Options for Affordable Psychotherapy

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During a recession, more people need therapy as a sounding-board and want emotional support. It's ironic that many believe therapy is a luxury they can't afford, even when they need it most! You may have more options than you know.

When the financial crisis began in October, 2008, I began thinking about how I could support your needs in an affordable and efficient way. I've come up with a menu of solutions that adjust to your individual circumstances. These include:

How These Flexible Options Work

Affordable Fees. I've revised my fee schedule to better accommodate the pressures of making ends meet. Please contact me for a specific quote.

Flexible Scheduling. People often ask how often we should meet. If you're having a hard time coping, we should probably meet at least weekly until pressures ease. In general, weekly meetings are more efficient, providing continuity of emotions and thoughts between sessions to sustain momentum. For some, weekly meetings aren't necessary, and I'm flexible about this. Many of my clients see me on alternating weeks. Some who used to see me more often come every third or fourth week for continued growth and support. With layoffs and downsizing, you may find yourself juggling many work tasks or traveling more. To fit psychotherapy into your busy schedule, I've implemented a Calendar Openings page that I keep updated. This helps you see what appointments are available and allows us to communicate via e-mail, phone and voicemail to reserve a time.

Homework & Journaling. If you can't attend as often as you'd like, I may suggest things you can do outside session to keep the therapy process moving. Some clients keep journals and bring the highlights to their appointment. Others use workbooks or worksheets to record automatic thoughts and assumptions and process issues this way. I also suggest outside reading, I teach meditation and relaxation, and I recommend ancillary support, such as attending AA or Al Anon meetings classes or workshops to build a variety of skills.

Teaching with My Writing. Finally, I offer a growing list of articles on this site to help you cope with the financial crisis and to assist you in making the best use of the psychotherapy process. See "My Writing" for these articles, including one entitled, "Weathering the Perfect Storm: How to Keep Your Head in a Bad Economy." In general, I'm adding pages to my website to demystify the therapy process, ease communication with me and make administrative tasks with me more efficient.