Frequently Asked Questions From Our Clients
Here's a list of some of the questions we most often hear. Hope it helps!
Untanglife means to untangle some of the trauma from our lives to the best of our ability. In this case, with a little bit of help! As you can see from the name, letters are missing and tied together – in one jumbled, mixed-up word. Sometimes that is exactly what happens to us when traumatic events – big and small – occur in our lives; we become tangled up, which makes it hard for us to move forward in a healthy way.
At UntangLife we want to hear and respect not only where you are, but where you are coming from, so we can help you untangle and process some of the difficult thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and trauma from your life.
At this time, we are able to take the following insurances:
- Aetna
- Baylor, Scott and White
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- United Healthcare
An SAP is a licensed professional, such as a qualified licensed counselor or medical provider who evaluates employees who have violated a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and/or alcohol regulation. The SAP then makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare, as necessary.
- Clients do not need to reveal or justify their reasons for seeking services; a formal diagnosis is not required for treatment.
- Records of diagnoses and treatment are not made available to companies that have access to insurance information for reimbursement purposes.
- Clients are able to select the service provider of their choice, rather than choosing from a provider list.
Sessions are usually 45 -55 minutes long and the rate for Alison Bailey is $150. For Fully Licensed Clinicians our rate is $125. And for Master’s Level Associate Clinicians, our rates are between $60-80. Call us and ask us more about these reduced rates!
We can set up counseling sessions either way! Just let us know what you prefer.
We are available to meet on a HIPAA-secure platform as long as you are in Texas. At this time, the law permits that counselors and therapists can only meet for virtual counseling in the state in which they are licensed.
The fact of the matter is that you’ve probably been trying to work through many things on your own for a very long time. When you come to counseling, it is our goal to not only identify the underlying issues that are upsetting you, but to also identify your strengths as well as activate your own healing processes.
Shame and weakness should not be associated with asking for help in general or coming to counseling. In fact, it takes a lot of strength and courage for people to ask for help. All of us need help every now and again – and that’s okay.
Because everyone’s policy is specific to them, we highly recommend that you reach out to your insurance company to fully understand the amount you are responsible for, prior to the start of services. We don’t like surprises either!
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This type of therapy has been proven to be highly effective for those who have experienced disturbing life events or trauma.
During a traumatic event, the brain is unable to process the experience as it usually does with a normal everyday occurrence, like eating a meal. A traumatic event can cause the brain to process and store memories incorrectly. The thoughts, feelings and sensations of the event can become “locked” in the nervous system, leading the brain to feel as if it is happening in the present. EMDR corrects this mis-storage so that the painful memories associated with the trauma lose their strong impact within the body and the mind.
EMDR therapy is recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Department of Defense (DOD). Just as the body is able to heal from physical pain and hurt, EMDR has demonstrated that the mind can recover from psychological trauma as well.
For more information, please refer to EMDRIA.org or EMDR.org.
Coming to counseling is not an easy decision, and can actually be a very stressful phone call to make. We make it our mission to put you at ease from your initial phone call until you arrive for your first session, and beyond. Our entire staff has been trained to provide you with the highest level of care and support. We are here to help you from the beginning, with the intake and scheduling process, as well as to ensure you are treated with respect and compassion during all of your counseling sessions.
Because each person has different and unique issues and goals, therapy has to be customized for every individual. In general, you can expect to discuss:
- the current events happening in your life;
- your personal history that may or may not be directly relevant to your issue; and,
- report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session.
Depending on your needs, therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or behaviors. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your therapist (usually weekly or bi-weekly), especially at the start of the process. Once you feel like you are feeling better, you have the option of coming to counseling less often or stopping altogether. Just talk it over with your counselor. You can always come back and connect with your counselor as you need.
The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you incorporate what you have learned in the sessions within your life. In addition to the work you will be doing in your actual sessions, some things outside of therapy may be suggested to you to support your process. These things may include, reading a relevant book, journaling, practicing a new technique, or taking action on some of your goals. You will get more results from therapy if you actively participate in the process.
Friends and family are great, but they may not be able to provide the training, experience, and insight that a mental health professional can. You also have an interesting dynamic with your family and friends – one that does not exist with a counselor. An example of this is that they may tell you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear.
Many people do not feel comfortable in sharing personal or intimate details about their lives with family or friends as they might be afraid of being judged somehow. Some people feel that they talk about the same problems with their friends, without any real resolution. This may cause you or your friends to start having negative emotions or feelings with one another, and could actually cause people to avoid having these talks or interactions all together.
This is what your counseling sessions are for. Therapists are prepared to listen and be a part of these “hard” discussions, without the fear of embarrassment, shame, or judgment being present.
In order for the counseling process to work, the relationship and connection you have with your counselor is absolutely vital. If you ever feel that we are not the right practice for you, please let us know. We will do our best to refer you to another counselor that may be better suited for you.
At Untanglife, in addition to our clinicians providing the best care possible, we use a company called Blueprint that specializes in measurement-based care, which is used to track our clients’ progress. Each of our clients will have access to the Blueprint app which was created to assist with treatment decisions, improve client outcomes, enhance clinical decision-making, and demonstrate the value of treatment.