Frequently asked questions.
What is the purpose of therapy?
Therapy (at least at our center!) is not laying on a couch looking at ink blotches while someone nods and smiles. Therapy is a well-researched, scientific, medical intervention performed by trained professionals. Therapists become licensed clinicians after receiving a Bachelors degree, Masters degree, passing several exams, and completing a minimum of two years of supervised practice.
The purpose of therapy is to help people end unhealthy thought patterns that lead to negative emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Incredible research is being developed daily, showing the power that the mind has over our daily lives. Mental illness is real, powerful, and not your fault. Just like if your heart or lungs were to get sick and you would see a doctor, it is important to see a therapist if your mind also becomes sick.
Who might benefit from therapy?
Most people at some point in their lives would benefit from therapy. Therapy is tough work. Seeing a therapist does not make you weak. In fact, it is one of the bravest things you can do for yourself. The primary diagnoses we treat are anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you are experiencing any of the following trauma-related symptoms, give us a call:
Feeling down or depressed
Worrying too much
Trouble sleeping
Feeling on edge
Finding yourself repeatedly in unhealthy or unfulfilling relationships
Trouble making decisions
Trouble getting close to others
Emotions that are all over the place
Feeling numb, cut off, or distant
Self-sabotaging or getting in your own way
Trouble getting bad memories or negative thoughts out of your head
Poor memory
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, do not wait. Contact the Colorado Crisis Hotline (1-800-273-8255) or go to your nearest emergency room or walk-in center.
Who do you love to help?
We love treating clients 12+ who are motivated and ready to start or continue their healing journey. We love working with youth and young adults (20s, 30s). We are passionate about helping people recover from stuck beliefs, like:
I’m not good enough.
I’m not safe.
Nobody loves me.
I cannot trust anyone.
I will never be successful.
I don’t deserve good things.
Often, these stuck beliefs, as well as symptoms of anxiety or depression, come from trauma or past stressful experiences. This might include things like abuse, neglect, bullying, feeling chronically unloved by family or peers, natural disasters, abandonment, stress, and other painful situations. When we allow our bodies to fully heal from those past experiences, then we can begin to feel whole again. Most of our clients struggle with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
At this time, we are unable to treat clients who have learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, Autism, or intellectual disabilities due to the specialized nature of how these conditions impact therapy. We also are unable to treat ADHD, psychosis, or personality disorders.
Are you doing in-person or virtual therapy (telehealth)?
Currently, most of our sessions are virtual to allow for more convenience and availability. By being online, you get to remain in your safe place. In-person sessions may be available on a limited basis.
Just like doing therapy in an office, it is important that you are on time, have privacy, and are able to devote the hour to yourself. This is your time and you deserve it. Many people find that they actually prefer virtual sessions. It is convenient - no driving across town, trying to find parking, and taking multiple hours off of work or school. It also allows people to be in the comfort of their own home with their dog, a cup of coffee, and familiar surroundings. We use a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform for our sessions.
As we sometimes have a therapy dog in the building, clients or their loved ones attending sessions with them who are allergic or afraid of dogs should choose virtual sessions.
How long does therapy take?
Appointments are generally 50-55 minutes long. How long a course of treatment will take differs for every person and is hard to predict. Our clients receive an individualized treatment plan, not a canned prescription for a certain number of sessions. On average, our clients can expect at least a year of therapy. However, many clients with trauma are in therapy for longer than this while still making progress. Clients without significant trauma generally benefit from a shorter course of treatment with one of our trained interns.
As a parent, how involved in my child’s therapy should I be?
Together, you, your child, and your child’s therapist will work together to find a healthy balance of your child having privacy as well as having your support. All youth ages 12+ in Colorado are able to sign for their own therapy without informing their parents. This can make things tricky sometimes when involving family members. Your child’s therapist will talk to them about these rights, as well as how it may be helpful to include their parents in therapy. We cannot share everything with you, but will inform you if there are safety concerns.
Additionally, if a child is willing to have their parents involved, we encourage parents to be present for at least the first few minutes as we discuss how the week is going. It can also be helpful for parents to be present for the last few minutes to discuss any therapy homework the child might have or things to work on throughout the week.
We are unable to become involved in custody disputes or make recommendations on parenting time.
How do I become a client?
The first step is to contact us through our website or by phone. From there, one of our staff will reach out to you within 24 business hours to discuss your treatment goals and if our program might be right for you. We will send you paperwork to complete, which takes about 30 minutes. Once your paperwork is completed, we will automatically receive an alert to look over your documents. Within 24-48 hours, somebody will reach out to you to schedule your first appointment. Many clients find it helpful to preview our staff bios before reaching out to us and see which clinicians might be a good fit for them.
What is private pay and why would I choose to do this?
Privately paying for your services takes out the middleman and is often more affordable than one might think. When using insurance, they may decide when, where, and how you get your services. They may also stop covering services weeks before they inform you, leading to surprise bills. Privately paying for your services helps to reduce some of these barriers to care. We have worked hard to keep our private pay fees low and offer an EOB (explanation of benefits) for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. While we cannot guarantee payment, many people find that their insurance company reimburses about half of the cost of our sessions. We encourage clients to contact their insurance carrier for any coverage related questions.