Marriage and Family Therapy Discussions
Should you use insurance? Risk v. Benefit
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 09/26/13Sometimes, there are more risks than benefits to using insurance in counseling. You’re probably thinking, "Why shouldn't I use my insurance?" The answer isn't necessarily so black-and-white. It is best you understand the risks and benefits of using health insurance therapy before making a decision that may have negative consequences. The Benefits Your insurance can pay for a good portion of your therapy. Your insurance may pay for all of your therapy! You pay for your premiums and have the right to use your benefits whenever possible. The Risks Most insurance panels won't pay for relationship issues, such as communication skills, parenting skills or pre-marital counseling unless there are symptoms resulting from the relationship issues, such as anxiety or depression. They base claims on "medical necessity" and will only pay for therapy if you qualify for a mental disorder diagnosis, such as Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder or an Anxiety Disorder, which must be disclosed to your insurance panel for reimbursement. The insurance company requires the focus to be on alleviating the symptoms associated with the diagnosis instead of the goals you are hoping to accomplish in therapy. The diagnosis then tends to be the focus of your therapy. Your level of privacy is compromised. If you are trying to apply for life/disability insurance/private health insurance, these companies require access to any prior health information, which can impact your premiums as well as whether or not you'll even qualify for the insurance. Your therapy may have to be discussed with an insurance case manager to justify why continued sessions are necessary. This means the insurance company decides whether they will continue to pay for your therapy. If the insurance company believes your treatment isn't meeting medical necessity, they can decide to stop paying for treatment, even if you believe your treatment isn't completed. Your insurance company may require you to have an assessment for medications or they can cease to authorize sessions. This may not be necessary for the issues you're working on. In a court proceeding, medical records could get subpoenaed, including your mental health records. What This Means to You If you want to keep your issues private and the paper trail to a minimum, you want to look at the risks and benefits of using your insurance to subsidize your therapy and decide if it is the right way to pay for your counseling. Therapy can seem like it will become very expensive. Generally, this isn't true. Many clients experience some improvement fairly quickly--within 8 to 20 sessions.
Mind-Body-And..... Weight Loss
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 04/06/13
I think it's interesting that in our culture we tend to seperate our "issues" into being either mental or physical. It is my personal belief that they are very closely inter-related. Especially with weight loss, body image. stress, and eating. Email us for information on our groups, etc.
That said, weight loss starts in the head!
Do you look at yourself and say, "I'm fat", or "My hips are too big"? Many of us look in the mirror and immediately compare ourselves to those 'perfect' human specimens we see every single day on TV, in magazines and in the newspapers. Often we talk to ourselves and make excuses, "It's my genes", "I'm much too busy to get fit", "I like myself this", as a way of protecting yourself from the way we see ourselves now and the way we want to be. If we were to be truly honest with ourselves most people actually want to lose a few pounds - if we only knew how.
TRY OUT THIS EXERCISE:
Self Examination
Start by compiling a list of all those negative thoughts your have about yourself ... I'm undisciplined, I can't manage my time, I let people down, I can't succeed, I don't exercise enough. You will need to decide before you start this process that you won't get discouraged ... these are things that you will admit to yourself but they most certainly don't have to control your life.
Next, compile a second list including everything you LIKE about yourself. Keep going until this list is LONGER than the first list you compiled. You might include things such as, I am a good cook, I can make people laugh, I contribute to the soccer club, my daughter loves the way I decorate her room.
Then, take your 'negatives' list and turn it into your 'potentials' list. You do this by creating a positive self-image to every 'negative' you listed. Instead of "I can't succeed", write a counter belief, "I will succeed".
Ceremonially throw out the 'negatives' list - you are saying goodbye forever! Burn them, trash them, destroy them ... they are no longer going to be a part of your thinking about yourself.
Now, keep your list of potentials in a prominent place. On your refrigerator door, in your daily journal, or in a picture frame on your desk. Make sure you have them in front on your every single day so that you are reading them constantly and reprogramming your daily thoughts.
Weight Loss Group Starting - Grass Valley, Ca
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 04/01/13
Weight loss group: Monday nights beginning April 15 (Level 1 @ 5p/Level 2 @ 6p). Based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Model for weight loss and management. Each group/level is 4 weeks long. Taught by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and weight management coach. $150 for 4-week course, all materials and workbook included. To register or for more information email sierrafamilytherapy@gmail.com or call (530)913-5054. Space limited to 6 per group.
Blogging Helps Teens Cope
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 11/12/12
I remember when I was a teen and began almost every night with "Dear Journal...." This was my special place to get all my thoughts out. Love interests, issues with parents, trouble in school. I always felt better afterwards and could sleep with a clear mind. But, what do paperless teens do these days in our virtual world?
Research has long backed the therapeutic value of diary-keeping for teenage girls and boys. But according to a new study when teenagers detail their woes onto a blog, the therapeutic value is even greater. Blogging, it seems, can be good for you.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Services and conducted by Meyran Boniel-Nissim and Azy Barak, psychology professors at the University of Haifa, Israel, found the engagement with an online community allowed by the blog format made it more effective in relieving the writer’s social distress than a private diary would be.
To track teenagers’ experiences with blogging, the researchers randomly surveyed high school students in Israel and selected 161 of them (124 girls and 37 boys, a significant gender skew) who exhibited some level of social anxiety or stress. The teenagers, who averaged 15 years old, said they had difficult making new friends or relating to their existing friends. The study, published in the journal Psychological Services and conducted by Meyran Boniel-Nissim and Azy Barak, psychology professors at the University of Haifa, Israel, found the engagement with an online community allowed by the blog format made it more effective in relieving the writer’s social distress than a private diary would be.
To track teenagers’ experiences with blogging, the researchers randomly surveyed high school students in Israel and selected 161 of them (124 girls and 37 boys, a significant gender skew) who exhibited some level of social anxiety or stress. The teenagers, who averaged 15 years old, said they had difficult making new friends or relating to their existing friends.
Teen Counseling (Depression and Suicide)
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 04/29/12
Because teens live so much in the moment, it's important that if your teen is depressed, you look for signs of sucidal ideation. Teens struggle to open up to their parents and may be suffering in silence. If your teen shows depression or thoughts of suicide it's important to get them into counseling. Here are signs to watch for:
- Talking or joking about committing suicide.
- Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out.”
- Speaking positively about death or romanticizing dying (“If I died, people might love me more”).
- Writing stories and poems about death, dying, or suicide.
- Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury.
- Giving away prized possessions.
- Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for good.
- Seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves.