Services Offered
I treat a variety of issues including but not limited to: ADD/ADHD, anxiety,
behavior problems, communication issues, depression, grief/loss, marital issues, parenting, phobias, school-related issues,
sexual issues, and work-related stress. I work with clients of all ages: children
(ages 1-12), adolescents (ages 13-18) and adults (including seniors). I treat clients in
individual, marital, and family therapy. I see clients on either a
short or a long-term basis depending upon the issues presented and the goals of the
treatment. My specialty is helping clients discover and solve the source of their current problems rather than merely treating the surface symptoms.
When the source of the problem and not just the symptoms can be thoroughly addressed in treatment, then it is more likely that future stressful
events will be handled better, that is, handled in such a way that seeking therapy may not be necessary again.
Hours of Service and
Location
I see clients Monday
through Friday, 8am to 4pm. (No evening or weekend appointments.) I am
always accepting new clients and can usually schedule an appointment
within the week. To schedule an appointment, please call 972-934-1485 and my answering service will assist you.
My office is located in North
Dallas at the intersection of Midway and Spring Valley. It is one mile
north of I-635 (LBJ) and one mile west of the Tollway.
Fee and Insurance
The standard fee is $165.00 for a 45-minute counseling/psychotherapy session if paid for out of pocket.
I am also a provider for most insurance plans so a copay for services may apply instead of my full fee at the time of service if I participate in your plan.
Payment can be made with either cash or check, but not credit card. I participate in the following insurance plans: Accountable,
Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, ChoiceCare, Cigna, Corphealth, Galaxy, Great West, Humana, Interplan, MHN, MHNet, Magellan, Multiplan,
One Health, Pacificare, Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), Secure Horizons, Texas True Choice, Unicare, United, and Value Options.
(When calling to schedule an appointment, please confirm with my
answering service that I am still participating in the above plans since this changes from time to time.)
Frequency of Sessions
Typically, psychotherapy sessions are once
weekly. For clients wishing to work more intensively on their issues, meeting twice or
more times per week is possible.
Length of Treatment (Number of
Sessions)
I view counseling/psychotherapy as falling
into two categories: short-term and long-term treatment. In short-term psychotherapy, I
utilize an approach which can be described as active and directive. I work to help you
solve current problems and reduce overall stress. Another way of describing this approach
is that I help you return to the level of productivity that you had before the episode of
stress came along. The length of
treatment using this short-term approach is typically 10 to 20
sessions.
In long-term psychotherapy, I utilize an
approach which is less active and directive on my part than in short-term psychotherapy.
While I do offer feedback, most of the emphasis is placed on the expression of your
thoughts and feelings and, therefore, you will do more of the talking in general. The
focus is on understanding the interplay between thoughts and feelings and their impact on
behavior. Another way of describing this approach is that it is insight and
growth-oriented. The length of treatment in this approach is typically six months
to several years.
You may be asking yourself the question,
how do I know whether I need short-term or long-term treatment? While you may not know
which type of treatment you need, you are probably aware of how long you have been dealing
with the issue that you want to resolve. And while many factors determine how short or
long your treatment will be, one of the best indicators of how much time it will take to
resolve your issue is simply how much time has gone by since you began struggling with the
issue. Typically, an issue with a short history (up to only a few years or so) is probably
able to be resolved using a short-term treatment approach. An issue with a long history
(from several years to perhaps many years) will probably respond best to a long-term
treatment approach.
Purpose of Psychotherapy
I believe the purpose of
counseling/psychotherapy is to increase your awareness of inner thoughts and feelings so
that you can make increasingly healthy, responsible choices that will empower you to live
life to the fullest.
What Happens in Psychotherapy
My view of how change occurs in
psychotherapy (how you will benefit) is that an increased awareness of the issues that
brought you to therapy will usually bring the benefits you desire. Another way of saying
this is that a significant shift in your perspective about life (a paradigm shift) will
bring about growth and will empower you. This is because an increased awareness usually
leads to changed thought patterns, changed emotional reactions, and then
changed behaviors. A
helpful example here is to think of the alcoholic who admits that they have a problem with
alcohol. Awareness is what finally opens the door to them getting help and becoming sober.
Scientific research on psychotherapy shows
that most clients benefit from being in psychotherapy. While negative changes can occur as
a result of being in psychotherapy, positive changes ultimately occur for most clients.
Specific possible benefits include: decreased stress, anxiety, or depression; more
satisfying relationships with others; increased hope that you can effectively navigate
stressful situations in the future; satisfaction with yourself that you have "finally
addressed the problem;" or, relief that your current problem is not going to keep you
feeling bad for very long.
The First Few Sessions
If you haven't been in
psychotherapy before, you may feel anxious, afraid, or puzzled
initially. For example, you may wonder how simply talking about a
problem can help you in any way. You may even fear that I, as
your therapist, will criticize you or that I will think you are odd or unusual in some
way. But if you will push yourself to move beyond the temporary discomfort and
share your
thoughts and feelings, then you will have the best chance for positive results.
Clients often find that psychotherapy is a safe place to be honest and
express their thoughts and feelings. But it is important to understand that you will not be forced to talk about anything uncomfortable until
you feel free to do so. Also, you may
feel disappointed or upset with me (the therapist) because you expect definite answers and
do not get them in the first few sessions. However, the benefits (answers) usually come in
small doses over the course of our work together. You will also discover over time that
the answers actually lie within you. And you will discover (or be reminded) that
meaningful and lasting benefits usually happen only with hard work.
In short-term treatment, this work may take
the form of simply thinking about what we discuss in sessions or it may involve completing
a specific homework assignment. In long-term treatment, the "homework" usually
takes the form of simply thinking about what we discuss in session and then allowing
thoughts and feelings to surface in your mind in response to that discussion once you
leave the session. We will then discuss those thoughts and feelings at the next session.
Termination (Leaving Therapy)
How do you know when it's time to
end treatment? A simple answer is, when your goals for treatment have been met. (If for some reason you want to stop
treatment before that point, you may do so at any time and for any reason.)
However, a termination session that brings closure to our work together is
recommended before you leave. Once you do leave treatment, I hope you will
think of therapy as you do medicine or dentistry; that is, coming for "checkups" as needed (before too much stress builds up) is a very
appropriate way to utilize therapy once you have completed an initial course of treatment.
On a related note, if I believe that psychotherapy is not the best
method for treating your particular issue, then I will refer you to the
appropriate resource in your community. My goal is to get you the help
you need.
Important Points to Remember
The first session or two may leave you
feeling discouraged because you may not see immediate results or because you may feel much
anxiety. The temptation may be to drop out of treatment. But it is important to
fight this feeling and discuss it at the next session. As noted earlier, research on psychotherapy has shown
convincingly that it works
for most people. There is hope for positive results.
STEVE W. PATRICK,
PSY.D.
4100 Spring Valley, Suite 511
Dallas, TX 75244
972-934-1485

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