Q. How long does therapy take?
A. That's a good question with a complicated answer. I believe that therapy should be as brief as possible and not one bit briefer. The average number of sessions in the United States is less than ten. There is no scientific evidence that I know of that relates longer term therapy to better outcomes. Here I speak of scientific research and not anecdotal "studies."
A. I am of the opinion that clients should have a sense of whether they have developed a good fit with a therapist after just a few sessions, usually three or less. Beyond achieving the obvious comfort level with the therapist, clients should be convinced that problems are being addressed, goals are set, and a solution is in sight.
Q. Do you always use hypnosis?
A. No. Hypnosis serves as a powerful complement to the solution focused approach that I employ. Hypnosis works best for specific symptoms that appear involuntarily. Check my FAQ on this for more information.
Q. Do you do evaluations? The only kind of evaluations that I perform are in relation to the appropriateness of the kind of work that I do in relation to a particular client. I don't do any kind of official evaluation - legal, insurance, etc. I do do second opinions in regard to a client's course or progress in psychotherapy. I can be more specific when we speak.
A. No. Hypnosis serves as a powerful complement to the solution focused approach that I employ. Hypnosis works best for specific symptoms that appear to be involuntary.
Q. Is your initial session free? How can I be sure that we will work well together?
Q. I notice in both your biography and services sections that you seem to have a variety of professional interests - training, organizational development, clinical consultation, etc. Doesn't this dilute your focus on therapy and serving your clients?
A. Actually, it's just the opposite. Having a variety of professional interests keeps me fresh, demands that I keep more informed, and makes me more appreciative of the challenges my clients face. The opportunity to generate solutions within varied contexts - private practice, corporate, non-profit, medical, government, etc. - broadens the breadth and depth of my knowledge and further hones my skill set.
Q. Do you do consultation?
A. Frequently, clients are referred by their healthcare providers for a brief course of treatment to supplement their ongoing therapy.
A. Yes. I can do consultation over the Web using Skype and video chat. This is best implemented for consultation and not ongoing therapy, however.
Q. Why aren't your fees posted on your site?
A. My fees are fairly standard if not a bit low for my experience and specialties. I don't post them because I believe that shopping by price is the worst way to choose a therapist - both for the client and therapist. I will be glad to discuss them with you on the phone, however, I am most interested in ways that I might be helpful.
Q. What about insurance?
A.Good question. I give clients a bill to send to their insurance companies for reimbursement but I do not accept direct third party payments. Insurance companies take a much longer time to pay providers than their own customers.
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