Frequently Asked Questions

What insurance do you take?
I take Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO, United Healthcare, Blue Chip, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island products.

How can I tell if I need psychotherapy?
It isn't always easy to know when you need to ask for help rather than continue trying to make things better on your own. Here are some signs that it might be time to see a psychologist:

• When the way you feel is affecting your sleep, your eating habits, your job, your relationships, your everyday life.
• When you worry all the time, and never seem to find the answers.
• When it's not getting any better.
• When you feel trapped, like there's nowhere to turn.
• When you feel like you cannot do it alone.

What is the use of psychological assessment?
Assessment aids in the rapid identification of psychopathology to aid in the rapid remedy of psychologically problematic issues. Assessment also aids individuals and courts in understanding individuals for the purpose of their legal disposition. Assessment may also help licensing organizations evaluate individuals for maintenance of their profession or for qualification for work.

How does Psychotherapy work?
In general, psychotherapy is a cooperative process by which an individual can find resolution to persistent problems and underlying patterns that keep him or her from enjoying certain aspects of life, achieving overall satisfaction or simply "being himself or herself."  Often, people are struggling with issues of depression, anxiety or other common issues which present obstacles to satisfying relationships, connected emotional lives, academic success, fulfilling careers and other psychological wants and needs.  Through therapy, people learn to recognize and resolve problematic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving which are related to the difficulties they are currently experiencing.

Therapy is an effective way to better understand human emotions and, consequently, to enrich ones understanding of him or herself.  Individuals can learn to develop deeper, more fulfilling relationships with family and friends, and can often become more successful in their careers and other life pursuits.  In addition, as emotional functioning is closely related to physical functioning, psychotherapy can help individuals deal with medical issues such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and many others.

Therapeutic approaches differ in many basic ways, but they all include work with a trained psychotherapist that helps the client, through seeing him or herself in a variety of new ways and from ever-shifting viewpoints, to facilitate change and personal growth.

How long should psychotherapy take?
Psychotherapy can take anywhere from several sessions to several years depending on the types of problems encountered by the therapist and patient. Generally speaking, for issues of a mild/moderate nature one could expect to spend around twenty to thirty sessions.

How often should a person have psychotherapy sessions?
Once a week is a bare minimum. Often more progress can be made with more sessions each week. That is up to you and your therapist. But remember, your insurance company if you have one has intended to limit the number of sessions they will pay for without respect to your possible need. So you need to be ready to talk this over with your therapist to achieve the best outcome for your unique circumstances.

How does medication work?
Psychotropic medications work on deep, older structures in the brain that tend to regulate basic functions like sleep, mood and attention. Medications help you function with a minimum of discomfort while you are in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy helps the same parts of the brain as medications, but also works to change parts of the brain left relatively unaffected by medications primarily the thinking centers of the brain. The “best bang for your buck” comes with being under the simultaneous care of a physician managing your medications, and a licensed clinical psychologist managing your therapy and treatment.

Why don’t you prescribe medications?
My chosen field of study and clinical intervention involves working face to face with clients helping them achieve long-term solutions to life’s problems. Psychiatrists generally choose to work with the medication management of their clients. Each is a choice of career. I refer to several expert psychiatrists in our area and work with them on behalf of my clients who receive medication.