Structure of the First Meeting
We generally ask that all family members living in the same household come to the first appointment, unless the initial referral is specifically for individual or couple therapy. Even in these situations, however, you and your therapist will work out who will come to the first and subsequent sessions. When doing family therapy, there are benefits to all members coming to the first session, including reviewing opening paperwork just one time (and thus saving you money) and hearing the voice and views of everyone affected by the problems that bring you into therapy.
Requesting a Specific Between Us Associates Therapist
We generally try to accommodate requests for a specific therapist. If that therapist’s caseload is full, we will offer you a different therapist or refer you elsewhere, depending on your needs.
Types of Therapy Utilized
At Between Us Associates, our therapists see life challenges and their solutions as interpersonal and relational. We believe that problems, their resolution, and personal experiences of change occur within a broader framework of family, community and society. These ideas are the foundation of Family Systems Theory. A therapist working from a family systems approach strongly considers and integrates the influence of nuclear and extended family, as well as the community and wider society.
Beyond a family systems approach, our therapists employ a variety of techniques and empirically-supported therapy approaches, including solution-oriented therapy, narrative therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Other services provided by Between Us Associates also incorporate the latest empirically-supported or “promising practices” methods.
What to Expect in Therapy
Therapists at Between Us Associates tend to use brief, solution-oriented, client-led methods. This will vary depending on the type of problem(s), how longstanding the problem is, how complex and involving of family it is, and its nature. Therapy approach and duration may also vary according to the type and severity of any mental health issues. Our therapist will team with you, identify which aspects of your life or relationships you would like to change for the better, and map out a process with you for getting there. Oftentimes, your therapist will work with you to identify exceptions to the problem, or situations in which the problem is not happening or when you found success in different but related situations. Exceptions will be expanded and used to help you overcome barriers to change.
Staying Focused
Clients at Between Us Associates are seen as experts on their own family situation and history, and as authentic partners in the change process. You can expect to be regularly consulted on the direction of goal-setting, the process of therapy, and your own progress. Identifying goals agreed-upon by therapist and clients is one key factor to successful outcomes in therapy (Sprenkle, D.H., Davis, S.D., & Lebow, J.L. (2009). Common factors in couple and family therapy; The overlooked foundation for effective practice. New York: Guilford.) Your therapist will ask about your goals for therapy and encourage you to make them specific and achievable. This makes it possible for therapist and clients together to evaluate the progress made and next steps. It also allows all parties to better plan for termination of therapy.
Appointments and Scheduling
Appointment scheduling generally though not always starts out with regular, weekly appointments, so that assessment and goal-setting can happen early on. This is important to help clients gain comfort with their therapist and a sense of ownership of the process. The ongoing frequency and duration of services is also generally worked out between the therapist and the client(s), though if you are paying by insurance, the insurance reviewer will often be part of decision-making regarding the length of services.
We offer morning, day, and evening appointments several days per week.
Court Involvement
Therapists at Between Us Associates believe that treatment is most effective when it is not made part of legal disputes. If we are required to attend or prepare for court, we will charge a rate of $150 per hour for all time spent, including preparation, travel, documentation and actual participation. The charge will be for a minimum four hours to account for the rescheduling of a half-day worth of client sessions. These charges are not covered by your insurance.
If you are seeing a therapist at Between Us Associates pursuant to a court order, we may request a copy of the court order prior to treatment so we have an opportunity to review the order and specific expectations.
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