(763) 546-5797 | info@partnersinpsych.com
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(763) 546-5797 | info@partnersinpsych.com |
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 What is the difference between psychiatry and psychology? What is the difference between psychotherapy and counseling? Psychiatry is a medical sub-specialty. Psychiatrists complete medical school, earn a M.D. degree and complete a residency in psychiatry. They are trained to understand a wide range of mental, emotional and physical conditions, and can use both medication and psychotherapy to treat them. Psychology is a field that studies the mind, motivation, behavior and brings that knowledge to bear on treating a wide range of mental and emotional concerns. Psychologists receive either Masters or doctoral degrees in psychology from accredited graduate programs. They do not typically have prescribing privileges. Related fields include Clinical Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy. Each field brings a little different perspective to how they approach people and their presenting concerns. Psychotherapy refers to therapy focusing on mental/emotional problems, while counseling is a more general term but is often used to mean the same thing as psychotherapy. If I began to work with you, doesn't that mean that the problem is "all in my head?" Many people believe that problems are either in their body (and therefore "real") or are "'in one's head' and therefore, a product of the imagination." Our whole approach to treatment assumes that he mind and body are not really separate from one another and that body, brain and mind are constantly influencing each other so there is no such thing as a problem only "of the body "or only "of the mind." How long will it take before I see results if I began treatment with you? Depending on the kind of treatment you decide to pursue and the kind of difficulty for which you seek treatment people can expect to experience positive results within several treatment sessions or within several weeks of beginning treatment. Often, people report positive changes following an initial treatment session. On the other hand, if you do not experience treatment results within a short period of time it is important to discuss this with your therapist because it may mean that you are pursuing an incorrect treatment or that your presenting concerns have not been adequately understood or diagnosed. Why should I participate in your group therapies or some of your classes/programs if I can work with you privately in a 1:1 session? The choice of participating in group therapies vs. 1:1 therapy is an individual choice. Sometimes, the privacy of working individually with the therapist is necessary and helps promote the desired change most effectively. On the other hand, group therapies of different types often provide very supportive environments where people learn from one another and where the power of the change process will often amplify by the energy and motivation brought to the group process by each participant in the group therapy. back to top What is Health Psychology? Health psychology is a specialized field within psychology that focuses on the interactions between brain functioning, the functioning of the mind and the functioning of the body. It treats the person as a unified whole. Therefore, when treating people with various illness and disease states, health psychology takes into account mental/emotional and physical/ physiological concerns. This approach is particularly helpful when looking at how to treat people with chronic illnesses, where it is so common for people to present with physical symptoms, changes in emotional and mental states, and changes in behavior and in relationships with others. Treating the person from the holistic focus of health psychology is often very helpful. back to top What is mind-body medicine? Modern western medical traditions are built on the idea that the way to best understand things is to break them down into their fundamental underlying parts. We understand disease, for example, by looking for the cause of disease in the bacteria or viruses or mutations in our genes that ultimately lead to the development of a disease. This philosophy is just one perspective about how best to understand illness and health. Mind-body medicine looks at interactions between people, their lives, their feelings, and their relationships, as well as how each of these things influences the body or is influenced by the body. In short, mind-body medicine takes a holistic approach to understand not just the symptom but the person who has the symptom, and teaches the person alternative pathways to restoring health. back to top What is alternative medicine? What is it an alternative to? Alternative medicine is a name for a wide range of treatments that fall outside of what the American medical establishment has become famous for offering: cutting edge high-tech diagnostic and treatment procedures, including surgery, as well as reliance on pharmaceutical products (i.e. drugs) as the primary mode of treatment for known disease conditions. But, around the world there is a huge range of other types of treatment approaches that have been developed and practiced for thousands of years in some cases that have also shown to have very positive treatment effects. Sometimes these treatment approaches "complement" western medical treatment approaches (hence the name, "complement the medicine") while at other times they represent actual alternatives to western medicine. They are often especially helpful in treating chronic conditions or in conditions that clearly involve interactions between mind, body and spirit. back to top If I end up working with more than one health professional, including someone who is not in your office, how will my treatment be coordinated? The information that you discuss in therapy, whether individually or in a class/group is legally protected by law. It will not be disclosed to anyone without signing a written authorization permitting us to do so. (Exceptions to this can be discussed directly with your therapist.) When you are working with another person and receiving treatment elsewhere we may ask that you science section authorization that will permit us to talk by phone, send/receive information by mail or fax with the other people that are treating with you. This helps us to form a "virtual treatment team" and helps ensure that your treatment is coordinated and moves ahead as efficiently and effectively as possible. back to top How can you help me if you are not covered by my insurance plan? If our services are not covered directly by your insurance plan you may still have out-of-network benefits that may enable you to have a portion of your treatment costs covered by your insurance. Some individuals with insurance coverage still prefer to pay privately in order to protect confidentiality. Also, certain treatments that may be appropriate for you may not be covered under your insurance and require you to consider paying for the services directly. Our office can help you work through these issues. back to top What hours are you open? Do you have weekend or evening hours? We are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until our evening hours, which vary from person to person. We typically close earlier on Fridays. On occasion, individual therapists have made special arrangements to see people on a weekend. Who do I contact if I have questions about the cost of services, billing questions or insurance-related questions? Our office manager is Karen Hawkins. She can be reached at (763) 546-5797. Feel free to direct questions to her regarding billing or insurance issues, or other questions regarding the services available at PPP. back to top |
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Home | HIPAA | FAQ | Contact Us | Directions to Our Clinic All Content © 2007 Partners in Healing, LLC 10201 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 350 | Minnetonka, MN 55305 | (763) 546-5797 Site design by Soleil Studios |
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