Frequently Asked Questions


It is difficult to know when to seek counseling and professional support. Making the decision to seek help for yourself or someone you love is always hard. There is always a tendency to second guess your intuition or rationalize that counseling is not needed. To help make this decision, review this list below. If you are experiencing any of these items, you may find it useful to call Simone at the Denver Counseling Clinic to receive professional support.







When should someone seek therapy?


Seeking out therapy is an individual choice, and there are many reasons why people decide to do it. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing issues, such as anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as a divorce or work transition. Many seek the help of a therapist as they pursue their own personal exploration and growth. Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and new strategies for all types of life challenges. Therapy can help address many types of issues including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, and general life transitions. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility of their healing process, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.

back to top ↑






What can I expect in a therapy session?


Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and their specific goals. During therapy sessions it is standard to talk about the primary issues and concerns in your life. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts 45 to 50 minutes. Sometimes individuals who are going through a particularly difficult challenge may request more time per session or more than one session per week. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue or longer-term, addressing more complex issues and traumas, or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping a journal to track certain behaviors. Between sessions it is important process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life. For therapy to be most effective you must be a willing and active participant, both during and between the sessions.

back to top ↑






What benefits can I expect from working with a therapist?


Therapy can provide insight and new perspectives into life's challenges and can help create solutions to difficult problems. Many people find that working with a therapist can enhance personal development, improve relationships and family dynamics, and can ease the challenges of daily life. Sometimes, just having a safe person there to listen is helpful, and other times there are deeply embedded emotional and psychological wounds that cannot heal just by talking alone. In such cases, a cutting-edge therapeutic approach such as EMDR is considered a very effective way to address those issues. Overall, people in therapy tend to have lower levels of anxiety and stress, decreased conflict, and improved quality of life.

Some of the benefits available from therapy include:

  • Developing new skills for handling stress and anxiety
  • Modifying unhealthy behavior and long-standing patterns
  • Attaining insight into personal patterns and behavior
  • Increasing confidence, peace, vitality, and well-being
  • Improving ways to manage anger, depression and moods
  • Discovering new ways to solve problems
  • Navigating life's obstacles more effectively
  • Improving listening and communication skills
  • Enhancing the overall quality of life



back to top ↑





Do you take insurance?


In order to have your insurance company pay for your therapy, I have to give you a Mental Disorder Diagnosis. Then, depending on your insurance company, I may have to write a report every 5 to 10 sessions to show that you are still suffering with that Mental Disorder. In order for them to continue to pay for therapy, my report needs to show that you are still ill, although getting better, but are not cured yet. Also, having a Mental Disorder Diagnosis on your health records could potentially make it more difficult or expensive to get health insurance in the future. These are the reasons why I am not in insurance panels.



back to top ↑






Is therapy confidential?


In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a psychotherapist. Information is not disclosed without written permission. However, there are number of exceptions to this rule.

Exceptions include (but are not limited to):

  • Suspected child abuse. The therapist is required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
  • If a client is threatening serious bodily harm another person/s. The therapist must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
  • If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in insuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, further measures may be taken without their permission in order to ensure their safety.



back to top ↑






Contact Us

{ website by bella clementine }