Frequently Asked Questions
What is your fee? Do you take insurance?
How many sessions will I need?
How often will we meet?
Can I work with you without reprocessing a memory with EMDR?
What’s the benefit of talking with a counselor versus my spouse, friends or family?
What are some of the benefits of counseling?
What is your fee? Do you take insurance?My fee is $150 for a 50 minute session and $300 for a 100 minute EMDR memory processing session. I do not offer any reduced fees or sliding scale fees. Payment is due at the end of each session and can be made by cash, check, credit cards, debit cards including medical savings account cards through your employer.
I will provide you with a receipt that you can use to file for reimbursement with your insurance company. I do not work with insurance companies or communicate in any way with your insurance company. For an insurance company to pay for any counseling, the therapist must assign the client a mental health disorder diagnosis code. I do not view my clients as having mental health disorders. Rather I view my clients as having understandable reactions to upsetting life events or the inevitable ups and downs of life. When you file your counseling sessions through your health insurance, your mental health disorder diagnosis code becomes part of your health record and can be accessed by your current and future employers. Your diagnosis codes can also be used to determine your future health insurance premiums. If you choose to assume this risk and if your condition meets the criteria of a mental health disorder code, I will provide you with a receipt that has all the codes and information that your insurance company requires for you to file a claim to be reimbursed by your insurance company.
How many sessions will I need?The number of sessions depends on your interests, goals, the scope of work, your history, the quality of the client-therapist relationship, and your ability to engage in the process during session and between sessions. Some issues can be resolved in just a few sessions, most require a few months of meeting on a regular basis. Some clients choose to work with me for a year or more as they understand the healing power of a therapeutic relationship and are working on a range of topics. Some clients who contact me specifically for EMDR often experience improvement in less than 10 hours of sessions, but once again it depends on their history and the topic we are working on. You do not have to commit to a certain number of sessions and you are free to end our work together at any time.
Research on the effectiveness of therapy consistently shows that the single most important factor for determining the effectiveness of therapy is the relationship between the client and therapist. We heal, change and grow through our relationships with others. So when you think about the number of sessions you need to meet your goals, you need to factor in the time it takes to develop a relationship where you trust the therapist and feel comfortable expressing yourself.
My goal is to facilitate your process of meeting your counseling goals. I am conscientious about clients not becoming dependent on the counseling relationship, and I do not prolong therapy when you have met your objectives or if the process is no longer beneficial for you.
How often will we meet?Typically, we will meet every week or every other week. Frequency of sessions and session length depends on what we are working on, your schedule and your preferences.
Can I work with you without reprocessing a memory with EMDR?Yes. The choice is yours. In addition, not all issues require desensitization and reprocessing of upsetting memories. EMDR is not a technique. It is a psychotherapy orientation that recognizes that the root cause of many present days problems are dysfunctionaly stored memories of upsetting events. My orientation as a therapist is not simply short term symptom relief, but identifying and treating the root cause of your present day problems, so you have lasting improvement in your well-being. EMDR is a highly efficient and effective way of doing this. However, it is not the only approach I use. It is not a cure-all and is not applicable or appropriate for all situations or clients.
What’s the benefit of talking with a counselor versus my spouse, friends or family?A therapist can be more objective than a spouse, friend or family member. People who you are that close to may respond to your situation in a way that is influenced by their own needs, values, preferences and history with you. A therapist sets aside their own needs and values and is focused on supporting your needs and doing what’s in your best interest. A therapist also applies knowledge and training in counseling, psychology, human development, trauma, anxiety, addiction, and other specialties to help you understand your own experiences and facilitate meeting your goals.
What are some of the benefits of counseling?Counseling is a way to work on your emotional muscles and become emotionally stronger and healthier. Counseling can help you identify and strengthen your positive qualities, provide support during a transition, help you understand and break negative patterns, help you gain perspective on a situation, solve a problem or heal from emotional wounds or upsetting experiences. Counseling can also help you understand yourself better and become more conscious of how your history, perceptions, feelings, attitudes and behavior patterns influence how you relate to others and move through the world.
I’ll be happy to discuss your situation and questions by phone prior to you scheduling an appointment. Just give me a call at 770-310-9305 or email me at
kalpana@genuineconnection.com.
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