Lawrence Peltz Ph.D., MFT
Office: (415) 472-5688
Fax: (630) 839-6371
Northgate Medical Center · 750 Las Gallinas Ave., Suite #200 ·
San Rafael, CA 94903
Psychotherapy
Professional
Services
Recovery: Alcohol
and Other Drugs
Biographical
Information
More
Information
What kind of therapist are you?
How do I know if I need therapy?
How long will it take to accomplish my goals in therapy?
What should I look for in a therapist? How can I find a good one?
What is your policy on confidentiality?
Do you work with couples? What should I expect in Couples Counseling?
Do you work with groups? What should I expect in Group Therapy?
When are you available to see clients?
Psychotherapy involves a special relationship between people. In this relationship, the psychotherapist receives monetary remuneration in return for a close interpersonal relationship in which your needs are paramount. It is expected that this relationship will be honest, trustworthy and dedicated to helping you develop greater understanding and skills to more successfully live your life in a gratifying and healthy manner. My primary interventions involve understanding, helping you gain insight, making suggestions and following up on your progress.
What kind of therapist are you?
I am a doctoral level, California state-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Ph.D., MFT). Marriage and Family Therapists are specialists in interpersonal relationships. In addition to assessment and diagnosis, MFTs provide treatment for individuals, couples, families and groups. Indicators of successful treatment include greater productivity, satisfaction and general improvement in marriage, family and social adjustment. Forms of Marriage and Family clinical practice include premarital, child, separation, divorce and other relationship counseling. Marriage and Family Therapists are healing arts and psychotherapist practitioners. California state licensure requirements include a related doctoral or two-year master’s degree, passage of a comprehensive oral and written examination and at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience.
What difference is there between a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and other kinds of therapists?
Clinical Psychologists are also trained in the practice of psychotherapy. They have received a doctoral level degree and gained pre and post-doctoral experience before taking and passing state licensing exams. Like MFT’s, Clinical Psychologists in California are required to participate in continuing education. They sometimes specialize in the scientific evaluation of clinical data and are trained to use specialized tests for psychological assessment, such as I.Q. tests or personality inventories. Psychologists try to understand human behavior in an integrated, multi-dimensional fashion.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD) who have chosen psychiatry, the treatment of mental illness, as a specialty. They have completed a residency in psychiatry, and are specialists in the prescription of psychotropic medications. They are the only mental health specialists who can prescribe drugs. Many psychiatrists use the medical model to understand human behavior.
Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) have received at least a master's level degree. They are trained in both psychotherapy and social interventions aimed at helping the individual cope with problems in his or her environment, or dealing with government or social agencies.
Other individuals may also offer mental health intervention or counseling, within the scope of their licensed practice and training. Examples include Master's level psychiatric nurses and non-psychiatric Medical Doctors. There are also non-licensed individuals who practice psychological counseling. They range from pastors or clergy, who have traditionally done this, and often have been trained for this role, to peer counselors or volunteers.
A note of caution: Buyer beware. Since unscrupulous individuals exist within every profession, it’s wise to inquire about a potential provider’s credentials when pursuing any form of counseling or psychotherapy.
How do I know if I need therapy?
If you’re thinking about therapy, it’s possible that one or more of the following statements apply to your situation:
1. You are in crisis.
2. You have been suffering from chronic or worsening psychological/emotional pain.
3. You have been ordered to seek help from some government agency, employer or family member.4. You wish to resolve some personal or relationship problem.
5. You are ready to consider the meaning of your life and to improve its quality.
Any of these are good reasons to seek help. You don’t have to know whether you need therapy in order to consult a psychotherapist. Together you and your therapist can determine whether your concerns are normal, amenable to self-help or likely to be resolved in treatment. Sometimes, just talking with someone who will listen with empathy; goes a long way toward relief. Regardless of your reasons, consider taking action as a sign of personal strength and an indication of respect for your personal well being.
What should I look for first in a therapist? How can I find a good one?
Choosing a therapist is a very personal process. First and foremost, It’s important that you feel comfortable enough with your therapist to begin to develop a trusting relationship. A client/therapist relationship that deepens over time is a good indicator of the type of environment that supports personal development. Some therapist characteristics that tend to nurture and shepherd the process are honesty and a professional, non-judgmental, non-punitive manner. Respect for you, as a separate, unique individual is also important. Equally relevant is the question of whether treatment is actually providing benefit. This question is usually answered over time. It is not unusual for therapist and client to periodically evaluate progress. A first joint evaluation can usually be made approximately 10-12 weeks after the beginning of treatment. At that time you can decide whether your goals have been accomplished, whether there is more to do, and what steps to take next. In the event that no benefit has been gained from treatment, you and your therapist should consider the possibilities of referral to another provider and whether therapy itself is appropriate.
To find a good therapist, consider accepting a referral from someone you trust and respect. Friends and colleagues who have had good experiences in therapy are likely resources. Your family physician might also be able to provide the names of appropriate psychotherapists. Professional organizations such as CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) and APA (American Psychological Association) maintain local and national referral networks of individual providers.
My fee for individual treatment is $140 per consultation hour. Fees for group therapy/counseling are $50 per group member for two-hour sessions and $175 per group member for full-day sessions. I reserve several hours in my practice based on client need, for individuals, couples and families who are unable to pay my standard fee. As spaces become available, new clients are added. Several organizations and agencies in Marin County (and in most other communities) offer low or reduced fee counseling based on ability to pay. Examples include Family Service Agency of Marin and Catholic Social Services. When counseling or psychotherapy is needed and funds are unavailable, a call to your local community mental health agency may also yield options for treatment.
How long will it take to accomplish my goals in therapy?
There are two major functions of psychotherapy: crisis work and growth work.
CRISIS WORK: Often, people enter psychotherapy in the hope of better coping with life crises. This work tends to be relatively short term (less than a year in duration). It may involve weekly or more or less frequent sessions, depending on the nature and severity of the problem. On rare occasions, these problems can be severe enough to warrant medication or hospitalization. I have excellent working relations with professionals and agencies in the area that will provide these services.
GROWTH WORK: Not everyone enters psychotherapy at a time of crisis. Frequently, people wish to work on long standing patterns that have puzzled or bothered them in their lives. This work involves in-depth probing, often with a focus on personal historical events. Because this work entails long established patterns and unconscious motivation, it usually has a longer treatment duration (a year or longer). This work normally requires weekly or more frequent sessions.
What is your policy on confidentiality?
Within certain required legal limits, all of the contents of your therapy sessions will be treated with strict confidentiality, and will not be released without your written permission. At your written request, any part of your records or files will be released to any other person, agency or organization you request. If making these records public can be forseeably dangerous or harmful to you, I will inform you prior to sending said records.
LIMITS OF CONFIDENTIALITY: Under the following situations, I am required by law to reveal certain information to other persons or agencies without your permission. I am not required to inform you of these actions. These situations are
a) If you threaten grave bodily harm or death to another person, I am required by law to inform the intended victim and appropriate law enforcement agencies;
b) In cases of child or elder abuse, or neglect, that is potentially ongoing, I must report it to appropriate agencies.
c) If a court of law issues a legitimate subpoena I am required by law to provide the information specifically described in the subpoena.
d) If you are in therapy or being tested by court order, the results of the test must be made available to the court.
I will provide the necessary forms for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement of the fees paid to me at the time of your office visit. You can determine the existence and extent of your plan’s coverage for outpatient psychotherapy services by checking with your insurance provider. Please note that I am not a participant provider in any health maintenance organization (HMO).
Do you work with couples? What should I expect in Couples Counseling?
Yes I do. Under the best of circumstances, couples choose to make good relationships better with help and support in counseling. When serious difficulties develop in communication and when understanding lessens between partners, a sense of distance, lingering resentment, or feeling of "falling out of love" may ensue. Under these circumstances, professional intervention is not only desired but is often necessary. In therapy, couples learn to:
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a) Improve listening skills b) Resolve conflict with new tools c) Understand their partner’s values, opinions and feelings
d) Sharpen their abilities to meet individual needs within
e) Understand the purpose of conflict in regulating distance |
When functioning as a couple’s therapist, the couple is my client. I do not "take sides" and nobody is "wrong". Support for the development of the relationship and the individuals within it is primary. A notable exception to this orientation is the work done to help individuals separate with as little pain as possible when an explicit agreement has been made to work in this manner.
More Information about Couples Counseling.
I’ve led Co-ed (men and women together), Men’s and Couples Groups since 1973 and co-authored the graduate level text: Brief Group Treatment: Practical Training for Therapists and Counselors, 1998, Brooks Cole Publishing Company. I also teach group psychotherapy on the graduate level.
More Information About Group Therapy.
I am concerned about my drinking or other drug use (or the use of someone I care about) Can you help me?
It’s generally accepted that self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, (and Alanon for concerned others) in conjunction with personal counseling, offer the best recovery model for individuals who do not require inpatient detoxification and treatment. My experience working with recovering individuals and their families dates back to the Viet Nam era when I was responsible for outpatient Chemical Dependency Recovery Services at Tripler Army Medical Center in Oahu, Hawaii. My reputation for competency in treating persons with concerns about drinking and other drug use has developed over the years based on the good work that my clients have accomplished in addressing these concerns.
More information about Alcohol or other drugs.
When are you available to see clients?
I have daytime and evening office hours on weekdays.
Call me directly at 415-472-5688. If you leave a message, please provide a phone number and some good times to reach you. In the event that I do not answer your call directly, I will return your call within 24 hours and often much sooner. You may also contact me by e-mail at DrPeltz@Psycounseling.com.
Copyright © 2000 Lawrence Peltz, Ph.D.