FAQs
What is therapy?
Therapy is the process of talking with a person who is trained to help you resolve issues of concern and acquire the skills to reach your life goals. Therapy attempts to help you develop more awareness of your interpersonal style and behavioral patterns, and then actively design explicit strategies for making desired changes. It is a process that can help you become more aware of choices and options that can lead to more effective decision making and more satisfying relationships with others. At the FSU Psychology Clinic, we use empirically supported therapies. This means that we use therapies that have been scientifically evaluated in clinical trials and found to be helpful for the treatment of certain disorders. Feel free to ask your therapist questions about the therapy they are recommending for you.
Your role in therapy:
Therapy is a cooperative interaction between you and your therapist. Both you and your therapist are responsible for an effective treatment experience, and open communication between you and your therapist is essential. Your active participation in the therapy process can greatly facilitate reaching your goals. Also, it is extremely important that you regularly attend scheduled sessions. Successful psychotherapy requires greater participation and cooperation from you than is true of treatment for most physical problems. Your efforts play a crucial role in determining how much benefit is received. Your active participation in therapy usually requires the completion of “homework” between the sessions. This homework might be written work, or it might entail reading, or even doing certain activities. You will get the most out of therapy and see the quickest results if you complete the between-session work your therapist assigns to you. If you have any questions or concerns about therapy goals or procedures please talk with your therapist.
What to Expect During Therapy:
After you have completed an application for services, filled out the screening measures, had a screening interview, completed the MMPI (adults and adolescents), and paid your application fee your application is sent to the Assistant Director of the clinic for assignment to a therapist.
Clients are generally assigned to a therapist within a few weeks, unless there is a waiting list. If there is a waiting list, the Assistant Director will call you periodically to tell you where you are on the waiting list. If you are concerned about the status of your assignment, you may also feel free to call the Assistant Director yourself at (850) 644-3006 to inquire.
Once you have been assigned to a therapist, your therapist will contact you to schedule an initial appointment. During this initial appointment, you will be interviewed for 1 ½ hours about yourself and the reason(s) you have decided to seek our services at this time. This is a very important interview. It establishes a relationship between you and your therapist that will allow you to feel more comfortable and at ease during therapy. It also helps your therapist determine the factors that might be contributing to the problems you are experiencing.
Some people have concerns that they are embarrassed to tell others, such as alcohol and substance use, physical abuse, marital problems, etc. Do not be shy about providing "embarrassing" information to your therapist. The more honest and open you are, the easier it will be for your therapist to help you. While the interview is being conducted, the therapist may take notes during the conversation. In addition, it is our clinic policy to record sessions.
Once the interview is completed, your therapist will schedule your next appointment date and time with you. She or he will also tell you what you can expect to happen during future therapy sessions. Typically, at the next session your therapist will discuss your diagnoses with you, the results of the questionnaires you completed when you applied for services, and present you with a recommended plan for treatment. Therapy sessions after the initial appointment are weekly, and about 50 minutes in duration.
What is group therapy?
Many of the personal problems individuals face stem from both past and current relationships with others, and how they feel about those relationships. The quality of one’s relationships often directly affects one’s life satisfaction and adjustment. Group therapy gives participants an opportunity to sort out questions and concerns about their relationships in a supportive and highly interactive setting.
Your role in group therapy:
Your role in group therapy requires active participation and regular attendance to group meetings.
What to Expect in Group Therapy:
Each session of group therapy generally lasts between 1 to 2 hours. Most groups are run by two graduate student psychological trainees, who are supervised by licensed psychologists. Most groups consist of approximately 3-10 group members.
What you do in group therapy might depend on what group you are in. For example, in a group therapy for depression you might focus on thoughts and behaviors that are interfering with your ability to achieve your desired outcomes in situations. In social group therapy you might actively practice talking to people, talking in front of people, or otherwise practice the social behavior that causes you anxiety.
Click here for more information about our Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training Group. For more information about how to get involved in group therapy at the FSU Psychology Clinic, please ask your therapist or contact the FSU Psychology Clinic directly at (850) 644-3006.
Why would I need an assessment?
Assessments are commonly conducted to answer questions about learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental delays, behavior problems, and/or personality issues. Assessments can identify specific areas of strength and difficulty for a wide variety of issues. Assessment services are available for individuals of all ages.
Frequently Requested Assessments:
The most frequently requested assessments include:
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Intelligence Testing |
What to Expect During Assessment:
After you have completed an application for services, filled out the screening measures, had a screening interview, completed the MMPI (adults and adolescents), and paid your application fee your application materials are sent to the Assistant Director of the clinic for assignment to a therapist.
Generally you will be assigned to a therapist within 2 weeks, unless there is a waiting list. You can expect to hear from the Assistant Director if you are not assigned to a therapist in 2 weeks. The Assistant Director will generally call you and tell you where you are on the waiting list. If you are concerned about the status of your assignment, you may also feel free to call the Assistant Director yourself at (850) 644-3006 to inquire.
Once you have been assigned to a therapist, your therapist will contact you within 2 working days to schedule an initial intake appointment. During this initial appointment, you will be interviewed for 1 to 1 ½ hours about yourself and the reason(s) you have decided to seek assessment services at this time.
For certain assessments, you may be asked by your therapist to bring in medical or educational records and transcripts. Additionally, if you have had previous assessments or therapy, please bring any reports you have available with you. If you have had previous assessments or therapy and do not have the reports in your possession, please bring the address and phone number of the organization that performed the assessment or therapy. This is another source of information for your current therapist.
When you begin the assessment process at the initial appointment, your therapist will gather information to make decisions about the appropriate and specific kinds of tests to be used. The number and kind of different testing instruments administered will vary according to the specific assessment question. Your therapist will discuss these details with you during your initial interview.
The length of time it will take to complete your assessment depends upon the type of assessment you are receiving. Generally, the length of assessments varies from 2-8 hours with appointments scheduled over several weeks. Once testing is completed, your therapist will create an assessment report which identifies the findings and recommendations. This report is generally completed 2 weeks following your last testing session. This report will be discussed with you during a subsequent feedback session, and can be released to other professionals you identify who may benefit from the assessment information, at your discretion. Therapy or other treatment may be the recommended course of action after the completion of an assessment. If you have any questions about assessment procedures or results please talk with your therapist.
Why is consent for taping required?
The Florida State University Psychology Clinic provides services to the Tallahassee community and functions as a training and research facility for graduate students in the Department of Psychology. Because therapists in training need to receive thorough supervision, it is necessary for sessions to be recorded, and the recordings are never taken from the Psychology Clinic. These recorded sessions are used only for approved Clinic training and research activities. In addition, the therapist in training may be observed by Clinic staff (for example, the faculty supervisor or other members of the treatment team) from the adjoining observation room.
Because the Clinic serves as a research facility for the Department of Psychology, graduate students and faculty occasionally conduct a research project in the Clinic. Clients are expected to participate in projects for which they may be appropriate. You will be informed about the nature of any project that requires your active participation. In general, these projects are not time-consuming and often simply involve the completion of brief questionnaires.
Consent to the above procedures is required of all clients who receive Clinic services.
Ethics:
The therapists at the FSU Psychology Clinic follow the Standards of Professional Conduct of the American Psychological Association. These guidelines are available to you on the World Wide Web at: http://www.apa.org/ethics/
The FSU Psychology Clinic does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or ability/disability.
Confidentiality:
People seeking psychological treatment often have questions about the confidentiality of therapy services and professional records. Within the purview of the Florida Public Records Law (119 F.S.) the Clinic staff will safeguard your confidentiality and your relationship with the Clinic will not be revealed to anyone without your prior written consent. However, under certain conditions, the Clinic is legally and ethically obligated to release information about a client whether or not the client approves. These conditions are:
- Suspected abuse (physical, sexual, or neglect) of children, the aged, and the disabled: As psychologists, we are required by law to report suspected abuse to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
- Potential homicide or suicide: In instances where a client threatens homicide we may have to notify the intended victim and police. Likewise, if a client is thought to be at high risk for suicide, family and/or authorities may need to be notified in order to protect the client.
- Court-order: We must release a client's records if a judge issues a court order compelling us to do so.
If confidentiality is broken or your records released because of any of the above three reasons, you will be notified.
Both the law and the standards of our profession require that we keep appropriate treatment records. At the FSU Psychology Clinic, brief written progress notes and typewritten reports are kept in locked file cabinets. We are required by Florida law to keep your records for a period of 7 years.
You have the right to have access to your records. Because these records contain information which can be misinterpreted by someone who is not a mental health professional, it is the policy of FSU Psychology Clinic that your therapist review your records with you. If your therapist is no longer at the FSU Psychology Clinic when you request your records, another therapist will be available to discuss them with you. We do not release records directly to the client. We are always willing to release your records to another mental health professional with your written permission, once you know what they contain.
Confidentiality for Child/Adolescent Clients:
If you are seeking therapy or assessment for your child or adolescent, you can expect to discuss how confidentiality policies apply with your child’s therapist. Typically, there will be some degree of communication between the legal guardian(s) and the child/adolescent being treated. These issues can be discussed and handled on a case-by-case basis by all involved parties at the beginning of therapy.
Confidentiality for Court-Order Treatment Cases:
Different confidentiality policies apply with persons court-ordered for therapy, as there is typically communication between the therapist and other agency or court personnel (e.g., parole officer or Department of Children & Families case manager). Court-ordered cases are required to sign a Release of Information Form upon application for services, giving us permission to communicate with appropriate agency or court personnel. However, the nature of the information released will be discussed with the client at the beginning of therapy.
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