FAQs
THERAPY Q&A
Therapy can mean many different things to many different people. At Roseland Psychotherapy Associates, we try to offer the therapeutic experience that will best meet each client’s needs. In a general sense, therapy is a safe, compassionate, nonjudgmental place where you can receive not only support and encouragement but also professional, unbiased, and skilled feedback about whatever you may be experiencing.
Therapy is unlike going to many doctors’ offices, where you typically report specific symptoms, have a 5-minute examination, and potentially prescribe a medication. We spend 45-60 minutes with you each session. We explore, investigate, evaluate, and sometimes challenge self-defeating attitudes, perspectives, behavior patterns, and belief systems. We also spend time outlining and reinforcing your strengths and positive attributes – as this is a huge part of therapy! We offer a place to relax, grow, discover yourself, and find solutions to whatever is ailing you. We are also here to ask the tough questions that may enable you to shed some self-defeating layers that keep you stuck. Therapy taps into the power of sitting with another human being, face-to-face, whose sole purpose at the moment is to provide a vehicle for you to gain self-awareness, process your experience in the world, experiment with new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving; attaining your goals; and sustaining them long-term.
Psychotherapy is one of the most thoroughly researched and proven methods to help people with a variety of problems, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, anger, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, relationship or marital problems, trauma or PTSD, ADHD, and more. Regardless of what you may be experiencing, our experience has shown that therapy can be an invaluable source of self-improvement for our clients. It can also enhance motivation to take the necessary steps to help ourselves.
Therapy is not a quick fix, although many clients report significant improvements within a few sessions. We practice evidence-based (scientifically researched) psychotherapy that has been studied extensively and time-tested to enhance feelings of peace, contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, meaning, and purpose.
The short answer is: it is anything you want! We will mainly be discussing your experience being you. This has no specific limitations but may include how you feel about yourself, your relationships, your history, how to maximize your strengths, and how to eliminate the roadblocks perpetually preventing you from growing and reaching your goals. While we are very comforting and empathic, we are also here to challenge and teach you how to challenge yourself. Many clients express that they appreciate their therapist’s ability to be straightforward with them, confront them when necessary, and be honest with them – as this is sometimes lacking when speaking with well-meaning family, friends, co-workers, etc. This is, of course, done in a very compassionate, skillful way, though, and we never force anyone to speak about anything they are uncomfortable with.
Many of our clients come to therapy not knowing what their goals are yet, and we help them establish their goals and what direction they want to take. We will also be discussing helpful, constructive tools that you may be able to use to cope in healthier ways and manage stressors more effectively, as well as ways to eliminate, reduce, or heal the suffering in your life. Building on the strengths, tenacity, and courage within us will also be discussed in our sessions. Some of our clients initially express hesitancy to talk about their past because it’s just “too much to go over in one session.” While we certainly will not discourage you from talking about the past, we always like to let clients know that there is never any pressure to speak about anything that you are not comfortable with at any moment, nor are there any expectations to let us know every minute detail of your past. While the past and future are undoubtedly significant, we are present-focused and believe that whatever needs to emerge will emerge naturally. Sometimes, facing complicated, painful feelings and memories is necessary for therapy. Still, we can guide you through this process in the most compassionate, supportive, and safe way possible – and at your own pace.
This will depend on why you are coming for therapy and what you want to get out of treatment. Most of our clients start coming once weekly, but sometimes, given the situation, we may discuss coming more or less often. This is a two-way conversation; we let our clients do what feels right. For instance, sometimes, with issues such as substance use, severe depression or anxiety, or a recent trauma, extra support may be needed for some time. Sometimes, clients come bi-weekly or once per month, as this may be more conducive to their schedules and situations. Similarly, some clients may go to therapy for only a few weeks or months to acquire new skills they can quickly implement. In other situations, some clients may need more sessions to discover how their personal history led to the patterns they want to change.
Some clients choose to stay in therapy for ongoing support to sustain the positive changes that they made in their lives and identify new areas for self-improvement. We certainly do not want to rush the therapeutic process, but we also do not want to keep you in therapy for longer than you want or need. We encourage you to speak openly about this topic with your therapist, as this decision is generally collaboratively decided, given each individual’s progress in therapy.
We do not prescribe medication but can provide referrals to local psychiatric professionals or other medical professionals when necessary. This is only done on a case-by-case basis, and this decision is made collaboratively with the client when needed. We have strong relationships with many psychiatric professionals in the area, and we can often help clients get appointments within a short amount of time (despite long wait lists) when needed. That being said, for many human struggles, we believe that psychotherapy and lifestyle changes should be the first line of defense before considering medications.
You won’t know until you try! In all seriousness, therapy may be right for you if you are struggling with a mental, emotional, or behavioral dilemma and can’t seem to get it under control on your own. Or perhaps you can keep it under control sometimes, but it still gets the best of you other times and continues to cause stress, pain, or suffering in your life. Many of our clients who have made enormous strides in therapy initially came in also wondering if treatment was proper for them. Many of our clients, who now feel content and at peace, came to us initially experiencing substantial feelings of shame, anxiety, sadness, worry, and confusion. If you need someone to talk to who genuinely understands and can offer you valuable feedback and support, therapy may be for you!
Most people come to therapy to start or continue relieving suffering, gaining valuable insight and awareness, implementing actionable goals, and finding solutions to what may initially feel like unsolvable problems. Let’s face it: the world we live in today can be pretty lonely, nerve-racking, depressing, overwhelming, meaningless, and superficial. In a profound way, therapy can help us reconnect with ourselves, the people in our lives, and the world. Today’s world is also beautiful, joyous, and meaningful – sometimes, we need help recognizing and experiencing these aspects.
Yes. We value confidentiality and take it extremely seriously, as it is a tremendous part of what makes therapy so helpful and effective. Legally, we cannot disclose anything you say in session to an outside party without your permission.
There are a few exceptions which we will go over during the first session, some of which include:
- Suspected Child Abuse
- Expressing the intent to harm oneself or someone else (remember that expressing thoughts and feelings to harm oneself or someone else is not the same as “intent.” Expressing thoughts and feelings, assuming there is no legitimate intent, will NOT cause us to breach your confidentiality)
- If subpoenaed by a court
We will never force you to talk about anything that you do not want or feel ready to talk about. We are very client-centered and do not impose our agendas on clients. We meet you where you are, and you set the pace!
We will 100%, without a doubt, not think you are crazy. We know the stigmas placed on people suffering from mental health and substance use problems, and we fight hard every day to do our part to eliminate these stigmas. We can safely say that nothing you can tell your therapist will trigger them to judge you or treat you like any less of a human being. Part of our compassionate-driven framework is acknowledging that all people are imperfect. We all struggle and suffer in different ways. Therapy was designed to be a safe place to feel comfortable, supported, and cared for.
BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT
Contact us if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment—make sure to do so more than 24 hours before your appointment. We’ve reserved that time specifically for you, and our appointments are in high demand.
If you have a specific provider you would like to see, we will connect you with them directly. If you do not have a preference, we will pair you with the therapist that we believe will be best suited for you based on our initial conversations.
We offer a full range of psychotherapy services. You can visit our services page here to learn more.
If the specific service you need isn’t listed, contact us. Chances are we do it; if not, we’ll refer you to a trusted partner. Our experienced team offers a full range of psychotherapy services.
At your first session’s end, we’ll schedule you for your next one. Or, if you need more time to figure out your schedule, just call or text your therapist or call us afterward, and we’ll find a time that works for you.
INSURANCE PAYMENT
Services may be covered in full or in part by your health insurance or employee benefit plan. Please check your coverage carefully by asking the following questions:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- What is my deductible, and has it been met?
- How many sessions per year does my health insurance cover?
- What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Reduced fee services are available on a limited basis.
Cash, checks, and all major credit cards are accepted for payment.
OUR OFFICE
Our office is located at:
425 Eagle Rock Ave. Suite 103
Roseland, N.J. 07068
(973) 226-1505 x 0
You can find our office on the first floor of the building.
Yes, our building includes accessible parking spaces and clearance for a wheelchair in all walkways. Let us know if you need any special accommodations before your visit, and we’re happy to help.
Parking is available on the side and front of our building.
Yes, please look at the www.njtransit.com website for the closest stop to our office. We also offer telehealth visits as well.