Therapy is a form of treatment that helps individuals and families overcome life challenges, stressors, or long-term issues with the support of a trained professional. At Your Neighborhood Clinic, we provide a variety of mental health services, including talk therapy (counseling), assessment, and other evidence-based approaches tailored to each person’s needs.

Many people seek therapy to manage immediate stress, anxiety, depression, or life transitions, while others come for long-term support. Unfortunately, there are still negative associations with being in “therapy.” The truth is, everyone needs help at some point, and talking with a licensed therapist or psychologist in Washington, DC can provide the guidance and support you deserve.

If you are considering counseling, therapy can help you build coping skills, strengthen relationships, and improve emotional wellness. We are dedicated to providing affordable therapy, respectful care, and personalized mental health treatment to help you heal and thrive.

When it comes to therapy, many professions are involved in this type of work. While there are some differences within the broad training of each field, it is important that whomever you decide to see for therapy, you feel they are able to help you with the situation.

 Mst psychologists have had 4 to 6 years of specialized training in psychology that includes diagnosing, providing therapy, and conducting assessments. Psychiatrists have had specialized training in psychiatry, a branch of medicine related to mental health disorders. Psychiatrists are uniquely able to prescribe medication and make medication recommendations. Master-level therapists may have 2 or more years of graduate training in an array of fields and may be licensed to provide therapy as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist, or Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

The bottom line is talk to someone who has experience with your specific issues. Be up front with what you are seeking therapy for and ask them how comfortable they are with working with someone who has this issue. 

For a more in-depth discussion check out http://www.veronicatonay.com/psychotherapist_types.html

Confidentiality means that what you say will be kept between you and your therapist. Most things you share with your therapist will be confidential; however, there are some exceptions.

Adult clients (older than 18 by most state laws) exceptions are:

o   If you become a danger to yourself (make a threat of suicide or act in an erratic way that may warrant supervision/hospitalization)

o   If you become a danger to others (make a threat of homicide or act in an erratic way that may warrant supervision/hospitalization)

o   If you make mention of child (below the age of 18) or elderly (above the age of 65) abuse and/or neglect. State laws regarding abuse and neglect may vary.

Minor clients (below the age of 18) exceptions are:

o   All of the adult exceptions mentioned above

o   The therapist, minor client, and parent must decide on what information will be shared and what information will be kept between client and therapist. Most therapists prefer to only break the minor’s confidentiality for the exceptions listed during the adult exceptions.

There are some unique situations where confidentiality is not permitted. Those situations are usually when there are legal proceedings attached to the client-therapist relationship. Thus, if the psychologist is hired by the court, is seeing a client in prison, or an in-patient hospital, there may be no expectation of confidentiality. A psychologist must disclose the non-confidential nature of the work and the client must agree to participate in the therapy knowing that their information can be revealed to others.

Call your insurance and find out if you have mental health coverage. You should also find out if you have “out of network coverage” and how much the reimbursement rate is for therapy. Most insurance carriers will reimburse some or all of the cost of seeing a therapist.

Currently we are in network with BCBS, AETNA, CIGNA, MAGELLAN, TRICARE, and United Health Care. Make sure you know if you have deductible and what your copay is.

If you do not have insurance, we provide sliding scale fee services. These services are offered by our trainees.

Resources are available for you if you are seeking therapy. Email me if you would like specific information for the DC, Maryland, VA. For more information email about@yourneighborhoodclinic.org

Your first session is likely to be a little longer than a typical therapy session. It may be 1 ½ hours to 2 hours long. The first session is a time to explore what brings you to therapy as well as a time to gather essential background information. Often clients may feel like these questions have nothing to do with the current issue; however, a therapist may need to know this information in order to make sure that they can accurately understand the current problem. During the first session, you may go over paper work and fill out forms. The therapist should explain your rights as a client and the level of confidentiality. The first session is also a time for you to ask any questions that you may have of the therapist as well.

 Following the first session, additional sessions are 50 minutes. Some therapists allow client’s to have variable session times; however, most therapists prefer to have regular weekly meetings. Therapy is a type of treatment and as you would not tell your medical doctor how often you will take their prescribed medicine, it is not a good idea to try to lower or increase the dosage of therapy without first discussing it with your therapist.

At Your Neighborhood Clinic, we provide comprehensive psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults. Our evaluations include cognitive testing, academic assessments, emotional and behavioral evaluations, trauma assessments, and bariatric assessments. We provide diagnostic clarification for ADHD to help students apply for academic supports. We also provide immigration and asylum evaluations. These assessments help guide treatment, support academic or workplace planning, and inform culturally competent mental health care.