What to Expect for Therapy
Welcome! I know it can be scary and sometimes provoke anxiety when you are thinking about seeking therapy for the first time. We are here to help you through this process, and to make this decision easier. Here is what you can expect when coming to therapy.
The first step is to contact me and tell me what you are seeking therapy for. It doesn’t have to be in detail but something brief such as,
Help with managing my anxiety.
The next step is to schedule an appointment on my website, which you can also do at this link: https://fiatfamilyservices1.clientsecure.me/
Once you have scheduled, I will send you electronic paperwork for you to sign and fill out which will allow you to tell more of your story, that way when our first appointment begins we can dive right into it.
After your first appointment, we will discuss how often you would need to come to therapy. It is a mutual decision as this is for YOU, and we are here to tackle it as a team.
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I tell all of my clients is that therapy is what YOU put into it. If you invest into your therapy sessions and time outside of therapy, then you will succeed. However, if you put half the effort into it, then you will get half the results.
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Why Therapy is Important During a Global Pandemic
For all of us, our lives completely changed around March. Jobs and health insurance were lost, schools shut down, and many parents had to figure out how they were going to be able to work when their children were home. During this time, we may not have understood the impact that these changes caused on our mental health. Not only our mental health, but our children’s mental health.
I often hear a lot of parents say “my child is so resilient” or “my child doesn’t understand what is going on.” They are correct that children are resilient, but what they don’t understand is what their child may have went through during the past six months. Our children were forced to stop in-person school, and no longer had the opportunity to see their friends, teachers, and staff at their school. Many of our younger children have no means of communicating with their friends. Not only was the social aspect taken away from them, but for some so was the safety. There are so many children in our community that fear being home due to drug/alcohol/physical/emotional abuse. School is what they consider their safety zone where they are able to have food, comfort, and a place where they feel important. So when children are acting out or hiding away in their rooms, remember that they have had to change their way of living as well, and they are trying to process all of the changes that were forced upon them.
Whether you have chosen to send your child back to in-person setting or decided to do online learning, let us remember that school is no longer the same as it once was. School may not feel like the safe zone anymore to some children. Let’s give children some grace, love and understanding. If your child or if you know of a child that is struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. This is our job! We will help them process the changes, process their emotions and help them get through this time. Our children matter, and so do their emotions and thoughts.
Feel free to contact us, or schedule an appointment.
Lindsey Zimmerman, LMSW
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Fiat Family Services Now Accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)!
Fiat Family Services is excited to announce that we are able to take Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance!
This has been long awaited for us. In the past few months, our clinicians have learned that BCBSKS opened up their credentialing services to “non-clinically” licensed therapists. This is a huge gain for our therapists as they didn’t think that they would be able to get on their panel until they were clinically licensed. If you are looking for a therapist in Wichita or the surrounding areas, that can accept Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) then Fiat Family Services is your provider!
Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the harder insurances to get credentialed with. They are a private insurance company, who has high standards on who they allow to submit claims. Historically, this is why they required all therapists to be clinically licensed, and is one reason why we have been undergoing our clinical licenses. When the COVID-19 pandemic came along, they decided to make a temporary change, which allowed us to get credentialed earlier.
If you are looking for a Wichita KS therapy that accepts BCBC, you are in the right place.
What does clinically licensed mean?
Both of our therapists are under clinical supervision working towards getting their “C” (Clinical) license! To be clinically licensed, you must get hundreds of therapy hours, which have to be under supervision by an already clinically licensed therapist. For every 20 face to face therapy hours, they have to meet with their supervisor and discuss their cases. This allows them to understand cases more in depth, and to see different views on them. It also gives us the chance to get another opinion, on how we should approach therapy. Basically, being clinically licensed is the next step in furthering our careers in the goal of becoming the best therapists that we can be.
Both of our therapists are over half way with their clinical hours! On top of seeing their supervisor, they also have to take ANOTHER test to finally get their C! We both have worked very hard on getting to this point, and being able to take Blue Cross Blue Shield in Wichita for therapy services is that next step hat we’ve been waiting for. We welcome you to ask any questions if you have any.
If you are ready to schedule an appointment, click here
Questions? Quickly send us a message below!
My Most Recommended Therapeutic Products
Push Pop Figet/Sensory
Great regulation tool to do at home! Just like bubble wrap!
Monkey Noodles
Great for any age to use to regulate themselves as they create anything out of the noodles! This is also awesome to do as a family to see who can be the most creative with them!
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
I challenge all of my parents that walk through my doors of my office to read. It is a great book to understand your child and their needs!
Monkey Fidgetz
I absolutely loves these since they are small and very portable. Children and Adults can easily have them in their pocket to help relieve stress/worries/anxiety and so much more!
Water Beads
Very simple and easy to have in a small container at home. Great way for kids to regulate themselves, and I often have them in my playroom for kids to have access to!
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind
Great book to read following “The Whole Brain Child.” Understanding the “WHY” children are acting a certain why and how to communicate to them on a level of their understanding is challenging for adults. This book helps guide you to communicate effectively with your child!
What is the difference between a counselor, therapist, and psychologist?
We often get questions like this, that come from people or parents who are new to seeking therapy, as well as people who are not new to therapy and have sought therapy in the past. It’s a valid question, and one that I decided to dive into and answer!
Certain phrases that come to many people’s mind are:
- Who are therapists in Wichita
- Who are counselors in Wichita
- Who are psychologists in Wichita
- What, or are there differences between counselors, psychologists, and therapists?
The short answer is, their training. I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and I received my training and education from Washburn University. My degree is a Master of Social Work. My diploma doesn’t say anything about being a therapist, however, I provide Psychotherapy services to individuals. So I am considered a therapist.
You will often hear or be more familiar to the term “Counselor” in the school setting. Counselors do various jobs within the school setting such as checking in with children to ensure that they are doing fine (just short term), and will only meet with them for fifteen to twenty minutes per time. They will also run groups within the school if that is something that is needed. This is where it becomes a little confusing. Like I stated before, I am a LMSW. LMSW’s can also be School Based Counselors. In fact, I know many of them! Here is the difference. Their job title is completely different than mine. I focus on psychotherapy where sessions are 45 to 60 minutes long, and School Based Counselors are 15-20 minutes long.
What about psychologists? Psychologists also provide psychotherapy and can also work in the school setting. They are referred as Psychologists because they have a Master’s degree in Psychology. So again, it goes back to their education and their training degree. Psychologists can administer psychological testing and assessments, whereas I cannot administer those tests.
So you may be wondering who are therapists in Wichita, who are counselors in Wichita, or who are the psychologists in Wichita? One of the easiest ways to figure out what you are needing is to ask your primary care physician, school counselor or any school staff, looking on PsychologyToday.com. Most therapists, counselors, and psychologists are on this database, and they list their specializations.
Fiat Family Services loves being able to help anyone get into contact with one of our trusted therapists or psychologists, because we know their work and background. We develop a network of trusted people who we can refer specialized cases to. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, and do your research before booking an appointment with someone! Read reviews (if they have them) or contact them and ask for their specialization, other trainings they have done or other certificates that they completed.
A good therapist will be honest, and will refer you out to a trusted source, if they think that you will be better served with someone else who does more with your particular case.
Contact Fiat Family Services today to discuss your therapy options!