Houston Therapy FAQ
How long does therapy last?
Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question.
Some people may be in therapy for years, and others may only be in therapy a few weeks. We like to think that you are the true master of your own self.
Our answer is: when you feel like you are in that place you want to be, then that is when you should stop.
Usually what we do with our clients who are towards the end of their time with us is meet with them twice a month instead of weekly. After a few months of that, we step down to what we call the “maintenance” phase, which is when we see the client once every 4-6 weeks. This is to make sure that you are still progressing and getting the results you like.
Do you take insurance?
At Malaty Therapy, we have therapists that accept BCBS, Cigna, Aetna and United. By calling the office for a consult, we can help match you to a therapist that works within your plan.
Additionally, you can use your insurance if your benefits plan offers coverage for out-of-network providers. Most plans provide this coverage.
You will need to contact your insurance company to determine your reimbursement coverage.
We recognize that filing insurance claims can be confusing at times, and, if you wish, we will provide a monthly statement containing all necessary information (coding, diagnosis, dates of service, signature, etc.) for that purpose. You may then file a claim with your insurance company for reimbursement.
Please be aware that we have no control over the confidentiality of your information once it is received by your insurance company.
Do you specialize in any particular area?
Most of our work is done with adolescents and young adults. This particular demographic is one that we really have a passion for. Teens are one of the most underappreciated populations we have in our society. Teens in our opinion are a blank canvas and all they want to do is leave their mark. We want to empower them to not only make that mark, but make it a masterpiece.
We also work with parents who are struggling with their kids or don’t know what steps to take in helping them out.
Our main areas of speciality are recovery related issues (drugs, internet, gambling, etc.), anxiety, depression, academic underachievement, and failure to launch cases.
Why should I choose you?
That is a really good question to ask when you are looking for any therapist. We would say that when choosing a therapist, you look for someone who holds a lot of your same values and is going to work for you and with you.
We don’t have an interest in telling you or your family how to live your life. You know exactly what you want your life to look like and our job is to help facilitate that change.
That being said, our authenticity and warmth are big strengths that help to build that bond with our clients, especially when it comes to adolescents and young adults. People are really good at sensing when something is fishy, and we take pride in being authentic wholehearted people.
Make sure that with whomever you choose (we hope it’s us!!), you have that connection and buy into what they are trying to accomplish.
But therapy is so expensive. What if it doesn’t work?
Therapy isn’t something in our opinion that should be viewed as an expense. This is an investment in your future and those around you as well. There should not be a price tag on that. If there is, we hope the price tag is larger than the amount that you are paying for therapy. This is an investment unlike any other and it is potentially life transforming.
That being said, we can’t guarantee you that it will work for you. If we could do that, then we would be the richest people in the world.
Are the things said in our session confidential?
Confidentiality is the keystone to therapy; it protects your privacy to share freely and openly in our sessions together. Your sessions and all information you disclose are confidential. Except for the instances stated below, which are required by law, we will not share information or respond to inquiries of any kind from any source without your written consent:
- If in our clinical judgment, you pose a threat to harm yourself, and you refuse appropriate treatment, we are ethically bound to notify the appropriate parties (those who can intervene to protect you).
- If you indicate a serious threat to harm another person, we are legally required to warn the intended victim(s) and the police and/or to obtain a civil commitment to the state mental health system.
- We are required to report any suspicion of child or elder abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities.
- In some instances the courts may subpoena our records or testimony. In most instances, we are forced to honor these subpoenas.
These stipulations apply to all mental health practitioners in Texas.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a structured, problem-focused, and time-limited therapy in which individuals are taught to observe and document their negative thoughts so they can identify the associations between thoughts, feelings, physiology, and behavior.
Individuals will learn to assess the rationality and usefulness of these cognitions and change dysfunctional cognitions to amore adaptive perspective.
Behavioral techniques such as activity scheduling, self-monitoring of mastery and pleasure, and graded task assignments are used to help individuals overcome disinterest and expose themselves to rewarding experiences.
Individuals also learn adaptive coping skills and problem-solving skills. Cognitive Behavioral counseling entails many strategies and techniques to help depressed individuals address their thinking including psychoeducation, guided discovery, Socratic questioning, role-playing, imagery, and behavioral experiments.
What is Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)?
The main goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is to help individuals recognize ways they attempt to suppress, avoid, and control emotional experiences that can create further challenges.
By compassionately recognizing and addressing these challenges, an individual can become more able to make room for values-based actions that support their well-being.
One thing to note is that ACT does not define these experiences as “symptoms” or label them as “negative”. The goal is to identify the emotion, memory, thought, etc. as they are – without attempting to alter them. This is to begin viewing them as normal aspects of the human experience and what can make life beautiful.
Truthfully, the human experience is a wide spectrum of events that can include painful experiences along with joyful ones. Learning how to accept things as they come, without evaluating or attempting to change the situation is a skill that can be developed in sessions and can be practiced outside of the sessions.
ACT is not about changing or stopping those unwanted feelings or thought processes, it is about changing your relationship with them. ACT therapy can offer freedom to people who struggle with not wanting to have “full control” or an inability to “let things go”.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a common therapy technique used to help with stress, emotional regulation, and to help redirect behavioral patterns such as self-harm or other compulsive behaviors.
DBT combines the standard cognitive-behavioral techniques, acceptance therapy, and mindful awareness. Mindfulness is one of the core elements in DBT therapy. The reason for this is that being mindful of one’s thoughts, emotions and actions can be the starting point in directing those “negative” behaviors into “positive” ones. It is also a great foundation for the other building blocks that come with therapy and DBT skills.
The acceptance portion of DBT helps individuals tolerate the powerful emotions that can come with therapy and life. The acceptance and mindfulness that is taught within DBT therapy create the ability to pay attention, nonjudgmentally, to the moments at hand. And reframes one’s perspective to handle it with more positive outlets and responses.
The acceptance skills taught helps one to no longer judge themselves for having these emotions or for being in “negative” situations. As well as to accept the moment at hand for what it is in a more positive “fact-based approach”. This can create less distress and panic when things come up.
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a form of therapy that is geared for individuals who have experienced physical and emotional trauma, and experience overall emotional distress from difficult life experiences.
EMDR therapy is a parallel concept where your brain can heal from psychological trauma and how your body can recover from physical injury.
The scars may still be there but we need to take care of the wound so it can heal and no longer be infected. The only way to achieve this is a head-on, direct approach.
EMDR therapy is a direct approach to one’s trauma, to be able to face the situation (at their own pace) under the supervision and guidance of a certified EMDR therapist.
EMDR therapy is different from talk therapy in a few ways. For example, EMDR therapy involves biological aspects such as eye movements (or other bilateral stimulations), rapid eye movement, and there are usually only about 8 sessions. The other aspects are more up to the client’s own intellectual and emotional processes rather than the therapist’s interpretations.
Since it is a client directly walking through the trauma, the therapist safely guides them into transforming the thoughts into “I survived” and allows them to view that moment(s) as apart of their story to continue healing rather than prohibiting them from continuing to stay trapped in it.
In successful EMDR therapy, the meaning of painful events is transformed on an emotional level.
One of the biggest things to know about EMDR therapy is that it’s not recommended for everyone. And it’s not recommended to start your therapeutic journey in EMDR. Often it can be a difficult and tasking experience. This specialized therapy is strongly recommended in general, as EMDR carries amazing benefits. However it’s important to note that it can’t be abruptly ended, once started.