Seeking out therapy is an individual choice. You may be experiencing a level of stress in your life that overwhelms your ability to cope with the situation. We often want to see ourselves as being able to handle all things without seeking outside assistance. Unexpected changes in one’s life can give rise to anxiety or depression. Sometimes therapy is used to assist with long-standing psychological problems so we don’t feel so alone. Other times it’s a gift for yourself to explore, better understand yourself and grow. Whatever the reasons, or circumstances of life, therapy is right for anyone who wants to take responsibility in changing their life for the better.

Anthropos does not offer after-hours on-call services in case of an emergency. We ask clients to call 911, a crisis/suicide hotline (Alameda County 1-800-309-2131 or Contra Costa County 1-800-833-2900), and/or go to the nearest emergency room.

Not always, but quite often, individuals enter into therapy because they are experiencing a level of distress that is no longer tolerable. In the beginning stage of therapy, you and your therapist work together to obtain relief from the intensity of this stress by getting symptom relief. Your therapist will provide you with support as well as teach you problem-solving skills and better coping strategies. The benefit you obtain from your time in therapy is based on how well you make use of what you learn and by putting it into practice. Once the intensity of the distress has passed and you begin to feel better, each individual is then faced with a choice: to either leave therapy or to enter into a deeper kind of work which involves a process of self-exploration leading to changes at a much deeper level than mere symptom relief. This type of therapeutic work is much slower in nature but ultimately much more rewarding because it supports you changing at a core level. The benefits of this type of long-term therapy are life changing and often lead to a much deeper connection with yourself and others.

Typically, your therapist reserves a specific time and day for your therapy sessions which may last anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes. Therapy sessions typically occur on a weekly basis, but may also be scheduled for every other week depending on the frequency needed to achieve your goals. Each session is unique and can focus on your issues, your concerns, your worries and/or your goals. You take the lead and your therapist follows as you talk about your life. Your therapist will listen attentively, ask questions, provide feedback, teach you strategies and may encourage you to take certain actions outside of therapy to achieve your therapeutic goals. The process of therapy and its ultimate effectiveness is based on your willingness to take self-responsibility for your actions and to put into practice, outside of the therapy room, what you have learned. This requires your active participation both in and between sessions. Therapy can be hard work, but the personal rewards are without compare and your therapist is there to support your efforts in reaching your goals.

A Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (MFT Associate) is a specialist trained to assist individuals, couples, families, adolescents and children in creating more rewarding and satisfying connections with those they love and within themselves. MFT Associate’s have completed a Masters in Counseling program and bring their life experience, training and education to your counseling sessions. In addition, MFT Associates receive weekly supervision from Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, giving you the assurance that your welfare and the life changes you are seeking are taken seriously by your therapist.

At this time, Anthropos does not provide court-ordered/court-mandated therapy. We are also unable to provide divorce or custody evaluations/recommendations to the court and/or as part of a mediation process. In addition, we don’t provide SSDI evaluations or evaluations in connection with medical procedures such as gastric bypass or gender reassignment. If you need any of these types of services, we encourage you to work with a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in these types of services.

Be assured that your therapist is required by law to keep anything you discuss with him or her confidential and private unless you provide your therapist with written permission. Within Anthropos, our therapists do case practical consultations with other Anthropos therapists and their supervisors to get clinical support for their client’s cases but be assured that all of our therapists and supervisors are bound by the same rules of confidentiality. There are certain conditions under which the law either allows for or requires that confidentiality be breached. Some of these conditions are noted below:

1. If you threaten to harm yourself, your therapist may be obligated to seek hospitalization for you or to contact family members or others who can help keep you safe.
2. If you disclose that a child, elderly person or dependent adult is being sexually or physically abused, your therapist is bound by law to report it.
3. If you are a danger to yourself or others, than your therapist is bound by law to protect you and/or the other person. The other person would be warned and the police notified. This also includes a threat to another’s property.

By law the only individuals who can prescribe medication are those with a medical degree or M.D.. Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Associates do not have a medical degree and therefore cannot prescribe medication. However, there are certain conditions, such as depression and anxiety, that respond very well to a combination of medication and therapy. When medication is used in conjunction with therapy, the medication helps relieve the intensity of depressive or anxious symptoms making it possible for you to do the necessary therapeutic work to address the root causes of your symptoms. Medication without therapy provides a “band-aid” on your symptoms, whereas medication used in combination with therapy is much more likely to result in sustainable long-term symptom management and/or relief.

A counseling session will typically be for 50 minutes and begin on the hour. Sometimes, 90-minute sessions are scheduled as part of the treatment plan due to the number of people in session and the goals of treatment.

The amount of time you spend in therapy depends on many factors, most important of which is your sense of meeting your therapeutic goals. If you’re coming to therapy to get symptom relief, you may find that you see improvement within a few sessions or months. If you’re coming to therapy for sustainable change and personal growth, the length of time needed for therapy to achieve these goals is much more difficult to define. You may also find that your initial goals of therapy are met, such as symptom relief, and decide to set new goals which require a longer stay in therapy to achieve. Either way, the benefits of coming to Anthropos for counseling is your freedom to stay, grow and heal for however long it takes.

Each therapist at Anthropos sets their own schedule and hours. We have morning, afternoon, evening and weekend appointments. During your phone consultation, the therapists will ask you about your availability.

The typical frequency is weekly 50-minute sessions. Sometimes people benefit meeting less, or on occasion, more frequently. The frequency will be set in consultation with your therapist and its role in meeting your treatment goals.

Anthropos does not accept insurance at this time. Here’s why: When you use your insurance to cover the cost of therapy, your insurance will limit you to a short list of persons who have contracted with your company. Your insurance will set the fee and will decide if treatment is covered as well as the number of sessions for which it is willing to pay. Continued coverage of your sessions and their number is based on your therapist breaking your confidentiality by providing your company details about your treatment as well as a diagnosis, which is noted in your medical record. At Anthropos we support a philosophy where you make the choice in therapist and the length of treatment without the intrusiveness of an insurance company’s oversight. We don’t hold contracts with any insurance medical plans, which allows you the privacy to choose the therapist that best fits your needs and to decide on both the type and length of treatment that supports you meeting your counseling goals.

Anthropos has a 24-hour cancellation policy. This time is set aside for you by your counselor and is unlikely to be filled without giving your therapist enough time to fill the vacancy. Likewise, the same courtesy is requested of other clients so your therapist can provide you with an alternative time during the week if you are unable to make your regularly scheduled appointment. Typical policy is to charge the full fee for failures to show for your appointment altogether or missed appointments when cancelled less than 24 hours in advance.