting started in therapy and deem it to be a good fit for your needs, schedule your first intake session! The intake session is tailored around getting to know you and your history and meeting your therapist for the first time.

 

In this session, you may not begin to open up about too much just yet. While the therapist wants to gather as much information as possible about you, they will focus on asking you relevant questions. 

 

Gathering basic demographic information helps them best understand what to keep in mind when creating a treatment plan for you. They may want to understand your ethnicity, your sexual orientation, gender identity, living situation, relationship situation, family situation, if you work or are in school, and much more.

 

They may also ask you to elaborate on your symptoms. If you are coming to therapy for depression treatment, your therapist may ask what you experience on a regular basis. This could be fatigue, sadness, hopelessness, and more. 

 

From there, you and your therapist will work to meet on a weekly basis. You will go more in-depth about any significant life events or how you are doing on a regular basis. Your therapist will be able to identify goals as well as any tasks for you to engage in.

 

Seek out a validating, safe environment with us today. We will help you get to where you want to be. Our therapists provide teen therapy, individual adult therapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, anxiety therapy, depression treatment, family therapy, and more in-person in Simi Valley, CA.

 

Call us at (805) 774-1506 for a free consultation and more information on our group and amazing therapists!