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"I'm Affraid to Go Out of My House!"

Do you have a fear of elevators, bridges, medical procedures, public speaking, being alone that is causing you serious problems?

Get effective phobia help now from a licensed San Francisco clinical psychologist with extensive experience in successfully treating Anxiety, PTSD, Panic Attacks and Depression.

How do I find the right therapist for me?

Finding the right therapist for you (or your loved one(s) is vital to a successful treatment.

Finding a therapist can be a high anxiety process. Most often, when people decide they could benefit from psychotherapy, they are experiencing significant emotional turmoil (Anxiety, Panic Disorder, PTSD or Major Depression) in their lives - not the ideal moment to be dealing with the stress involved in finding a compassionate, empathetic therapist individual with a strong knowledge-base regarding the particular problems needing attention.

What can I expect from therapy?

The two main kinds of mental health treatment are talk therapy and medication therapy. Talk therapy and medication therapy can reduce depression, anxiety, and troubling feelings and behaviors. Medications address the biological and chemical aspects of mental illnesses. Talk therapy can teach you to make changes in the way you relate to other people. They can also help you learn to understand and manage symptoms and cope more effectively with stress in your life.

The health benefits portion of your employment may provide you with the option of using a HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)/PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) or to Self-Pay.

Tell me more about using a HMO/PPO ...

Typically, with a HMO/PPO, the client is given a list of therapists from which to choose a therapist to treat the clients particular difficulty. The client make a co-payment of 10 to 15% of their hourly fee and the HMO/PPO pays the rest of the bill directly to the therapist.

HMO and PPOs are a business and make treatment decisions often based on the cost of treatment. HMOs tend to authorize very brief treatment schedules and to favor medication over additional psychotherapy sessions.

With the Self-Pay option, the client can be assured of getting the best available treatment without restriction, based solely on the clients needs and desires. Some therapy issues do require longer term work aimed at dealing effectively with a client’s underlying problems and patterns of behavior. Longer term therapy is the kind of therapy which usually provides the greatest long term benefits to the client in working through difficult issues.

HMO/PPO and other managed care companies are not in the business of providing long term psychological care.

HMO/PPO advantages and disadvantages ...

Some of the advantages of Self-Pay include the fact that treatment issues are strictly between the therapist and client in a confidential, therapeutic relationship and that no records of therapy exist in the Medical Information Bureau which could compromise the client's ability to get current/future life, health, disability, or long-term care insurance.

What are typical clinical psychologist rates in the San Francisco Bay Area?

In the San Francisco Bay Area, depending upon the practitioner, the customary rate for clinical psychologists is $150 (or more) for a 50 to 75 minute psychotherapy session. Some psychotherapists do have a sliding scale.

Guidelines for finding a local therapist

The following guidelines will help you find the right therapist for your needs:

* Ask those people you know who are in therapy for recommendations. Your family doctor/nurse-practitioner, pastor of your church as well as immediate and extended family and friends may be sources of valuable information concerning competent therapists in your neighborhood.
* The Yellow Pages of your local telephone book contain listings of therapy providers under headings such as “Psychologists,” “Social Workers,” “Psychiatrists”.

* Major hospitals have out-patient mental health services available .
* It is important to check out a potential therapist's education, training, license status, and membership in a professional organization such as the
* American Psychiatric Association at http://www.psych.org/
* American Psychological Association at http://www.apa.org/
* American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy at http://www.aamft.org/

Disclaimer

www.sanfranciscopractitioner.com contains information on many medical topics; however there is absolutely no assurance that any information touching on medical matters is true, correct, or precise. The medical information provided on ww.sanfranciscopractitioner.com is of a general nature and cannot substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on www.sanfranciscopractitioner.com. Www.sanfranciscopractitioner.com does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, psychologists, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on its site.

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