• been trying to manage on your own, reading self-help books and learning all you can about why you feel this way, or maybe you’ve
• tried other forms of therapies that work with your rational mind or recommend behavioral techniques…

• feeling distressed
• finding yourself engaging in behaviors that are self-sabotaging or harmful
• repeating relationship patterns that leave you feeling hurt or dissatisfied, or are
• unable to feel a meaningful connection with yourself or others

Bioenergetic Analysis may be right for you if:

• you have had verbal-only therapy and felt there was something deeper that remained locked away and inaccessible
• if your emotional stress is expressed mainly through somatic symptoms
• if you feel quite disconnected from your body and would like to enhance the mind-body connection
• if the idea of working with the body resonates with you

The answer will vary based on your goals for therapy and the degree of distress you are experiencing related to your symptoms.  This is something we will discuss as you start treatment, and session frequency may change over the course of treatment. 

In general, greater session frequency allows for deeper process because:

– less time is spent catching up on what happened between sessions, leaving more time available to engage with internal experience

– there is less time between sessions for defenses to kick in, so that material that came up in a previous session is more available for continued working through

– there is an intensification of the psychotherapeutic relationship, allowing for greater opportunity to explore issues with intimacy, relationship dynamics, and relational patterns of defense

I typically recommend a minimum of once-weekly sessions so that the process can take hold and allow for sufficient depth to allow for meaningful change.

For those that would like to work more intensively, or during periods of crisis or emotional instability, a greater session frequency is recommended.

Each session is 45 minutes.  Some people benefit from longer sessions, in which case the fee would be pro-rated.

The length of therapy varies from individual to individual, depending on your goals for therapy and your needs for healing related to past traumas or early childhood/adolescent experiences characterized by abuse, neglect, or traumatic experiences in the family such as illness, death, or divorce.  Sometimes deeper issues are uncovered during therapy for what was initially a more straight-forward concern (for example, difficulty managing a stressful work environment), which may prolong the course of therapy.  For this reason, it can be difficult to estimate how long treatment will last at the outset of therapy. 

Instead, we are guided by improvements in wellbeing that suggest that therapy can be brought to a close.  These can include:

• improvement in the symptoms that brought you to therapy, such as anxiety, depression, or uncontrolled anger
• enhanced awareness of personal needs and desires
• enhanced ability to communicate your needs to loved ones and navigate conflict
• enhanced ability to process stressful life events yourself or with the help of your support system
• improved capacity for emotional regulation
• development of healthy coping strategies that replace the need for substances or compulsive behaviors
• enhanced sense of meaning, purpose, and satisfaction with life choices and relationships

As therapy progresses and the issues for which you started therapy improve, we will discuss bringing therapy to a close (also known as termination).

Knowing whether someone is “the right fit” is often based on a gut feeling rather than a specific list of criteria.  However, in general, I believe that some of the gut feeling is informed by the following:

• do you feel comfortable enough to take some risks sharing some of what is on your mind (even if what is on your mind is how uncomfortable and anxious you feel about doing that)?
• do you feel you are learning or receiving something as a result of our sessions that feels new or valuable?
• are you able to let me know if I’ve said something that you don’t like or experience as hurtful?
• and when you do, do I respond in a way that feels productive and useful?

Sometimes you can get a sense about the rightness of the fit from our first introductory conversation, and sometimes it takes a few sessions to decide.  Please feel free to bring up any concerns you have at any time.  Whether or not we end up working together in the long run, speaking up about what works and what doesn’t will be a good experience that you will take with you into other relationships and future psychotherapy experiences.

Some insurance plans offer out-of-network benefits, which provide partial reimbursement for care from out-of-network providers. Here are some important questions to ask your insurance company:

• Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?
• What is my yearly deductible and has it been met?
• Once my deductible is reached, what percentage of my session cost will be reimbursed?
• Is there a limitation on how much you will pay per session?
• How many sessions per year am I eligible for with coverage?