Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chronic Pain Therapy/Pain-focused Psychotherapy Right For Me?
Are having a hard time balancing the challenges of chronic pain and your daily obligations? Do you need help figuring out how to get work or chores done without over-doing-it and spending the next few days in bed trying to recover from the pain? Do you find yourself thinking about your life before pain and your life after pain, or the “old you” and the “new you”? Are you stuck in a vicious cycle of pain, frustration, and stress? If any (or all) of these experiences hit home for you, you may be a good candidate for chronic pain therapy/pain-focused psychotherapy.
How is Talking about my Pain or Illness Going to Help?
Therapy for chronic pain or chronic illness is not just about expressing your struggles. Of course, a part of this type of therapy is giving you a space to freely talk about the impact of your health condition without fear of judgement. However, part of therapy is also focused on helping you to develop new strategies to manage your pain or illness so that you can do more and spend less time feeling controlled by your condition. Additionally, therapy can help to ease any depression or anxiety that you may be experiencing as a result of your pain or health condition.
What is Chronic Pain Therapy/Pain-focused Psychotherapy/Therapy for Chronic Illness Like?
This is a great question! Unlike some other forms of therapy, chronic pain therapy or therapy for chronic illness is not aimed at reliving you past or childhood. The focus of chronic pain therapy is the relationship between the pain (or other physical symptoms) and the impact of the pain/symptoms on your physical, emotional, and overall health. Through various evidence-based techniques you will learn about your own personal pain triggers and ways to manage them, as well as ways to reduce the impact of pain/symptoms on your life so that you can live the fullest life possible. Techniques may include things like relaxation training, learning new ways to approach old tasks, working on communicating with others about pain, and retraining the way your brain responds to pain signals. Check out the Therapy Services page and Blog to learn more details about this type of therapy.
What Makes a Health Psychologist Different from Other Types of Therapists?
While there are many wonderful therapists in the world, not all of them are trained in the same way. Health psychologists have received extensive training in the connection between the body and mind. Health psychologists complete coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, common chronic illnesses, and psychological treatments specific to working with medical conditions. Additionally, some Health Psychologists may receive training in psychopharmacology (though psychologists cannot prescribe medication in the state of Georgia). Many health psychologists think of themselves as “therapists +”, meaning they can address common mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, but they can also give you strategies aimed directly at helping you cope with your pain or illness. Health psychologists (and especially those that specialize in chronic pain) speak the language of pain- both emotional and physical.
How Long Will I Need to Attend Therapy?
This is tricky to provide a concrete answer as the length of therapy depends on the individual person and their unique needs and treatment goals. However, research suggests that most courses of straightforward CBT for chronic pain are approximately 8-12 sessions and most courses of ACT for chronic pain range from 12-20 sessions. However, many people find it helpful to combine these approaches; when this is the recommended approach therapy may range from 16-20 sessions.
Keep in mind that these are average lengths of a course of therapy from beginning to end. You may find that you need more or less depending on your personal circumstances and your individual needs; some people choose to engage in therapy much longer. We will make a plan that is right for you.
Do You Offer Online Therapy? Is Online Therapy Effective?
Yes! The practice is currently 100% online therapy. TeleMentalhealth or “Online therapy” has several advantages including the convenience of being able to access therapy even when you are not feeling well enough to leave your home or make the drive. My online therapy services are conducted through a confidential, secure, HIPAA compliant platform.
Research suggests that online therapy (or teleMentalhealth) is as effective as in-person therapy. My own experience has also led me to believe that online therapy can be highly effective. I use options like screen sharing and sending materials via secure messaging to help us get the most out of your online therapy sessions.
Is Therapy Covered by Insurance? How do I Find Out the Cost of Therapy?
Dr. Steiner and any other therapists that may be affiliated with Beyond the Body Health Psychology Services, LLC. are all out-of-network providers. This means we do not participate directly with any insurance companies, nor are we Medicare or Medicaid providers. If you are planning to use insurance for reimbursement, you will be given a Superbill (this is a special kind of receipt) ; this will include all necessary procedure codes for all sessions and payments made. If you choose to use your insurance, you will be responsible for filing this document with your insurance company. There is no guarantee that your insurance will reimburse you.
If you are planning to use insurance, we strongly encourage you to reach out to your insurance carrier and ask about their reimbursement policy and rates. To find out if you have Out-of-Network benefits and what portion of our services may be covered, please call your insurance company directly. You can contact your insurance carrier by calling the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card (many times there is a separate phone number for mental health or “behavioral health” services information). When speaking with your insurance company, you may want to ask them the following questions:
What are my “out-of-network” outpatient mental health insurance benefits?
What is my deductible and how much of it have I met?
Is it possible to meet with a provider that I choose and submit receipts (or a Superbill) for reimbursement?
What is the process for pursuing reimbursement?
Are there any limitations on how many services a year that will be covered? (i.e. Is there a limit on how many sessions per year may be covered?)
What is the coverage amount per therapy session (CPT codes: 90837 (55 min) or 90834 (45 min)?
How long will it take to get my reimbursement?
Do I need a referral from a primary care physician?
Do my benefits cover telehealth services (online counseling)?
What will therapy cost me?
Effective January 3, 2024, Dr. Steiner will charge the following for therapy services:
15- minute Consultation Call: Free
60 minute Initial Intake Assessment (initial session): $260.00
53-60 minute Individual Therapy Session: $235.00
What is Health Psychology?
Health Psychology is a technical name for a sub-field of psychology that focuses on the relationships between physical and emotional health. You may also see this area of psychology called “behavioral medicine”, “medical psychology”, or “clinical health psychology”, but regardless of what you call it, the discipline recognizes that there is an undeniable link between the mind and body. Put another way, physical pain and illness can lead to emotional pain, and the opposite is true as well. Health psychologists are psychologists who have received special training in this complex relationship between physical and emotional health and have unique expertise in addressing the whole person. These psychologists use their specialized training and scientific research on the relationship between the mind, body, and the environment and their effects on one another to work to improve the lives of individual and families dealing with these issues.