Where is Grateful Heart located?
Our therapists are located in satellite offices throughout the Bay Area, primarily in San Francisco, Marin, San Jose, Alameda, Berkeley, Oakland, Albany, Concord and Walnut Creek. Although we refer to Grateful Heart as a “Center” we do not have a centralized brick and mortar office. We’re located in various conveniently located satellite offices. Since the onset of the pandemic, our clinicians began offering teletherapy services as well.
Why do individuals, couples and families typically seek therapy?
The reasons as are vast and as varied as people themselves, but most want a better experience of their lives. There are many reasons people seek the support of psychotherapy, ranging from anxiety or depression, to difficulties in creating and sustaining stable and nurturing bonds with others, to fears of expressing themselves authentically or trusting others. Some seek the assistance of psychotherapy to understand anger or conflicts with family members, spouses or other persons with who they are engaged romantically, collegially or as friends or lingering influences from their early lives that affected them adversely. Others seek the help of psychotherapy to develop new ways of responding to circumstances that have been habitually problematic, to develop more capacity for intimacy or to experience more joy and contentment in their lives. Sometimes a particular experience, such as a separation, divorce or a turbulent disagreement, or a milestone, such as marrying or becoming a parent, may also precipitate a decision to seek counseling; at other times a long-standing and vague sense of feeling lost, confused and disengaged from others.
Can I use my Insurance Benefits?
We do not bill insurance directly, however your therapist can provide you with a statement suitable for submission to your insurance (often referred to as a “superbill.” To find out if your insurance offers reimbursements for therapy or teletherapy services, please contact them directly. Be sure to ask if your benefits cover mental health services provided out-of-network and by an associate (pre-licensed) clinician. Please also note that whenever insurance is used for psychotherapy, the treatment must be considered “medically necessary” and will require the documentation of a diagnosis. Other personal information may also be required for reimbursement by your insurance provider.
How long is a typical psychotherapy session and how often will I meet with my therapist?
Most sessions are weekly and 50 minutes in length, however your therapist may suggest meeting longer or more frequently depending on your needs and goals. Sessions with couples are often scheduled for 60 to 75 minutes by some therapists. Please discuss your therapist’s approach to session frequency and length during your first session.
How long can I expect to be in therapy?
The length of therapy is dependent on many factors. Generally there is no time limit on therapy; some clients want to work on a discrete issue for a certain length of time, while others treat it more as a self care practice, exploring issues as the emerge and evolve. You can discuss your goals and expectations with your therapist and find out their perspective as well.
How does my therapist store records?
Beginning in 2020, Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center began using SimplePractice for the majority of its medical records processes. Your therapist will send you a set of forms to complete electronically prior to your first appointment through the Client Portal on SimplePractice. Please complete those forms prior to seeing your therapist.
If for some reason you cannot complete forms electronically, due to either a lack of access to a computer or difficulties using electronic equipment or processes, please let your therapist know and they will supply you with paper copies of the forms during your first appointment.
Completed forms, plus all your appointment records, will be maintained on SimplePractice, a HIPAA compliant platform used by clinicians worldwide.
The use of SimplePractice allow us to respond to requests for records with greater ease, as well as automate our processes for greater efficiency.
We hope you will find it simplifies the intake process as you begin therapy.