
Frequently Asked Questions
We asked our staff to answer some of your Frequently Asked Questions regarding the many services we provide.
- 01
Our session rates vary between 45 minute and 90 minute sessions, depending on which therapist you see. The range is $200-$600 for a session. Please email contact@mocwc.com or read team member's bios for specific pricing information.
- 02
Seeking therapy is an individual choice, or one made within the family or couple seeking help. There are many reasons why people come to therapy. Sometimes it is to deal with long-standing psychological issues, or problems relating to anxiety or depression. Other times it is in response to unexpected changes in one's life such as divorce, job change, or death of a loved one. Many seek therapy in the pursuit of personal exploration and growth.
Working with a therapist can help provide insight, support, and greater understanding of all types of life challenges. Therapy can be helpful when addressing stress management, grief, body-image issues, anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, past trauma, parenting tools, transitional points and addictions. Therapy is right for anyone interested in getting the most out of their life by taking responsibility, creating self-awareness, and working towards change in their lives.
- 03
Everyone goes through periods of time that are challenging to manage and while you may have successfully navigated through difficulties in the past, there is nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, it is typically strong individuals who enter into therapy because they are individuals who are willing to face their problems head on and do something about them. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you are in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking support from an objective outsider who values healthy life tools and strategies. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and gives you the tools you need to avoid triggers and falling back into old, unhealthy behavior patterns.
- 04
A number of benefits are available from participating in psychotherapy. Oftentimes the therapeutic relationship, which is built around the idea of unconditional acceptance and trust, is the most helpful part of the process. Others find it helpful just to know that someone understands. Therapy can also provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. To a certain extent, the benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you utilize the process and put into practice what you learn.
Some more specific benefits of therapy are:
Attain a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values
Improve self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
Develop skills for improving relationships
Find resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
Learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
Manage anger, grief, depression, panic, and other emotional concerns
Improve communication and listening skills
Change unhealthy behaviors or thinking patterns
Discover new ways to solve problems in your family and/or marriage
- 05
The law requires that your treatment be confidential and kept private. HIPPA protects all communication between a therapist and a client and prohibits information from being released without prior written consent given by the client. However, there are some specific exceptions wherein the therapist is required by law to divulge private information. These exceptions include:
Suspected child-abuse, dependent adult abuse, or elder abuse. All therapists are required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
If a client threatens serious bodily harm to another person and/or property. In this instance all therapists are required to notify the police.
If a client intends to threaten his or her life. All therapists make every effort to work with the individual to ensure both their safety and their privacy. However, if an individual is unable or unwilling to keep themselves safe, additional measures may be taken to save a client’s life.
- 06
The easy answer is, “all sorts of people!” Years ago, therapy had a stigma attached to it. It was believed you had to be either very disturbed or “weak” to seek it out. Fortunately, times have changed and now people from all walks of life and all different backgrounds go to counseling and it’s considered a normal and healthy resource.
A wide range of people seek counseling for a variety of issues. Some of the reasons include desire for personal growth, navigating temporary or long periods of depression or anxiety, managing stress, tackling substance abuse issues, improving relationships and communication skills and better understanding one’s past and how it impacts life, mood and relationships in the present day.
Whatever your reason for considering counseling, it’s likely a good one. If you are in doubt or have any questions about coming in, please email MOCWC - contact@mocwc.com - with your concerns. We would be happy to guide you!
- 07
This is a very difficult question. The answer ultimately lies within you as a client. You know better than anyone your personal goals and desire to make progress made in therapy. If you are seeking short-term therapy, let your therapist know at the first session that this is your goal. This allows the therapist to tailor sessions to your targeted goals so you can have your specific needs met in a brief period of time. Brief supportive counseling can often be useful for moving through a life transition.
Longer term therapy is typically helpful in solving long standing patterns and creating lasting changes. The length of therapy depends on you and your goals. Research has shown that most clients are 75% better in terms of symptom relief within 26 sessions. If your goals are less specific and you wish to work on a deeper or broader level, your therapist will work within that framework as well.
The length of counseling ultimately depends upon the number of issues wanting to be addressed, the nature of the problematic challenges, and the work you complete between sessions to facilitate change. Therapy is a process of collaboration and your therapist will always want to check in regarding your progress and satisfaction with treatment goals.
- 08
MOCWC's therapists have a goal to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere that promotes safety, healing, and confidentiality. We encourage each of our clients to take a session at a time and assess for themselves if they feel they are benefiting from counseling. Normally, people know this very quickly.
Once therapy begins, you will have a good feel for your therapist and their individual style. Your therapist will help you identify unhealthy patterns of thinking and coping, and will help you identify healthy ways of responding to people and challenges in your life. Making these changes can be difficult and it is critical to support clients through this transition. Counseling is a success through the efforts of both therapist and client as a team working together.
- 09
The purpose of the first therapy session is for you to get to know your therapist, ask any questions you may have, and see if you feel comfortable in the therapy setting. Your therapist will ask you to share why you are seeking therapy at this time and what you are hoping to achieve. It is important that your therapist believes they have the knowledge, skills and qualifications to help you. If you feel comfortable with your therapist, and your therapist believes they are qualified to help you, then you will decide to set-up the second appointment.
- 10
At MOCWC we have developed a team of extraordinary psychotherapists that are supportive, down to earth, accepting and have a passion for helping and healing. Each of our staff have a therapeutic style that is rooted in spiritual psychology, cognitive behavioral research, and mindfulness practices. Therapy is about courageously understanding yourself, consciously changing what you can change and gently, lovingly accepting what cannot, at this time, be changed. In addition to your sessions, your therapist will encourage developing mindful habits that facilitate self-healing such as movement, journaling, meditation and self-care. Mindfulness practices have been widely researched and validated as effective tools for creating emotional stability. Mindfulness meditation is heavily used in psychotherapy, pain management and psycho-oncology today for this reason. These practices will allow you to connect with yourself more quickly and provide you with powerful stabilizing tools after your therapy has ended.
- 11
No. In some cases, medication combined with psychotherapy will be the best, most effective course of action. Working with your medical doctor or psychiatrist we can determine what is best for you. It is well established by research that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved by medication alone. Instead of just treating the symptom, therapy addresses the underlying root causes of our distress and the behavior patterns that impact progress. You can best achieve sustained progress with an integrative approach.