TABLE OF CONTENTS & INTRODUCTION ONLY

Considering Therapy?

by Jared Scherz, Ph.D.

_____________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents / Page Number

Introduction 1

About the Author 3

Using This Book 5

PART I: UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOTHERAPY 7

Chapter One: What is (Psycho) Therapy? 8
Therapy Defined 8
The Main Components of Therapy 9
What Is the Difference Between Counseling and Therapy? 23
What Is the Difference Between Therapy and Coaching? 23

Chapter Two: How Does Therapy Work? 26
Stages of Therapy 26

Chapter Three: Why Do People Go to See a Therapist? Who Are
These People? 39
Why Is It Helpful? 39
Should I Go Alone to the Session or With My Partner/Family? 59
Do All Therapists See Families/Couples? 60

PART II: SELECTING A THERAPIST 62

Chapter Four: Selecting the Right Therapist For You 63
Interviewing Therapists: 11 Questions to Ask 63
Interviewing Therapists: 10 Questions to Consider After
First Call or Interview 73

Chapter Five: Theoretical Orientation 75
Gestalt 76
Cognitive Behavioral 77
Psychodynamic (Object Relations, Psychoanalytic, Self Psychology) 79
Client-Centered (Rogerian) 80

PART III: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 81

Chapter Six: Understanding Managed Care and Health Insurance 82
What Information Does My Insurance Company Have About Me? 84
Why Do Insurance Companies Control the Number of Sessions? 86
Who Is Responsible for Getting Me Authorized or Reauthorized? 86
Is My Therapist In-Network? 88
Check Your EOB's 90
What is an EAP? 90

Chapter Seven: Insurance Versus Self-Pay 92
What is the Cost of Therapy? 92
Does More Expensive Mean Better? 93
What is a Co-Payment? What is a Deductible? 93
How Often Do I Schedule Appointments? 94
Is Therapy Confidential? What is HIPAA? 95
Is There a Specialist For My Problem? 98

PART IV: PREPARING FOR THERAPY 100

Chapter Eight: Before I Begin 101
Preparing a Timeline 101
Keeping a Journal 101
Who Do I Tell? Creating a Support System 102
Replenishing Spent Energy 103

Chapter Nine: The First Few Sessions 105
Where Do I Begin? 106
What Are Goals? How Do I Set Goals? Who Is Responsible
For Them? 106
Can I Conceive of Telling a Therapist My Innermost Secrets? 112
Is My Therapist Supposed to Talk? Give Advice? What if I
Just Want My Therapist to Listen? 113
Does My Therapist Judge Me? 115
How Will I Feel Following the Initial Sessions? 116
What Does It Mean to Change? Will I Be a Different Person? 116
Will I Have Homework? 117

PART V: OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS 119

Chapter Ten: Therapy Concentration Areas 120
Child Therapy 120
Couples Therapy 121
Family Therapy 124
Group Therapy 126

Chapter Eleven: A Wholistic Approach to Wellness 132
Understanding Wellness 132
The Integrated Nature of Dis-Ease 134
Understanding the Role of Stress 135
Lifestyle Versus Genetics 136
The Modern Medical Paradigm 138
Understanding the Importance of Symptoms 141
Prevention 142
Defining the Wholeness Center 144
Becoming an Involved Wellness Consumer 145

Chapter Twelve: Miscellaneous Topics 148
Common Mistakes: By the Client 148
Common Mistakes: By the Therapist 153
Resistance to Change 164

Client Self-Reflections 168

Appendix 173

______________________________________________________________________

Introduction

If your car is having engine problems, you go to the nearest mechanic in your neighborhood, hoping you won't get ripped off. If your home heating system is on the fritz, you open the yellow pages to find the service technician who isn't going to leave you in the cold for a week. If you have a new baby and need a pediatrician, you may ask your friends and family for a referral to somebody they know. In all these examples we assume and/or hope the professional we find is going to have a certain amount of expertise in their field and provide us with quality service or at least the needed results. We don't ask the mechanic for a resume or recommendations from former customers (although this isn't a bad idea). In fact we may even go back to a mechanic who hasn't done a good job because they are convenient and available.

Finding the right therapist is done much the same way as the examples just given and sometimes these approaches results in success. The most local therapist in the phone book may tremendously reliable and trustworthy. The therapist provided to you by your insurance company may have a high degree of expertise in the area you are seeking to work on. Even the therapist referred to you by a friend may have a philosophy of change that's in synch with your own life views. But often times these conditions are not met and with something as tremendously important as your health and well-being, we don't want to leave this decision to chance.

So what are you left to do about finding the right person who is going to be part of some of the most intimate aspects of your life? You can tell a mechanic that you have neglected to change your oil for years with a minimum of shame, but can you tell just any therapist about feelings and experiences you have kept from most people in your life?

Too make matters worse, if you call ten therapists from the phone book or from the list your insurance company gives you, you can expect to have maybe four call you back. Yes its true unfortunately that even a therapist trained in being sensitive to people's pain will not call back people seeking to make an appointment. And then out of the four people you do speak with, only two may have an opening that fits with your schedule. So your choice is often made based on attrition. Is this the way you want to find a therapist who is going to help you with the most serious issues facing you in your life?

Just like any other field, there are really excellent therapists, really lousy therapists and a whole host of people in between. When you are feeling desperate and vulnerable, it is difficult to be discriminating about finding the therapist who is best suited to work with you because you don't always have the energy to be selective. You often feel a lack of hope in your life and place great faith in the therapist you find to help you through the crisis. Let me suggest that putting a little bit more energy into the screening and preparation process can make a world of difference in your therapeutic journey. In this book I have provided a clear outline of important issues to consider, questions to ask, and obstacles to anticipate, so that you can learn to get your needs met.