Services

What Services are available?

I offer a variety of services tailored to meet the needs of my clients, including individual therapy, marriage therapy, and family therapy.  Sessions between client and therapist for individual concerns usually involve once-per-week meetings.  The initial session will involve getting a clear picture of the current problem the client is coming to therapy for, gathering historical information to provide background and framework for understanding the client’s personal journey and where he/she is in life now, and then synthesizing these elements into an assessment, and then developing from that assessment particular treatment strategies to help the client get to their personal goals.  Marriage therapy for couples may involve longer sessions of 1.5 hours per week once the therapist has met with both partners individually and together for 1 or 2 sessions.  Family therapy involving children and both parents will usually require the same time commitment as marriage therapy.  Defining clear goals, developing an assessment, and setting a workable schedule for sessions is the primary task for the first few sessions.

• Online FaceTime & Skype Sessions •

Lately I’ve been asked by more than a few folks if I do FaceTime and Skype sessions, and my answer is “absolutely”. It’s a great way to have an appointment when you can’t get to the office, and it’s also an ideal way to check me out and begin the process of determining if I’m the right therapist for you. An online session gives you the opportunity to confirm whether or not I can understand and relate to the difficulty you’re having, which is an absolute “must” when choosing a therapist. If your prospective therapist can’t relate to your problem, see how the problem originated and how it’s affecting you in the here-and-now, and define a course of action designed to address your problem…then he or she is not the ideal therapist for you.

I offer two levels of online consultation – 30 minute and 60 minute consultation. Cost for each is $85 and $150 respectively, payable by debit or credit card at the beginning of the session. Simply call or text at 215-353-1455 or email at c-kneeland@comcast.net to arrange a time to connect.

If you’ve been thinking of getting into therapy but don’t know how exactly to get started, an online consultation may be just what you need to help you make up your mind. If you’ve been living with a difficulty that won’t resolve on it’s own and is taking up more and more of your energies, then trying something new is a wise option. You may be surprised how much better you feel after that first consultation! And for you established clients – how many times have you gone through a rough patch and wanted to talk about it, but making an appointment and coming to the office just didn’t work for you? Now just text or email, and we can arrange to meet online promptly.

What’s my therapeutic orientation?

Psychodynamic theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Systems Theory, and mindfulness are the basic modalities I employ when working with clients.  The task is to determine which approach resonates most strongly with the clients’ worldview and life orientation, and tailor the therapeutic approach to what’s most harmonious to them.

When should people seek out a therapist?  

Many folks find navigating through life challenging and sometimes overwhelming. Relying on your own judgment and instincts is great, but situations periodically arise wherein we feel like we just can’t find the answers we need to handle our difficulties. Events like divorce, death of a loved one, failure in business, substance abuse, struggles in marriage, periods of anxiety or depression, and crises involving loss of meaning in life come along despite our best attempts to avoid them. Consulting with a therapist can be a wise and courageous decision. There should be good “chemistry & confidence” between you and your therapist, you should feel a sense of trust and willingness to share your struggle openly, and the therapist should convey respect for your life’s journey as well as encouraging you to consider new perspectives about yourself, help you to see how you arrived at where you currently are in life, and alternatives for moving on, enriching your life, and letting go of old patterns which don’t work for you anymore.

Here’s a list of issues that typically bring folks to therapy which we can focus on during the therapy hour:

Anxiety     Panic attacks     Career counseling

Major lifestage transitions     Depression     Infidelity

Divorce recovery      Marital communication      Addictions

Family issues      Life coaching      Adolescent issues

Domestic abuse      Grief & loss      Anger management

Self esteem issues      Parenting      Conflict resolution

Stress management      Sexual difficulties      Post-Traumatic Stress

Workplace issues      Personal Growth & Spirituality      Family Business Conflict Management

How long should I stay in therapy?  

The answer depends on a number of factors.  Sometimes folks enter therapy with a particular goal in mind, such as gaining relief from a depression, and in the process discover collateral issues which contribute to the depression that that they didn’t know existed.  They’ll stay in therapy after the depression has diminished and learn about subtle aspects of their personality and how these features affect their relationships.  Other folks will gain freedom from the painful symptoms and then choose to taper off their sessions.  Some people develop a dedication to establishing an “examined life” and stay in therapy for an extended period, making personal exploration and discovery a part of their lifestyle.

Who should come to the session?

When partners are having difficulties in their relationship, both should attend.  No one person in a relationship can adequately represent the other partner, so both are necessary in order that full understanding of the relationship dynamics can be assessed.  However, if one partner in the marriage is reluctant to come to therapy, there is merit in the other attending by themselves and learning what is their particular contribution to the marital difficulties.  Quite often the reluctant partner comes to see that the therapy sessions are not an opportunity for recriminations and blame but instead a chance to change old patterns that have become unworkable and work toward forging a new relationship.   When the concern is a family-wide issue or difficulties with children then ideally both parents should attend the session.  During the scheduling contact for the initial consultation these particulars can be discussed and decided upon.

What will Therapy cost?  

My standard fee is $150 per session.  Sessions are 50 minutes in length.  Fee adjustments will be made in certain cases.  Payment is due at time of service in either cash, check, VENMO or credit card.

What about Insurance?

I don’t contract with insurance companies to be an in-network provider.  However, many insurance companies honor the services of state-licensed MFT’s as out-of-network providers and will reimburse a percentage of the fee after a certain deductible has been met.  Contact your insurance carrier to determine the particulars of your coverage.  When requested I will write a detailed receipt suitable for submission to your insurance carrier for either insurance reimbursement or tax purposes.

How do I schedule?

Simply call the office at 215-353-1455.  If I’m unable to answer due to being in consultation please leave a message.  I will return your call the same day.