FAQs
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Counseling Nook for Trauma and Dissociation (CNTD) is committed to building a more just and equitable East Texas. We recognize the history of oppression that has resulted in generational and community trauma. We believe that therapists that prioritize engaging diverse perspectives and evolve to be inclusive behave equitably and have profound impacts on society. For this reason, CNTD is committed to transforming each aspect of our practice by confronting our own biases and operationalizing our values. We know that intention alone is not enough to make change happen. To this work, we bring the success and mistakes of our own continuing efforts in the direction of equity on behalf of our clients and the community. The mission and vision we have for creating a space of healing and ending generational trauma move us to directly challenge ourselves and deconstruct frameworks of oppression while building opportunities for learning, change, and accountability. We know this work is urgent and we will always be learning. We will make mistakes and own our responsibility for corrective action.
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If we are out-of-network providers for your insurance, you pay for counseling and seek reimbursement from your insurance carrier. Many insurance companies give out-of-network reimbursements for mental health services. Usually, you can get partial or full reimbursement, but we always recommend you check with your insurance carrier.
We are happy to provide all of the documentation you need to allow you to submit to your insurance company so you can be reimbursed if you have “out of network” coverage. It is often helpful to call your insurance company and ask about your out-of-network coverage.
When you come in for an office visit or sign in for a telehealth visit, payment is expected at the time of the visit. You will be given a receipt (called a Super Bill) with all of the information that will allow for submission to your insurance company.
POSSIBLE ISSUES WITH INSURANCE
There are many financial benefits to using insurance, but we also find it important to make sure our clients are well-informed. The following are possible things to consider when using insurance.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Insurance companies can require detailed information about a patient’s psychiatric history as a condition of paying their therapist. These requirements can compromise confidentiality and increase the risk of your information being out there.
FORCED DIAGNOSIS: When using private pay, therapists are not required to pathologize and give mental health diagnoses. If insurance is involved, we have to diagnose you. Even if it’s not appropriate, there has to be a diagnosis for it to be covered by insurance. In some circumstances having a diagnosis can be helpful.
TREATMENT DECISIONS: Insurance companies highly influence treatment decisions. They can determine the number of sessions and the frequency.
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Basically I see trauma as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or series of experiences that still have an effect on one’s emotional, mental, and physical health. There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, or Complex.
Acute trauma is a result from a single incident.
Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged incidents (e.g. domestic violence or abuse).
Complex trauma is exposure to a variety of traumatic events, as well as, multiple traumatic events. These events are often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.
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Trauma-related dissociation is a process in which a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories, behaviors, physical sensations, or sense of identity due to traumatic events. During these traumatic events, most professionals believe that the dissociation is a way the mind copes due to too much stress.
For references please visit https://www.isst-d.org/public-resources-home/fact-sheet-iii-trauma-related-dissociation-an-introduction/
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“Often, when something traumatic happens, it seems to get locked in the brain with the original picture, sounds, thoughts, feelings, and so on. Since the experience is locked there, it continues to be triggered whenever a reminder comes up. It can be the basis for a lot of discomfort and sometimes a lot of negative emotions, such as fear and helplessness, that we can’t seem to control. These are really the emotions connected with the old experience that are being triggered.
The eye movements we use in EMDR seem to unlock the system and allow your brain to process the experience. That may be what is happening in REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep, when our most intense dreaming takes place: The eye movements appear to be involved during the processing of unconscious material.
The important thing to remember is that it is your own brain that will be doing the healing and that you are the one in control.”
Shapiro, Francine. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Therapy, Third Edition (pp. 115-116). Guilford Publications. Kindle Edition.
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Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) “is a structured, short-term treatment model that effectively improves a range of trauma-related outcomes in 8-25 sessions with the child/adolescent and caregiver. Although TF-CBT is highly effective at improving youth posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and diagnosis, a PTSD diagnosis is not required in order to receive this treatment. TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as improving the participating parent’s or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills, and supportive interactions with the child.”
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a dynamic, evidence based psychotherapy model. In IFS, we believe that the mind is a multiplicity, made up of many different parts that all play important roles. While each part holds unique qualities that are important for the function of the overall system, the core Self knows how to heal and invites harmony - especially when trauma and other events have caused disruption and pain. Most importantly, all parts are welcome in the journey toward becoming healed and whole.
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We are open to working with people from many faiths and cultures. Below are a few examples that we have experience with:
Agnostic
Atheist
Catholic
Christian
Hindu
Interfaith
Islam
Jehovah's Witness
Multi-Faith
Pagan
Wiccan
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LGBTQIA+: All are welcome. We hope the all feel safe in therapy with us - especially with where Texas politics are at.
Multicultural (MK, TCK, MB, Xpac): As someone who grew up in a variety of cultures and countries, my heart goes out to anyone who identifies with many cultures. It can be frustrating and hard to explain what your atypical childhood was like. It is so nice when you are around people that get it.
Immigrants: It can be scary, overwhelming and tough to move to another country. There are many factor that lead to these moves, some of them can be traumatic one. It can be hard to be surrounded by people of different cultures and trying to adapt to while also not loosing a core part of who you are.
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You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.