FAQs | EWG

FAQs:

Psychotherapy

Investment

Psychotherapy:

What can I expect in my session?

After the initial consultation, the first session consists of us gathering information about your background and current concerns to better understand how we can support you. We will then develop a plan on how to work together going forward.

What is a goodness of fit in therapy?

We acknowledge that the process of seeking mental health support requires courage and time, therefore, during the initial consultation, we will discuss your needs and our services together. We will continuously evaluate your progress. During the initial consultation and our work, if you find that we are no longer a good fit for your needs, we can discuss referrals to services that can better serve you. Our goal is to ensure that you are receiving the services and support you need.

What are some of Tam's Certifications:

Dr. Tam is certified as a CPT for PTSD therapist (1 of only 24 in NJ and 1,100 internationally providers)
Dr. Tam is a certified Clinical Supervisor for LSW and LAC

What if your services do not meet my expectations?

Our goal is for you to receive the services you need. With that in mind, we understand that each provider and client are unique individuals with a wide range of experiences. We work from a cultural humility approach, that means we recognize the fact that we do not know everything and might not be able to work with everyone who enter treatment or with some presenting concerns. If your needs exceed our ability and scope of services, we will gladly discuss this with you and do our best to provide you with a list of referrals to our network of providers who might better meet your needs.

Investment in services:

Psychotherapy:

Session fees reflect professional education, experience, licensure, trainings, and continuing education along with lived experiences,
We are considered an out of network practice for private pay clients or those with out-of-network benefits. Please check with your insurance for out of network coverage. We will provide you with documentation to submit for partial or full reimbursement from your insurance provider. You are responsible for the unreimbursed balance. See “questions to ask insurance” below.
Many individuals choose to participate in private pay to ensure that insurance company do not have access to treatment records.
To ensure equitable access to quality mental health care, some clients are eligible for a sliding scale rate-particularly BIPOC and first-gen. Please contact us for more information.

Workshops and Trainings:

We will work with your organization’s needs to customize services and fees comparable to the quality, length of time, topics, and accommodation to fit your budget.
Most of our workshops include development hours to ensure that we tailor the sessions to your unique needs.

Clinical supervision:

We understand the challenges new clinicians face when seeking qualified and experienced supervision. We highly value clinical supervision. Please reach out to us so we can further discuss how to best support your clinical goals.

Private Practice Consultation:

Starting a new practice can be a daunting task, we can provide you with resources, guidance, and support to build a successful practice. Please reach out to us to discuss available options.

Questions to ask insurance?

Do I have mental health benefits?
What is my copay for outpatient psychotherapy?
What is my individual and family deductible and has it been met?
How many sessions per calendar year does my plan cover?
How much does my plan cover for an out-of-network provider?
What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
Is approval required from my primary care physician?
Do I need prior authorization?

Additional Resources:

Treatment modalities:

Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a scientifically tested form of psychotherapy that is effective for many different disorders and problems. In contrast to many forms of therapy, CBT is a solution-focused approach to treatment, oriented toward solving problems and learning skills. (Beck Institute)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy is one of 2 gold-standard treatment of PTSD that the VA system endorse in the treatment of veterans with PTSD. Extensive research have been done on the effectiveness of CPT for PTSD.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT consists of the teaching of 4 target areas: Mindfulness, Distress tolerance, Emotion regulation, and Interpersonal effectiveness. Together, these skills are designed to help you build a life worth living by improving your ability to be in the here and now, better tolerate difficult emotions, and develop and maintain healthy relationships.