How We Help

We at Change Happens are very sensitive to the anxieties that both spur individuals to consider getting into therapy and the anxieties about therapy itself. It is with this understanding in mind that we offer an initial consult that takes all of the insurance and assessment paperwork off of the table, and talk with individuals to determine level of comfort and fit for both the client and therapist. Positive rapport, regard and relationship are vital to quality of care. An individual has enough to worry about in therapy without dealing with an uncomfortable connection with the therapist. (We would still bill the insurance for the session and expect the co-payment; however, we hold off on completing the assessment process until a person has decided that they would like to continue with us.)

We also encourage a person to come prepared with questions that would be uniquely important to them in choosing a therapist. For example, it is important to some persons to have a therapist who is the same gender, race, spiritual, or sexual orientation. For others, they may want to know about the therapist’s education, licensure and experience. We are open to any questions, however please keep in mind that if the therapist feels that a particular question may be too personal, the therapist may choose to decline to answer or reflect a question back to the potential client to explore the importance or meaning of the question for the client.  This is not done to be evasive, but out of respect for the fact that therapy is a vulnerable relationship as the client is disclosing very personal and often painful things about themselves or their experiences while the therapist is not. We also respect that part of potential client anxiety is really grounded in legitimate expectations and hopes of reassurance that they will be understood, accepted, and helped.

Sessions usually last about 45-55 minutes and once a person decides they would like to work with us, the next session will involve a thorough assessment that includes in-depth questions about a person’s history and experience as well as a review of legal, privacy and insurance documentation needs. We have made a concerted effort to minimize paperwork while not compromising quality.

For your convenience, we make intake forms available on our website so that you may print these, complete them, and bring them to the intake in the interests of efficiency and time savings.

We also offer the convenience of phone sessions in the event that a person is unable to or uncomfortable with attending in person. Please note however that phone sessions are not covered by insurances; therefore a person would have to be able to or willing to pay out-of-pocket for the sessions. For your convenience, we offer a secure method of payment which can be accessed through the insurance and fees page.

For more details regarding what to expect from therapy, please view our Outpatient Contract.

We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for considering us!