Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy
Starting therapy can bring up a lot of questions. Whether you're wondering if therapy is right for you, worried about finding the time, or simply curious about what to expect, you're not alone. Below are answers to some of the questions people ask most often before beginning therapy.
EGS Therapy provides therapy for adults and adolescents in Northfield, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook, and throughout Illinois via telehealth.
Deciding Whether Therapy is Right for You
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There are a few ways you can tell.
One of the easiest questions to ask yourself is whether the problem you're facing is interfering with your ability to live the life you want to live.
The "problem" might involve how you're feeling, thinking, or behaving. It might involve another person in your life. Or it might be a difficult situation you're trying to navigate, such as deciding whether to leave a job, stay in a relationship, or make a major life change.
You may benefit from therapy if:
• You're having trouble sleeping or your appetite has changed.
• You spend a significant amount of time worrying, overthinking, or replaying situations in your mind.
• Your mood is affected on most days.
• You're withdrawing from people or activities you usually enjoy.
• The problem feels like it's taking up more space in your life than you'd like.
• You've tried handling it on your own but keep finding yourself stuck in the same patterns.
You don't have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people seek therapy simply because they want to understand themselves better, improve relationships, manage stress more effectively, or stop carrying the weight of everything alone.
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Many people worry that they aren't struggling enough to justify therapy. They compare themselves to others and think, "Other people have it worse."
The truth is that you don't have to wait until you're in crisis. If something is causing distress, interfering with your life, or simply making it harder to be the person you want to be, therapy may be helpful.
Many people seek therapy not because they are in crisis, but because they want support navigating life's challenges, understanding themselves more deeply, or making meaningful changes. You may be managing work, caring for your family, and meeting your responsibilities while still feeling overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected, or stuck in patterns that no longer serve you.
Therapy can be a place to gain insight, develop healthier coping strategies, strengthen relationships, and create a life that feels more balanced and sustainable.
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Many people have been handling things on their own for years.
Therapy isn't about weakness or inability. Often, it's about having an objective person help you notice patterns that are difficult to see from the inside, teach new skills, and support you in making changes that are hard to accomplish alone.
If you could simply "think your way out" of anxiety, self-doubt, or burnout, you probably would have already done so.
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Absolutely.
Many longstanding patterns developed for good reasons. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, avoiding conflict, or staying constantly busy may have helped you cope at one point in your life.
Therapy can help you understand why these patterns developed and determine whether they're still serving you today.
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Not exactly.
I may offer observations, suggestions, skills, and feedback based on my training and experience, but I won't make decisions for you.
My role is to help you gain clarity, consider options, and make choices that align with your values and goals.
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Many people who seek therapy have successful careers, supportive relationships, and objectively "good" lives. This can make it confusing when they still struggle with anxiety, stress, self-doubt, irritability, or sadness.
Pain isn't invalidated by gratitude.
You can appreciate what you have and still acknowledge that something isn't working. Therapy can help you understand why you're feeling the way you do without judging yourself for it.
Common Concerns about Starting Therapy
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It may help to think about therapy differently.
Therapy typically requires one hour out of the 168 hours in your week. Yet many people spend far more than that worrying, avoiding difficult decisions, replaying conversations, struggling to sleep, or feeling overwhelmed.
Investing one hour each week may actually save you hours—or even days—of emotional exhaustion and unproductive suffering.
Making time for therapy is also a way of sending yourself an important message: I matter enough to care for myself.
Many people think of therapy the same way they think about exercise, physical therapy, or training for a sport. It becomes part of maintaining your well-being rather than something reserved only for emergencies.
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That's understandable. Therapy is an investment.
Sometimes it can be helpful to consider the cost of not addressing the problem.
Stress, anxiety, and burnout often have hidden costs:
• Lost productivity
• Difficulty concentrating
• Strained relationships
• Avoidance of important opportunities
• Sleep disruption
• Increased healthcare expenses
• Reduced enjoyment of daily life
Therapy cannot eliminate every difficulty, but it can help you develop skills and insight that continue benefiting you long after treatment ends.
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I am not an in-network provider with any insurance companies. Instead, I work as an out-of-network provider.
Choosing to work outside of insurance allows me to provide care that is guided by your needs rather than the requirements of an insurance company.
Insurance companies often require therapists to provide a mental health diagnosis, determine whether treatment is considered "medically necessary," and periodically justify the need for continued sessions. They may also place limitations on the length, frequency, or type of treatment they will cover.
Not everyone who seeks therapy is in crisis. Many people come to therapy because they want to better understand themselves, improve their relationships, manage stress more effectively, navigate life transitions, address perfectionism or burnout, or prevent problems from becoming more severe. Working outside of insurance allows us the flexibility to address these concerns, even when they may not qualify for coverage under a particular plan.
Many clients also appreciate the additional privacy that comes with private-pay therapy, as fewer details about their treatment are shared with a third party.
Although I do not bill insurance directly, many people have out-of-network benefits through their employer-sponsored insurance plans. If your plan includes these benefits, you may be eligible to receive partial reimbursement for therapy sessions.
I am happy to provide a superbill, which is an itemized receipt that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. If you're unsure whether you have out-of-network benefits, I encourage you to contact your insurance provider and ask:
• Do I have out-of-network benefits for outpatient mental health services?
• What percentage of the fee is reimbursed?
• Is there a deductible I need to meet first?
• Is there a limit to the number of sessions covered?
You can also go to the Fees & Insurance page and use the out-of-network benefits calculator.
Ultimately, my goal is to provide thoughtful, individualized, evidence-based care that is shaped by what is most helpful to you—not by the limitations of an insurance plan.
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The cost of therapy can vary depending on a number of factors, including a therapist's education, years of experience, specialized training, geographic location, and the type of services provided.
Behind each therapy session are years of preparation. Most licensed therapists complete graduate degrees, extensive supervised clinical training, national and state licensing requirements, and ongoing continuing education to maintain their licenses and stay current with research and evidence-based practices. Many therapists also pursue advanced training and certification in specialized areas of treatment.
As a client, you're not only paying for the 50–60 minutes spent together in session. You're also benefiting from the knowledge, clinical judgment, and experience developed over thousands of hours of education and direct work with clients.
At the same time, therapy is a meaningful financial investment, and it's important to determine whether it fits within your current circumstances and priorities. Many people find it helpful to consider both the financial cost of therapy and the potential cost of continuing to struggle without support.
Ultimately, there is no "right" amount to spend on therapy. The goal is to find a therapist whose expertise, approach, and fee feel like a good fit for your needs.
What Therapy is Actually Like
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The first few sessions focus on understanding you.
We'll explore your current concerns, relevant history, strengths, relationships, and the patterns that may be contributing to distress. Together, we'll clarify what you hope will be different and develop a treatment plan aligned with your goals.
You don't need to prepare anything special. You don't have to know exactly what to say. We'll figure it out together.
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While feeling heard is important, therapy is often much more active than people expect.
Depending on your needs, therapy may involve identifying patterns, learning practical coping skills, challenging unhelpful thinking styles, practicing new behaviors, working through difficult emotions, improving communication, or developing greater self-understanding.
My goal is not simply to listen. It's to help you create meaningful change.
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Many people start therapy because they know something doesn't feel quite right, but they can't fully explain why.
Some people arrive with a specific problem they want to address. Others simply notice that they're more anxious, overwhelmed, irritable, disconnected, or exhausted than they'd like to be.
Part of my role is to help you make sense of your experiences. Through our conversations, we'll identify patterns, clarify what's most important to you, and determine where to focus our work together.
You can talk about what happened this week, something that's been bothering you for years, a difficult relationship, a major decision, or even the fact that you're not sure what to talk about. There is no "right" way to do therapy.
You don't need to have all the answers before you begin. Sometimes the most important discoveries emerge from simply showing up and being curious about your experience.
Logistics and Expectations
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This is one of the most common questions, and the honest answer is: it depends.
Most people begin with weekly sessions lasting about 50–60 minutes.
Research on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most well-studied approaches to treatment, suggests that many people begin noticing improvement within the first 4–6 sessions, with more significant progress often occurring within 12–20 sessions.
The length of therapy depends on factors such as:
• The goals you're working toward
• How long the problem has been present
• The complexity of the situation
• How much support you have outside of therapy
• How consistently you practice skills between sessions
Some people seek short-term therapy focused on a specific concern. Others choose longer-term work to address longstanding patterns and deeper personal growth.
We'll regularly check in about whether therapy continues to feel useful and aligned with your goals.
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Then you can stop.
Therapy is voluntary. It's important that it feels helpful and that you believe we're moving in a direction that makes sense to you.
I encourage clients to bring these concerns into the room if they're comfortable doing so. Conversations about what's working—and what isn't—can be incredibly valuable and often strengthen the therapeutic process.
That said, you are always free to discontinue therapy at any time..
Let’s Get Started
Ready to Feel Different?