FAQs
Individual Therapy
The Comfy Place aims to provide services that are tailored for each individual. We do not believe in a one size fits all approach, and as such meet you where you are. We utilize evidence-based therapy models that incorporate fun, healing, movement, and more.
Therapy begins with the client-therapist relationship and it is essential to your overall progress. We offer a safe and non-judgmental space for you to feel comfortable discussing topics that you may not ever have discussed elsewhere. Open communication is important in therapy. If there is ever a time that you feel it is not a good match please discuss this during your session. There are other options that can be explored that would still allow you the opportunity to get the help and support you are looking for.
Therapy is a time commitment but it can help to continue seeing your therapist even when you feel good about your mental health. The amount of time people spend in therapy is different for everyone. It is helpful to have the support of a mental health professional that provides you the opportunity to maintain the progress originally made in therapy. It is also important to discuss termination in advance in an effort to develop your aftercare plan and review what you have learned about yourself. Ending therapy may occur at any time and may be initiated by either the client or the therapist, but we welcome open communication and are happy to discuss how the process is feeling to you.
- No-Show Policy: If you do not show up to your scheduled therapy appointment, you will be charged the full therapist fee. If you no-show for your scheduled appointment, your therapist will attempt to reach you. If they cannot reach you and do not hear back from you within 48 hours we will be unable to hold your future appointment times and you may need to reschedule your therapy appointments.
- Late Cancellation Policy: Each of your session times are reserved for you. In the event that you will be unable to keep an appointment for any reason, please notify your therapist at least 48 hours in advance, and contact our office directly to ensure your session has been cancelled. If you cancel an appointment with less than 48 hours notice, you will be charged the full cancellation fee.
To avoid a No Show or Late Cancellation fee, please call or email to cancel or reschedule your appointment at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Please note that appointments scheduled on the weekend (i.e. Saturday or Sunday) must be cancelled or rescheduled by 4pm latest on Friday. If you have two or more no-shows or late-cancellations within a 30 day period, it may result in the termination of the client-therapist relationship, and you will be provided with appropriate referrals.
The difference between the two is that therapists are professionally trained and have experience whereas friends and/or family are not. A therapist can help you approach your situation in a new way; teaching you new skills, helping you gain different perspectives, listening to you without judgment, and most importantly your interactions with the therapist are confidential. Friends and family are awesome supports to have but seeing a therapist will help you reach the healing you need and achieve the goals you have.
Child Therapy
As with teens and young adults, therapy with children is designed to meet the cognitive and developmental level of the child. This means we meet your child where they are. We utilize evidence-based therapy models that incorporate games, arts and crafts, movement, and even animals. We understand the concept of play as a form of learning for children and incorporate it into therapy as we work towards achieving their therapy goals. You can ask the therapist what they and your child will do during the sessions, what they will talk about, and what kind of activities can be expected.
How best to participate in a child’s therapy depends primarily on the child’s age, the nature of the problem, and whether research supports parental involvement in the type of treatment your child is receiving. In some situations, particularly with younger children, parental guidance may be critical to bring about and support behavioral change between therapy sessions. In other situations, particularly with older children or adolescents, privacy between the child and therapist may form an important foundation for establishing trust and encouraging behavioral change. In every case, parents should be clear on the therapist’s goals for treating their child and should understand the milestones their child is expected to reach throughout his/her treatment. Feel free to ask the therapist at the outset about how he/she plans to work with your child.
Childhood and adolescence are periods of significant change in a child’s life – the symptoms of behavioral health and mental disorders may look very different in a younger child versus an adolescent, and the therapies used for children and adolescents can be different, too.
Not at all. You are quite strong for even considering talking to someone about what is going on. We know that seeking help may feel like a new and uncomfortable experience, but we are here to support and assist you and your child through the journey. Once you submit an inquiry our care coordinator will contact you to set up an initial appointment with one of our therapists. During that initial appointment you all can discuss the presenting problem and explore which therapeutic approach will best meet your or your child’s needs.
At The Comfy Place, all are welcome!
Group Therapy
Group therapy helps individuals develop communication skills and socialization skills, and allows clients to learn how to express their issues and accept criticism from others. Group therapy also allows individuals to develop self-awareness by listening to others with similar issues.
Groups vary significantly in session format. Some groups are structured in that they follow a specific curriculum whereas others may be semi-structured or free-flowing where group members and leaders present topics to the group for discussion.
Most groups have between 5-8 participants and 1-2 group leaders.
Most groups last 6-10 weeks and range anywhere from 45-90 minutes depending on the type of group being facilitated.
Most individuals feel some anxiety when first starting group. Group leaders are trained to help initiate conversation and to discuss whatever anxiety the group may be feeling. Most new members find that the group process quickly draws them in and they begin sharing in ways they had not expected.
Couples Therapy
Going to counseling is brave. No matter how you slice it, divulging our personal lives to a stranger can feel scary. Going to therapy doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or that you’re crazy. Couple’s counseling, specifically, will explore how issues have come between you and your partner(s). Issues are not anybody’s “fault”, but rather a new challenge that you and your partner(s) must tackle.
In the couple’s session, we will explore your background, how the issues began, what behaviors are occurring, and where to go from here. We are on your team!
You don’t have to do anything! But if you want to make your relationship better, we’d suggest a commitment to at least six months of regular sessions. There is no time limit on healing, but in cases where your conflicts are long-standing and your wounds are deep, healing may take longer.
Once we start seeing you for individual counseling, we’re partial to your perspective, which makes us a biased 3rd person looking into your couple relationship. For that reason, we cannot go on to work with both you and your partner but will need to refer you to another colleague for couple’s counseling.
There may be some instances where individual breakout sessions are required. These sessions will be scheduled in advance and will help us better understand you as an individual, so that we can better understand you in the context of your relationship.
If for whatever reason, couples counseling is terminated and one of you wants to continue individual counseling with us, we can see you individually, provided that both partners are aware of this arrangement. If in the future, both partners want to resume couples counseling, we’ll need to refer you to a different couples therapist for reasons mentioned above. In some cases, we might determine it’s in your best interest to do individual work with a different provider all together.
Of course! Often times partners function well, but may come to counseling to create or improve a certain facet of their relationship. For example, you may want to argue less about family finances. Or you may want to “spice things up” in the bedroom. Or maybe you just had a child, and are nervous about how this will change your relationship.
Couples don’t need to come in with a laundry list of issues. Couple’s counseling can help build upon an already great relationship.
We believe that therapy can be helpful at any point in a relationship. From newlyweds, to new parents, to partners ready to pursue separation, and everything in between. We are not “pro-marriage” or “pro-staying together”; we focus on what you and your partner want to focus on.
Going through a divorce or break-up can create strong feelings of grief, sadness, and confusion. We aim to help each person communicate their needs, express feelings, and reduce conflict.
We, at The Comfy Place do not accept insurance for couples therapy. We’d be happy to give you a receipt for the services rendered and you’re welcome to use your HSA card for payment. Most insurance plans do not cover couples counseling. However, it’s best that you contact your insurance company directly to learn about your mental health/behavioral health benefits.
Yay! Even if you’re not totally convinced, we welcome you to come in and talk to us. We’ll explore what your goals are and create a plan to help you reach those goals. You can view our therapists biographies and then visit our Contact Us page to schedule a consultation.
Therapy with an Intern
We are thrilled that you are interested in reaching out for support & are considering working with one of our Clinical Student Interns. Below are FAQs about what it means to work with an intern at The Comfy Place. We hope the answers below will help you decide whether working with a Clinical Student Intern is right for you!
Internship is a rite of passage for ALL helping & medical professions. Our interns are graduate students currently enrolled in accredited programs including Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling or Social Work around the Triangle area. Interns have finished- or are about to finish- all required coursework from their graduate programs, and are working towards completing internship hours so that they can pursue licensure in a mental health field.
Here at The Comfy Place, Clinical Student Interns have the same expectations as all other clinicians on the team, including maintaining a caseload and completing administrative tasks. However, interns execute these expectations on a smaller scale to make room for other expectations as outlined by their graduate program.
Absolutely. Interns have completed their coursework to receive their Masters degree in counseling and are now working to implement what they have learned. Many interns have previous experience in the field and are going through training to become licensed to practice independently as a therapist.
Aside from the reduced rate, there are some strong positives of working with an intern:
- Smaller caseload means more focus on your needs.
- A different kind of energy and enthusiasm than someone who’s been in the field for several years.
- They are actively studying the most recent developments in mental health, social work, and psychology.
- Interns work closely with a supervisor which means you essentially have two therapists for the “price” of one.
Working with a Clinical Student Intern is like being able to work with multiple providers simultaneously! Interns receive required weekly clinical supervision from our licensed Clinical Intern Supervisor Lisa Ibekwe, MSW, LICSW, LCSW. Supervisors are specially trained, licensed therapists. Additionally, interns are under the supervision of professors in their graduate programs. Everything discussed between an intern and supervisor remains confidential; you can be assured of your privacy.
Our interns also attend regular consultations with members of our clinical staff. Consultations involve getting feedback from peers about one’s work with individual clients. This collaboration allows exposure to many different therapeutic styles & techniques which translates to YOU having a provider who is able to meet your concerns from a variety of professional, clinical lenses! No identifying information about a client is shared during consultations.
Interns are also still students, which means that the latest clinical research is woven into their graduate curricula, beneficially informing their direct work with you during therapy sessions.
Yes. We believe that the relationship between you and your therapist is an important factor for your progress. Your comfort with the intern will allow you to focus on yourself while obtaining the skills you need to thrive.
We cannot guarantee a specific time frame for services since the therapeutic process is tailored to each individual. We do ask that you commit to 6-8 consecutive sessions before realistically evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. You and your therapist will collaborate to determine what frequency of sessions is most appropriate to reach your goals.
Working with a Clinical Student Intern allows for much financial flexibility. Insurance companies are not able to reimburse interns for services. This means that The Comfy Place interns are able to schedule clients on a sliding scale or “reduced rate” basis. Interns offer a sliding scale rate of $80 per 50 minute family or couples session and $40 – $60 per 40 minute individual session. Working with an intern is an excellent choice if your circumstances require low cost therapy services.
The Comfy Place believes that finances should never be a barrier to getting exceptional counseling services. Our Internship Program plays a huge role in The Comfy Place being able to welcome clients to the practice who are uninsured or otherwise unable to budget for professional therapeutic support.
Also, working with an intern is an excellent option for folks who do have insurance or do not want to submit a mental health claim through an insurance company. (Submitting insurance claims requires the need for a mental health diagnosis which becomes part of the client’s permanent medical record.)
Interns contract with the program for a minimum of 6 months to one year of service. Once that contract is complete, the student may leave the practice. At that time, you will be offered services with another therapist if you wish to continue. You also may be able to continue with the intern if they remain with the practice. In other instances, schedule permitting, that therapist may be the supervisor of the intern such that you may have a smooth transition between therapists. We can also provide referrals to therapists outside the practice if necessary.
