Therapy FAQs
- When should I seek professional help for personal problems?
- What are your credentials?
- What experience do you have?
- What is your approach?
- What is your style and personality like?
- Where is your office located?
- What is your availability?
- How often should I come in? How many sessions should I expect?
- What will a consultation cost?
- Will my health insurance cover my visits?
Q. When should I seek professional help for personal problems?
How do you know if you need counseling or psychotherapy? Sometimes it’s absolutely clear to you and those around you that you’re experiencing a serious crisis or mental illness. In most instance though, the need is less apparent. In general, emotional problems arise because there is an important difference between what we would like our life to be and how life actually is. This discrepancy can also be called a loss.
The loss may be one which has already occurred, is happening now, or is anticipated in the future. The loss may be not getting a job that you counted on; or the loss may be the death of a close friend or relative. A lack of confidence is a loss of a sense of identity. Feeling that we are not what we can be or want to be as persons is experienced as a loss.
Whenever we sense a loss we are likely to react with any of a variety of responses. You may suffer dramatic mood shifts, constant fatigue; a drastic change in eating habits, persistent guilt feelings, and/or insomnia. There may be a recurring, irrational sense of panic, or the persistent, overwhelming feeling of doom. Constant physical ailments such as headaches, rashes, or backaches may have psychological causes. Or the problem may be in marriage and family relationships, or in excessive drinking or drug abuse.
If we look at our strong emotional reactions as a way we are handling some loss, we have a way of understanding what we are experiencing with our personal problems. For example, I may feel angry when I am first confronted with a loss. I may feel guilty and depressed when I am losing something important to me.
The loss could be a job, a relationship, a promotion, or even a role such as the loss a parent feels when their children grow-up and leave home. When your emotional problems are overwhelming you to the point of spending several hours a day thinking about them, you should consider seeking professional help.
A mental health professional such as a social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist or marriage and family therapist can offer you objective exploration and assessment of your problems. To find a therapist you can trust, first consult with a close friend or relative. You may also want to ask advice of your minister, priest or rabbi. A respected professional such as your family doctor could refer you to a mental health professional.
Remember, through professional counseling, your goal is to come to understand yourself better so that you can deal with your losses in a healthy way. [ back to top ]
I have a Ph.D. in Psychology. I'm a Licensed Psychologist in Oregon and Washington State and a licensed Social Worker. You can learn more about my education and professional certifications on my credentials page. [ back to top ]
Q. What experience do you have?
I've been in private practice in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR for over 30 years. I work with individuals, couples and families on a wide variety of issues. You can learn more just by browsing the topics I have listed in the Therapy section of my website.
I’ve become expert in several sub-specialties including family businesses,disorders of the Autism Spectrum,codependency, andadoption issues.
I'm also an experienced public speaker; a columnist for local and national publications; and the author of "Entrepreneurial Couples: Making It Work at Work and at Home," a contributor to “Sixty Things To Do When You Turn Sixty,” and an upcoming book on Asperger's Syndrome. You can learn more about my speaking and writing in the Meet Dr. Marshack section. [ back to top ]
I use a practical, solution-oriented, systems approach with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy. My orientation is social psychology—which means I assess my clients as members of interacting systems such as family, work, neighborhood, church and so on. This gives me the complete picture so I know the best way to proceed. In treatment, I utilize Cognitive Therapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Ericksonian Hypnosis, and Thought Field Therapy. You can learn more about these approaches in Psychotherapy Option. [ back to top ]
Q. What is your style and personality like?
One of my supervisors years ago described me as someone who “Soars with eagles.” Most people will agree. When I decide to take on a project I throw my whole heart and soul into it and nothing is as important as doing it well. That is why I have been able to raise two adopted children, conduct a full time clinical practice, complete my doctorate in psychology and top it all off with a book publication four years after graduating.
Spiritual discipline helps me keep my balance. For me spirituality goes beyond religion. It is personal and my relationship with God is unique. I have been through difficulties and hardships. However, enduring these hardships . . . seeing the lessons in them . . . transforming the hardship into something constructive . . . that makes my life meaningful and worth sharing with others. [ back to top ]
Q. Where is your office located?
I have two conveniently located offices where I regularly meet with clients.
My office in Vancouver, Washington enjoys a view of the Columbia River. It is located in east Vancouver, in a quiet neighborhood in Cascade Park, off I-205 approximately 15 minutes from the Portland International Airport and Camas, Washington.
I also provide therapy in an office in Portland, Oregon within 5 minutes of downtown Portland on SW Macadam. This office is near the Willamette River just off I-5 in southwest Portland. Convenient free parking is included at both locations. [ back to top ]
You can usually schedule an appointment with me within ten days. My standard office hours are Monday - Friday 8 - 5. [ back to top ]
Q. How often should I come in? How many sessions should I expect?
We will determine this during your initial evaluation. Generally you are scheduled for a weekly visit. The number of sessions you’ll need depends on your personal situation. You could use as few as 5 - 10 sessions, as much as six months of meetings or the average of 11 sessions. [ back to top ]
Q. What will a consultation cost?
Please call (360) 256-0448 or (503) 222-6678 for rates on:
Initial evaluation 75 minutes session
Couples/Family 75 minute session
Individual 50 minute session
Testing
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Q. Will my health insurance cover my visits?
Most indemnity plans cover out-patient mental health. Coverage varies with each plan. Check with customer service at your insurance carrier. You can contact my staff if you have questions. [ back to top ]
