FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Individuals seek therapy when they have “tried everything else,” “because I was told to" or “I don’t know what else to do.” Often, it’s when things are already bad or are about to get worse. But that shouldn't be the only time to seek help. Developing habits of taking care of your emotional and mental health before the crisis happens is also important. Preparation and knowledge are often half the battle; prevention is a better solution.

Therapy is an intentional place for you to be seen and heard. It’s an opportunity to get to know yourself, gain insight and awareness, improve relationships, and feel free to fully express yourself in a confidential environment. Therapy is a collaborative process where both client and therapist work together to meet established goals created by a treatment plan. In therapy, the therapist can assist you in learning effective therapeutic techniques to help you reduce symptoms and make improvements. 

The frequency of sessions is based on the assessment of your individual needs and symptoms. Since everyone's circumstances are different, we’ll work on a plan that makes sense for you. Initially, therapy is most effective with consistent weekly attendance, as it helps us to develop rapport and gets you set up for your therapeutic journey. Once a treatment plan is in place and there is enough support and progress to develop significant change, every two weeks seems to work well. It is possible after some time, you could come in once a month for maintenance or to have accountability toward your goals. This can always be revisited and changed during the course of therapy. 

It's important to always show up to your scheduled sessions. Being ready to work together to discuss symptoms and explore interventions will help promote the path to change. Therapy isn’t mind reading or mind control, so it's also important to be truthful and forthcoming with your symptoms and needs. Also, the work you do outside our sessions will help accelerate your progress. The more committed you are to the work, the quicker you’ll enjoy lasting and sustainable results. 

The length of therapy depends on you, as everyone's journey is different and has their own pace. The therapeutic process can range from 3-6 months to a year or more depending on individual needs. A treatment plan is established, and therapy comes to an end when you feel you’ve achieved your goals. When you do feel you’re ready to end therapy, make a positive ending by setting a date and attending a final session to review goals achieved and develop an aftercare plan. Once therapy is concluded, you’re always welcome to return at any time should new developments emerge!

I accept various insurances only through the platform HEADWAY. Below is the link to my profile where you may create an account

https://headway.co/providers/nadia-merlo?utm_source=pem&utm_medium=direct_link&utm_campaign=38903

With Headway I am a provider for the following insurances: 

Anthan BC, BS of CA, Aetna, UHC, Cigna, Oxford, Oscar 

IMPORTANT**Once you have registered, please let me know so I can schedule you directly.

I can accept Kaiser NorCal through the platform GROW & Kaiser SoCal through the platform PATH, please let me know if you have either insurance. 

All major credit cards, HSA cards , zelle or venmo is accepted for private pay.