Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions people have asked before scheduling a session.
Getting Started
Therapy and Consultation Clients
1. Contact & Consultation
Complete the contact form on this website. Once I receive your information, we’ll schedule your free 15-minute consultation via Zoom or phone. Come prepared for the call with your questions and goals for therapy.
2. Appointment, Calendar, & Zoom
If you agree we are a good fit to accomplish your goals, we’ll schedule your first appointment. Then I will send you a calendar invite with your HIPAA-compliant, confidential Zoom link. Please “accept” this calendar invitation as a way of confirming the appointment. After you accept the invitation it is saved to your electronic calendar system. On the day of our appointment you can click on the Zoom link from your calendar to start the session. If you keep a paper calendar, be sure to save the Zoom link in a convenient location.
3. Welcome Email & Two Intake Forms
I will send you a welcome email with an Intake Form and a Consent Form. Prior to our first apointment, please complete, sign, and email these forms back to me at yaelchaikind@gmail.com. If we are meeting in person, please bring these completed forms to your first appointment. Read more about how to electronically sign the consent form below.
4. Payment
Payment is due by the end of each session by cash, check, or credit card through PayPal. If your session is via Zoom and you are paying via PayPal, kindly remit payment prior to our session. Thanks in advance!
Questions?
Contact me with any questions or concerns!
Your Sessions
Does therapy work as well via Telehealth as in-person?
Some clients like online therapy better, feeling emotionally and interpersonally connected during sessions just like in-person sessions. Other people find online therapy useful because they:
- Have a busy schedule and want to save driving time
- Live in rural or remote communities
- Are home-bound or have health issues
- Travel frequently for work
- Feel more comfortable meeting on video (e.g., social anxiety)
- Can process insights and emotions from the privacy of their own home immediately after sessions
- Can receive support even if they do not feel well, instead of rescheduling
How often should I come for sessions?
I recommend clients begin therapy weekly to really establish momentum towards your goals. Some clients like to meet every 2 weeks. Typically we meet the same time each week, reserving that day and time of the week just for you. You will likely experience more noticeable gains when you engage in more frequent sessions, especially in the beginning of therapy.
After goals are met, some clients continue a therapeutic relationship for support by coming in once per month or once every three months, for example. Others choose to work on a new set of goals and continue the same schedule. I will periodically discuss the status of your goals to make sure our work is on track. This check-in helps us determine when goals have been met and whether you may have reached an ending point with therapy. You can continue your therapeutic work with me for as long as you see fit.
Tell me more about the free 15-minute consultation
Come prepared! The purpose of this free and confidential call is for you to tell me briefly about your therapeutic goals and ask me questions about how I would work with you to achieve your goals. By the end of 15 minutes, if you think we are a good fit we will schedule your first appointment and go over next steps. If I cannot best meet your therapeutic needs, I’ll offer you a referral to someone who can better support you.
How well does Brainspotting work via Telehealth?
Brainspotting therapy is very well suited to a teletherapy format. While it is a body-brain therapy, it involves no physical touching and relies on the strength of the relational attunement between the therapist and the client, the most critical contributor to any therapeutic success. This relational attunement can be easier to achieve through an online video format because I can focus your eyes and face without distraction. It is also easier to track eye movement and facial responses when the eyes and the face appear inches away, much closer than they would be in a face-to-face environment.
How long are appointments?
All sessions last 50-minutes. Longer sessions are available, especially for couples and Brainspotting sessions.
How can I schedule, cancel, or change my appointments?
Contact me directly at yaelchaikind@gmail.com or 505.660.4728. Please remember any appointments changed or canceled with less than 24-hours notice are charged the full rate unless they can be rescheduled later that same week.
Why Choose Therapy
Can therapy really help me?
Therapy is a sanctuary for you, a safe, non-judgmental space where you can take refuge from life’s roles and expectations to express yourself authentically and be accepted in your most authentic expression. This is a time and place to receive support, validation, coping skills, and strategies to change your perspective and practice behaviors that better serve you. Therapy can help you tolerate difficult feelings and situations, solve problems, and provide greater piece of mind.
As your therapist I will deeply listen to you as a curious and compassionate witness to you and your experience. You may feel seen, heard, and acknowledged in ways you may never have before. Some clients feel their therapist “gets them” more than anyone else. I will encourage you to find and harness your strengths, resources, and hope, lean into your edges, find and apply practical solutions, and shine a light into dark places to help you make progress in your life. If you are new to therapy, or are exploring unprocessed trauma, therapy may make you feel a bit worse before you feel better.
Therapy cannot change other people or circumstances, yet it can give you the ability to change your own life. Generally the more you show up and engage in your therapy, the more you will get out of it. You are in charge of the process. I am a trusted guide who will open many doorways for you to choose to walk through towards your healing goals. Though I cannot tell you how long it will take to feel better, when we work together I have seen powerful change happen.
Do I really need therapy?
Who couldn’t use a trusted and safe person and space with whom to brainstorm, vent, laugh, cry, problem solve, process deep emotions, discover new things about yourself, validate your experiences, find and apply your strengths, heal the past, and change your present for a brighter future? Everyone goes through difficult situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated many of these, there’s nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. Cultural messages can tell us that we are weak, dependent, and a loser if we need to ask for help. Often it is far easier to give than receive support.
Yet, we are all in this together. When you seek out therapy as a solution, you are making a commitment to take responsibility for your life and change the situation. It does not matter what or who caused the situation nor how long the situation has existed. All you know is that your life is not working as well as you would like and you are ready to do things differently. Whether short or long term, therapy provides lasting benefits and support that is useful at any stage of life.
What can I expect out of therapy?
Here are some examples of therapy outcomes:
- Real strategies for enacting positive change
- Self-compassion, respect, and understanding
- Perspectives to illuminate negative patterns and feelings
- Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance to achieve your goals
Why do people go to therapy?
Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for issues such as trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues, life transitions, and creative blocks. Many people also find that therapists can be tremendously helpful in managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the hassles of daily life. Therapists can provide a fresh perspective on difficult problems or point you in the direction of a solution. The help you obtain from therapy depends on how well you use the process and practice what you learn. Therapy is right for anyone who is interested in getting more out of life by taking responsibility, creating greater self-awareness, and working towards change.
How can I make the most out of my therapy?
For therapy to be most effective you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. People seeking psychotherapy are willing to take responsibility for their actions, create greater awareness in their lives, and work towards applying new learning towards self-change. This looks different for everyone. Remember, you are in charge of the process! I am here to support and guide you along the way.
Is therapy confidential?
Psychotherapy is completely confidential; nothing clients say in session will be disclosed to anyone without their written consent. There are legal limits to confidentiality, including:
- If client is a danger to him/herself or someone else.
- If client discloses current or ongoing abuse of an identifiable child, elder, or mentally-incapacitated adult. Abuse can be classified as physical injury, sexual assault, cruel punishment, or neglect.
- If client discloses past sexual abuse by a licensed counseling professional, doctor, or institution.
- If client records are the subject of a court order.
- If client is using insurance, aspects of Protected Health Information are listed on paid receipt, including diagnosis.
- If client seeks therapeutic services to aid anyone to commit or plan to commit a crime.
Rates, Payment, & Forms
Rates
IN NEW MEXICO AND
OUT-OF-STATE
*Offering services as a Certified Brainspotting and Therapeutic Consultant for out-of-state clients
- Individual Session
(45-50 minutes) $150 - Couples Session
(75 minutes) $250 - Brainspotting Consultation
(60 minutes) $175
- Phone, text, or e-mail correspondence under 15 minutes are free; after that, I charge in 15-minute increments based on session rate. Reading, writing, and editing services that I complete for writing and book clients outside of scheduled sessions also are billable in 15-minute increments.
Insurance
I do not accept insurance and will provide documentation for out-of-network benefits upon request. All interactions with your insurance company are your responsibility.
Many clients choose to not involve their insurance provider in their treatment. Here are some advantages:
- You will not have a diagnosis label permanently attached to your health record.
- Your records are protected, which means information about you cannot be obtained by an insurance company.
- Your care is determined by the collaboration between your personal preferences and goals and my professional expertise and is not dictated by an insurance company.
Sliding Scale
A limited number of sliding scale spots are available. Clients may move in and out of sliding scale fees as their circumstances change, to make space for others to benefit from a lower cost. Please contact me for consideration prior to your appointment.
Cancellation Policy
Missed appointments without 24-hour notice are charged the full session fee. Rescheduling to another time during the week will avoid the cancellation fee, but I cannot guarantee our schedules will permit this. Payment of this cancellation fee is expected by the day of your missed appointment.
How Do I Digitally Sign the Consent Form?
Open the Informed Consent Form in Adobe Acrobat Reader. On the right side option list, choose “Fill and Sign” and select the left “fill and sign” option. A little symbol with “Ab” will appear. Move that to “Client Name (print)” at the end of the document and click. A box will appear. Type your name and then click on the signature line. Another box will appear; type in your name here again. Click on the date line and follow the same instructions. Then click the “Next” blue button at the top of the form. It will ask you to save the form. Your name will appear as a signature in the final saved document.
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, please print, sign, scan, and email the document instead. Please send your completed Intake and Consent Forms prior to your first appointment.