Therapy is so much more than sitting on a couch. Misconceptions abound about what it means to talk to a mental health professional. The need to talk about your emotions is seen as something to poke fun at, weak or shameful. That stigma is often why people don’t seek help in the first place. But here’s the reality: Therapy is an incredibly useful tool that helps with a range of issues, from anxiety to sleep to relationships to trauma. Research shows that it’s incredibly effective in helping people manage mental health conditions and experts say that it’s worth it even if you don’t have a medical problem.

A national research study found that 50 percent of psychotherapy clients had made improvement within eight sessions of therapy, and 75 percent showed improvement after six months of therapy. Of course, showing improvement is not the same as successfully completing treatment. Most psychologists will tell you that the length of treatment depends upon the nature of the problem, the severity of the problem, and the treatment goals selected.

A vague response like this can be frustrating, but rest assured that most individuals complete psychological treatment within three to six months. When psychologists say that the nature of the problem affects the length of treatment, what they mean is the kind of problem being treated.

No, we’re not accepting insurance at this time. However, this policy may change at any time!

ALL sessions and information collected are confidential. We do not share any of your information or discussion with anyone without your permission. In the event of a court order, we may have to relinquish certain information. In some cases, we will fight to defend your right.

Couples counseling can work wonders in a relationship, helping each partner to see the other’s perspective and empowering a couple to adopt love-affirming habits that meet one another’s needs. Relationship experts and therapists may recommend couples counseling for a broad variety of issues ranging from financial problems to infidelity, and some people view couples counseling as the panacea that will cure an ailing marriage.

If your spouse won’t go to marriage counseling, you might feel betrayed or unwanted, but pushing your spouse into counseling against his or her will can be just as damaging as the problems that led you to therapy in the first place. Instead, it’s best to try to work through the resistance as a couple and, if all else fails, try going by yourself.

Many people fear that a therapist will side with their partner. They worry that this will be just another place where they will be criticized or blamed for problems. However, a good therapist remains impartial. We, at Atlanta Couple Therapy creates a level of safety in the counseling room for both partners to freely express their thoughts, opinions and feelings.