FAQ’s: Psychotherapy
How will I know if psychotherapy will work for me?
We believe that anyone can be a good candidate for psychotherapy. Everyone has something in their lives, whether it is a child, teen or adult, to deal with that may be difficult or getting in the way of fully being content. Psychotherapy helps the most when the client is ready to explore his or her concerns in an open manner within a trusting, safe environment.
Are children/teens seen alone or is the family included?
We see children and teens as part of a larger and very important system, the family. We start off by seeing the parents/guardians alone for the first session to gather information about the main concerns and background history. This sometimes may take more than one visit. Then, depending on the age of the child, we will spend a few sessions individually with the child and then have a parent-child or family session. This pattern of individual and family sessions will continue throughout therapy. Depending on the presenting problems, some children and teens are seen with their families more frequently.
How does therapy work with infants, toddlers or preschool children?
We work with infants, toddlers and preschool children in individual play therapy and parent-child therapy to address the various concerns such as tantrums, aggression, oppositionality/defiance, fears and separation anxiety. Parent Child Interaction Therapy is a commonly used approach when working with disruptive behaviors in young children.
What is the difference between parent coaching and psychotherapy?
Parent coaching focuses specifically on your role as a parent/caregiver and what tools can help you be successful in improving your comfort and confidence in that role. Psychotherapy varies in that you and your lived experiences are the focus on treatment, parenting and your feelings regarding that role in your life can be discussed and touched on, however psychotherapy is not for the sole purpose of improving dynamics within your family or helping to intervene and change your child’s challenging behaviors.
How long will it take to “fix” me or my child?
It is important to first identify that you and your child do not need to be ‘fixed.’ In working with your therapist, the language you use to speak to yourself – and therefore others – will be redirected to be more empathetic and supportive. The length of time is not something that can be identified objectively as everyone and every household is different; you should discuss your goals for length of treatment with your therapist as well as the practicality of those goals.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions are typically 45 minutes in length but can be coordinated to be longer when working with couples or families depending on the issues at hand. EMDR sessions can be coordinated to last 45 or 90 minutes, depending on individual needs.
How frequent are the sessions?
Sessions are usually held once weekly unless a higher or lesser frequency is more appropriate to reach stability or maintain gains.
What is PsyPact?
PsyPact is an interstate compact designed to allow licensed psychologists to practice telepsychology with individuals across state boundaries (clients who reside in other states other than New Jersey) legally and ethically without necessitating that the psychologist become licensed in every state where the client lives to practice.
To learn if your state is participating in PsyPact, please check the map below:
