Answers
Commonly Asked Questions or Concerns.
Beginning Therapy
The First Step
Like any journey, a first step is always among the hardest. If you are reading this, you have taken part of that very first step toward building the best you and living your most authentic life.
At Being You Counseling, we look forward to meeting you as you take your next steps.
A First Session
A first visit with us is like most appointments you may have with any new healthcare provider. There will be a lot of information we will ask about and you will want to get to know us as well. In this visit we will talk about what you want to accomplish and develop together a strategy about how we will proceed.
- Things we might talk about during your first session are:
- What has brought you to counseling?
- What are the things in your life that you want to change?
- How are you feeling now and what types of symptoms are you experiencing?
- We’ll talk a little bit about your childhood, school, relationships (family, work, friends, significant others), your living situation and maybe your career.
- We will talk about how long you may want or need to stay with counseling.
- Who (if anyone) it might be helpful to have join you in a session at some point.
- We will talk about how we protect your privacy and steps you may take to assure your confidentiality during counseling.
As we meet, we will tackle the specific concerns you have and work on developing the skills you need to help navigate your journey to being your best self with the concerns you may have or given the life experiences that brought you to where you are right now.
Length of Sessions and Treatment
Counseling is a very individualized process. Some people may only need a few sessions or weeks, while others may find that becoming your best self is a journey that takes years.
Just as your length of treatment is individualized so are the length and frequency of sessions. Most sessions are 45 minutes in length and will occur once each week. Others may be a little longer or shorter or may meet more or less frequently.
How We Work
Different illnesses or people will require different strategies to help cope with acute illnesses or develop skills to address personal issues or to identify and act on changes you may want to make in your life. Your therapist will develop the right set of techniques and therapies for you as your sessions develop. You will also find that different techniques may work better for a time and then require some changes to help you continue to grow.
Generally the types of techniques we use will fall into five areas:
- Focus intensively on the “right now”. This is Gestalt Therapy and we use it to work on immediate needs or crisis.
- Focus on your ability to determine for yourself how you will address life. This is called Existential Therapy. Here we acknowledge that you have the ability to control many things and we focus less on symptoms you may be experiencing. We begin to look at how your ability to take control of things will improve symptoms that may lead you to feel helpless or ineffective.
- Focus on providing space for you to talk about whatever is important in the moment. This is called person-centered therapy and provides a safe space for you to express yourself in an unconditional environment.
- Focus on discovering the relationships between your thoughts and feelings and behavior. This self-discovery counseling is called cognitive behavior therapy. In this we explore the ways thoughts, feelings and behavior can become a cycle that may produce a cycle of outcomes that may limit your growth.
- Focus on working through the events or experiences or fears that may cause you pain. This psychodynamic therapy explores those life events that may have left scars in your unconscious mind.
About Confidentiality
Counseling sessions between a Therapist and a client are considered covered by HIPAA and will not be disclosed to others without the written consent of the client. These would be transmitted through normal clinical methods of record sharing and transmission or by personal consultation from your Therapist to another clinical provider whom you have specified. However, the Code of Conduct of both the APA and the NASW have ethical requirements for Therapists to comply with the legal “ Duty to Warn” .
In Tennessee, these legal obligations reflect a concern that the client may wish to harm themselves or someone else and that they have the access and means with which to cause harm. This information must be communicated to someone able to take steps to reduce danger.
What to Expect
In Case of Emergency
Always call 911 in case of an Emergency!
Suicide Awareness – Call 800-273-TALK (8255)
If you are considering harm to yourself, stop everything else you are doing. Pick up the phone and call 800.273.8255 – 800.273.TALK
This phone is answered 24/7 by people who will help you get through then next hours in a safe way and will work to get help to you immediately.
Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)
If you have experienced a sexual assault. There are counselors available 24/7 to help you through this immediate crisis and they will help you with additional resources.
Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800-799-SAFE (7233)
If you are experiencing a home situation that has become violent or dangerous or if you have been harmed, the Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7. Call 911 for immediate police help. Try to find a safe space from which to call for resources from counselors offered in both English and Spanish.
Ask Questions
At the end of your first session, your Therapist will ask you if you have any questions. This is an opportunity for you to check in with questions about the goals you have about your counseling sessions and also an opportunity to inquire about the Therapist’s expertise, training or experience.
You may want to know about how long each session will last so that you can plan your time both before and after a session.
How many sessions the Therapist expects it may require to provide care for your specific needs.
You may want to ask about what you should expect to happen in a typical session.
Deciding to Move
Like with any healthcare provider, you need to feel comfortable. With a therapist, this is a critical part of being successful in your journey. If, after a meeting or two, you feel that you are not “clicking” with your therapist, it is important to find someone who is a better fit for you.
However, it is really important that you recognize that your therapist is there to challenge you, to make you think, to help you learn and to check-in with you as they help you examine your own thoughts. These are not always easy things to hear. What you should expect is that your therapist treats you as an equal and with respect and that they show compassion as you move through this process.
If you determine that it is not just that you are being challenged, but that you just are not clicking, you can honestly tell your therapist that you will not be returning. You will find that your therapist will help you find a provider who will be a better fit. The goal, after all, is Being You.
Payment
Payment for your therapy sessions will be charged to you at the time of service. Being You Counseling accepts most major insurance carriers.
These include:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Optum
- Cigna / Evernorth
- United Healthcare
- UMR
- Medicare (Traditional) Part B
We do NOT work with EAP programs, TennCare or Medicare Advantage Plans.
All patients are required to maintain a credit card or debit card on file for co-payments or payments that will be charged against your insurance deductibles.
You are always welcome to self-pay for your care and you will be provided a link to pay using a credit or debit card.
Services
Depression
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Sadness is something each of us experiences throughout our lives. In some cases this sadness can become so pervasive that it starts to impact the ways in which we engage in our lives.
Depression can happen for a variety of reasons including our life experiences and even genetic vulnerabilities. Understanding what underlies depression is the starting point for therapy. From there we work toward skills to manage depression.
Anxiety
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Anxiety is a normal response to uncertain experiences. For some people anxiety can impact everyday life in debilitating ways. From flashes of panic response to excessive worry or fears, anxiety can spiral, leaving people unable to manage daily routines. Excessive anxiety can be out of proportion to any actual danger and the feeling can last for a long time.
Together we will work toward skills to manage anxiety.
Stress
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We all know what stress feels like. To some extent everyone knows that chronic stress can create a watershed of physical and psychological harm. While it may not be practical or possible to eliminate all sources of stress, therapy sessions will focus on finding ways to manage stress and find outlets for relieving stress in healthier ways.
Grief
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The pain of loss is very real. Deaths of those you love can impact your entire being – emotional, spiritual and physical. Experiencing grief can also come from other losses such as divorce, a break up, loss of a job, loss of a home, or other life changing events. In therapy, you will have a safe space to share and process your grief and learn how to begin again.
Anger Management
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Everyone gets angry sometimes and feeling anger is okay. The way that we handle our anger and express it is what counts. For some of us, anger leaves us feeling out of control. In therapy we learn how to express and manage our anger in a healthy way.
Relationships
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As human beings, we are hardwired for connection. Navigating and forming healthy relationships is a skill needed at all ages. Relationships are in every area of our lives. We have family, romantic, work, friends and others. Together we can navigate a positive way to work toward healthy relationships with those you love and/or those with whom you interact daily.
There are times when relationships will end. These breakups are typically filled with a multitude of challenging emotions. Together we can find ways forward and navigate this new space.
Coping Skills
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Coping skills are tools we learn and develop that get us through the tough emotions and stressors in our lives. Coping skills are the way that you take care of yourself. Learning different skills to help you cope means that you have more tools in your emotional toolbox to provide self-care and comfort as you process these hard experiences.
Chronic Illness
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A happy and productive life can include a chronic illness. The mind – body – spirit connection is powerful. A diagnosis of a chronic illness or a physical injury resulting in a need for rehabilitation and long bouts of physical therapy can significantly impact our mental well-being.
Your brain is powerful, and sometimes when your brain is struggling it can worsen or even create physical symptoms. Coping with chronic illness can be challenging and sometimes draining. Together we can help your brain and body work as a team.
Life Changes
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Life transitions can include getting married, having a baby, moving to a new home, starting a new job, death of a loved one, a divorce, a break up, job loss. While every life transition can include elements of joy, they can also include elements of grief and loss.
Transitions are hard. Change is hard. The emotions you experience may be all over the place and all of your emotions are okay and valid. We will explore your responses and how to navigate the changes together.
Harmful Behavior
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When we are in distress, we search for ways to cope. Some of us turn to self-harm as a way to cope. Together we will work to develop healthier and safer ways to respond to our big emotions and challenging thoughts. Self-Injury is often a symptom of a larger mental health concern. Together we will address the underlying condition as well as the self-injury symptoms.
Trauma
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Trauma can happen to anyone. Traumas are put into two categories of big “T” and little “t” traumas. The big “T” traumas are typically events like physical or sexual abuse, war, life threatening events, or serious injury. Little “t” traumas can be things like deaths of family or pets, a breakup, loss of a job among many other experiences.
Whether your trauma is a big “T” or a little “t”, your emotional response is valid.
Talking about trauma takes courage, trust and time. Finding a safe space to heal and begin to find a path forward is our ultimate goal. Finding a place of safety both in the sessions and outside of them is where we begin. Therapy will go at a pace that is comfortable for you.
Self Esteem
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Self Esteem ebbs and flows. Everyone has times in which they feel confident and in control and times when they feel less so. When esteem is low it can impact multiple areas of our life.
In therapy, we will work to understand the sources of low self esteem and begin to examine our beliefs about ourselves. Together we will work on recognizing that being you is enough.
Handling School
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During the school year a child spends half of their time at school.
There are a multitude of problems that can arise as your child is growing and learning in a school environment. Some of these include: failing grades, difficulty with peers, behavioral problems, difficulty staying at school, difficulty getting to school, bullying, homework, and other issues.
Together we'll explore and address your student's challenges and help them become a successful student.
Suicidal Ideation
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If you are considering taking your own life:
Suicide Awareness – Call 800-273-TALK (8255)
If you are considering harm to yourself, stop everything else you are doing. Pick up the phone and call 800.273.8255 - 800.273.TALK
This phone is answered 24/7 by people who will help you get through then next hours in a safe way and will work to get help to you immediately.
If you are not in immediate danger:
Outpatient therapy can be helpful. There are thoughts that sometimes happen of not wanting to be around anymore. You may recognize that there is pain associated with that thought. You may have no plan to act on it. These thoughts may come and go. But when these thoughts happen it is a signal that it is important to tell someone. In therapy we will work toward finding healthy way to respond to the thoughts.
Let's Get Started
Intake Chat
Our introduction will take place with an intake chat. This allows me to send you some information to help assess your needs and provide you with an opportunity to get to know me a little bit.
Book Appointment
Once we have completed our intake assessment, we will book our first appointment for a full session. I will send some forms via a secure link for you to sign and to complete prior to your first appointment.
1st Session!
Getting ready for your first session will require that you find a quiet and private place to talk. Sessions are conducted via phone or telehealth.
Contact Ailie
Ask a question or book an appointment below.
For emergencies call 911 or visit your nearest hospital.