Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – مركز آكت للاستشارات النفسية

What is therapy?

Psychotherapy, or ‘talk therapy’ is an effective and proven way to best help people with a broad variety of life challenges, emotional difficulties, and mental illnesses. It is working with trained and licensed clinicians as individuals, couples, or as families; who will initially focus on your presenting problem (an issue that brought you to therapy), while developing the most appropriate therapeutic treatment plan. Therapists provide a warm, non-judgemental and inclusive space open to individuals of all cultures, backgrounds, orientations, and abilities. General therapeutic goals range from increased well-being, healing, better functioning, to anger and anxiety management, eliminating or controlling troubling symptoms, & treating and coping with mental health challenges.

At Act, we believe that taking care of our health – both mental and physical – is an imperative. It is as important to work on our emotions and psychological states as it is to work out, eat healthy, and take care of our bodies. We see physicians so readily for any physical ailments- there should be no difference when it comes to our minds and emotions.

Problems helped by psychotherapy include difficulties due to unexpected events, coping with daily life; feeling low for no apparent reason, challenges in your family or married life, struggling with work, bereavement, and loss, the impact of trauma, depression or anxiety, concerns about children, or just a need for space to reflect. There are several different types of psychotherapy and some modalities work better with certain problems or issues. Psychotherapy may be used in combination with medication prescribed by a psychiatrist and other therapies.

Therapy sessions can be in person, online, or by phone; and we even conduct home visits in certain circumstances. We like to ensure that you feel fully connected and supported wherever you may be in the world and have access to a large majority of our practitioners and services.

What does a Therapist do?

A psychotherapist is a licensed mental health professional, with a minimum of a Master’s degree, who is trained to help you develop better cognitive and emotional skills, reduce unwanted symptoms, cope with various challenges, and improve the overall quality of your life. Our experienced therapists are expert listeners, who provide a confidential space for clients that is safe, objective, non-judgemental, and wholly supportive. They are genuine, compassionate, empathic individuals who build strong therapeutic alliances with clients, allow them to talk freely and openly about their worries and ailments, offer valuable insight, and help them find the strength and courage to face and make sense of difficult emotions and experiences so they can thrive in their lives. Treatment plans are tailor-made with clients to suit their individual needs and goals.

The trained and licensed therapists at ACT use a multitude of therapeutic interventions and skills to fulfil the goals of the agreed upon therapeutic plan. These include:

Non-judgmental, unbiased, objective, and compassionate listening
Normalizing therapy and reducing the stigma attached to mental health challenges
Assessing and identifying mental health conditions, negative coping mechanisms, toxic habits, maladaptive thinking patterns and behaviors
Unconditional positive regard and acceptance
Consistent and dependable sessions at agreed upon time and frequency
Therapeutic space that feels safe, warm, comfortable, clean, and full of light
Offering valuable insight and fresh perspective
Analyzing and connecting the influence of the past on the present
Providing support and guidance for clients who have gone through crises and trauma: abuse, assault, break-up, attempted suicide, grief, infidelity, betrayal, etc.
Conflict resolution practice and training for intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts
Focusing on improving and nurturing current relationships (familial, personal, and professional), while also building and maintaining new ones
Helping clients take control, understand and cope with challenges, & manage a more balanced lifestyle (looking at daily routines, unhealthy patterns, and symptoms)
Equipping clients with a wide variety of skills for their ‘toolbox’, including communication, resilience training, mindfulness, meditation, journaling, breathing, etc.
Enabling an increase in self-compassion and love, self-esteem and self-worth, positive self-regard and self-acceptance, in addition to empathy and compassion for others
Referring clients to other clinicians when necessary, e.g. for further assessments, diagnosis, blood tests, hearing tests, etc.

Why should I go to therapy?

The therapeutic space is a place where you can talk about anything confidentially, and open up about your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and circumstances. Within this non-judgmental safe environment, you can explore and work on any aspect of yourself or your life that you are unsatisfied, unhappy, or struggling with. Therapy is an essential tool that helps with an endless range of issues, from low self-esteem to severe trauma.

At a basic level, therapy provides you with a better understanding of yourself and the world around you, your friends and family members; helps you become aware of your patterns and how to change them; develop empathy, resilience, and self-compassion. Therapy involves the development of healthy coping skills and strategies to deal with life stressors, including emotional, psychological, and psychosomatic problems.

Going to therapy offers clients the comfort and immediate sense of relief that they are not alone and that their problem is shared and understood by others. At ACT, we have strived to create a team of experienced clinicians with a variety of specialties to suit and support each client’s unique circumstances. Don’t hesitate and book your first session now to access the support you need and deserve.

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, therapy is definitely a place where you can benefit and find the tools you need to improve the overall quality of your life. Through therapy, one can function better day-to-day and reach greater wellbeing and satisfaction.

Are you:

looking for a space to talk to an unbiased compassionate listener?
in need of perspective or valuable insight on personal matters?
suffering from the loss of someone dear to you?
feeling down or low? angry or anxious? frustrated? ashamed? guilty? confused?
in relationships that feel strained or unfulfilled? Toxic or abusive?
undergoing a big change? (e.g. divorce, marriage, new family, job, becoming a parent, moving cities or countries, diagnosed with an unexpected illness..)
experiencing unpredictable and repeated mood swings?
feeling alone, lonely, or isolated? overwhelmed or burnt-out?
not feeling like yourself, and can’t put your finger on why?
sleeping too much or too little? experiencing a sudden loss or increase in appetite?
feeling like you’ve lost control? Need help coping with the ‘new normal’?
struggling with parenting your children? Or finding them more and more challenging?
suffering from obsessive-compulsive thoughts or behaviors? repeated intrusive thoughts?
using a substance(s) to cope with issues in your life?
getting the constant urge to escape or numb your feelings, distracting yourself with TV and food? Repeated binging on Netflix?
Not wanting to go out at all or see anyone? Does everything seem like a burden?
feeling a loss of motivation or withdrawing from things that used to make you happy?
worried you have a serious mental condition? Or that someone close to you does?
Having suicidal thoughts? Or worried that you might harm yourself or someone else? if you answered yes to this question, be assured that suicide and self-harm are preventable with treatment by a licensed clinician- but if you’re thinking of immediately harming yourself or someone else- seek help right away and contact any one of the following:

National Center for Mental Health – 920033360

Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah: 920012777, Extension 2195/1218

Online Mental Health Chatrooms: https://www.suicidestop.com/suicide_prevention_chat_international.html

How do I choose a therapist?

At Act, we know how confusing the process of choosing a therapist can be, and how overwhelming it is to look through directories, websites, and online bios- which is why we strive to make it easy for you. ACT therapists weave together various psychotherapeutic approaches and modalities to suit each client’s individual needs; Every person is completely unique, with their own personal history and challenges, necessitating tailor-made therapy and treatment plans to suit their particular goals and objectives. Our therapists provide a warm, non-judgmental and inclusive space open to clients from all cultures, backgrounds, orientations and abilities.

Our Customer Care Team is ready to offer you initial guidance as to which of our clinicians could best help with your presenting issue, or you can book a free 15/20 mins consultation to discuss your circumstances further to get your accurate match. During your consultation, you can ask about how the clinician works (treatment style, modality, therapeutic school), how they have helped others with similar issues or goals, how they create a comfortable safe environment, how they handle challenges or feedback, approximation of how long therapy may take, and if they give work to do outside of the session.

Additionally, it can be useful to think about the following aspects to help you decide or narrow down your options:

Comfort: One of the most important aspects is to choose a psychotherapist with whom you feel comfortable, and get a sense of warmth, genuineness, and empathy. You need to be with a clinician who you can feel safe opening up to and talking about subjects that may be uncomfortable, or share things that you have never told anyone before.

Connection: The connection you make with your therapist, the therapeutic relationship, also called the ‘therapeutic alliance’, is essential for proper psychotherapy to take place and determines how helpful it is for you. For many clinicians it is the most important element of therapy, influencing clients’ progress. Research shows that the therapeutic relationship matters more than the type of therapy or treatment method used. Clients are more able to achieve their goals when they feel supported by their therapist; when they feel listened to, heard, and validated.

You need to feel connected, comfortable, and safe enough to share your innermost thoughts and feelings as well as acknowledge unflattering behaviors; and put your defenses aside: to be able to be transparent with the therapist and yourself to get all the information needed for healing and change – to get to the heart of what is going on.

A positive working therapeutic alliance involves good communication, mutual willingness to work together, agreement on the goals of therapy, and the methods used to reach those goals. We believe the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of successful therapy, placing the alliance and bond formed with the client as a priority.

Personal Criteria: Think about gender, age, religion, nationality etc. Do you think you might work well with certain criteria vs. others? Are there any people whom you can’t imagine yourself opening up to? Our therapists are trained to be non-judgmental and accepting, creating a safe neutral space for the client and not bringing in their own backgrounds, beliefs, personal experiences etc. so regardless of their personal identities and histories- therapy should not be affected.

Please bring up any preferences you may have, if any, with our Customer Care representative or during your free consultation. We recommend focusing on a clinician’s area of expertise, rather than demographics.

Credentials: The exact license your therapist holds generally doesn’t matter as much as knowing that your therapist is an experienced licensed mental health professional who follows a strong code of ethics. Licensed therapists, as opposed to life coaches, must meet internal as well as governmental requirements, which include: graduating from at least a master’s degree program, passing a licensing test, passing a background check, performing a certain number of clinical supervised hours, and maintaining continuing obtainment of education credits. In addition, all our therapists are required to attend weekly supervision.

It can be helpful to know what the letters after a clinician’s name means; you may read our clinicians’ bios to help you understand more of what issues they work with or specialize in, and what types of treatments they provide.

Here are some of the common credentials:

LMFT — Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LPC — Licensed Professional Counselor
LMHC — Licensed Mental Health Counselor
PsyD — Doctor of Psychology
Ph.D. — Doctor of Philosophy
MD — Doctor of Medicine (physician psychiatrist)

Act therapists are invested in ensuring their clients are not just surviving and healing, but growing and thriving.

If you don’t feel your therapist is the right match, you can always be referred to another therapist at ACT or even outside of the Center- our priority is for clients to receive the highest level of care most suited to their needs, wherever that may be. Please open up to your therapist about it and they will be more than happy to help; alternatively, you can consult our Clinical Supervisor or Customer Care Team at +966 501074843.

How do I book an appointment?

You can schedule you appointment by calling our customer care team at +966 501074843 or through our online booking system (coming soon).

What should I expect after booking an appointment?

After booking an appointment and receiving a confirmation message, be proud to know that you have made the first step towards your or your family member’s wellbeing. The day before your session, expect a call to confirm your appointment, where you will have an opportunity to reschedule or cancel without a fee, as once confirmed, the session is charged.

Please arrive at the Center at least 15 minutes before your appointment time, where you will be greeted by a Customer Care representative and given registration forms to fill out in the waiting room. Your therapist will come to collect you from the waiting room at your session time and escort you to the therapy room.

What happens in the first session?

In general, during your initial intake or first session, your therapist will introduce themselves, explain how therapy works, discuss your rights in therapy including confidentiality, and ask you to co-sign the therapeutic contract.

From there you may be asked questions about what brought you to therapy, the problems or symptoms you are experiencing and their duration, as well as your treatment objectives. The therapist may ask questions about your childhood, lifestyle, family, medical history, and any history of past mental health treatment. The aim is for them to gain an overall view whilst working work with you on establishing goals, building a treatment plan, and beginning to establish a therapeutic alliance.

Experience during initial therapy appointments may vary somewhat depending on the therapist’s style, the client’s presenting issue and characteristics, and whether it’s online or in person. Sometimes clients only want to tackle a single issue, and the therapy may be mostly focused on that topic as opposed to trying to gain a broader view of a client’s life. A large majority of our clinicians work integratively and are most likely to give attention to additional aspects of a client’s life that are related to the presenting problem.

Remember, the first appointment is a great time to ask any questions you can think of about the entire process.

How long are the sessions?

Initial intake sessions for all services range between 50-135 minutes
Individual and couples’ sessions are 50 minutes
Support group and group therapy sessions range from 50-180 minutes
Full educational assessment range from 3-4 hours
A session with a Psychiatrist is approximately 30-50 minutes
With the Applied Behavior Analysis Clinic, the sessions range from 50 – 120 minutes
Sessions with a speech pathologist is around 50 minutes

What is your payment policy?

Payments, co-payments, and deductibles for all ACT services are due in advance.
Accepted payment methods are cash, debit cards (span), credit cards, teller and bank transfers.
Cheques are not accepted.
In the case of missed appointments, or cancellations of confirmed appointments within 24 hours, the client is liable for 100% of the missed session fees; which should be paid prior to the next session if payment is pending.
The center is flexible with the payment policy, for more information on flexible payment plans and how to obtain them, please contact our customer care team at +966 501074843.

What is your cancellation policy?

You can cancel or reschedule an appointment without a fee anytime up to 24 hours before the session. Same day cancellations are non-refundable. For more information contact our customer care team at +966 501074843.

What happens if I am late to an appointment?

If you arrive late to an appointment, the session is still counted from the original time of your appointment and will end at its allotted time – so your session will run for however much is left (and you will still be liable for the fee of a full session). However, if the therapist is running late, your appointment time will be extended to ensure you receive your full session. Please always leave plenty of time for unexpected traffic and parking, and for checking-in for your appointment when you arrive- it really matters to us that you don’t miss a minute of your session!

Will my insurance cover my sessions?

Please consult your insurance provider and/or employer regarding their coverage. The Center can provide you with invoices and a report to support your claims. You will most likely have to pay the Center directly and then be reimbursed by your insurance company unless there is a corporate agreement with the Center.

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

At ACT, your privacy is our priority. It is your right to have your data protected and your privacy maintained at all costs. Your therapist will explain the confidentiality agreement during your first session or intake. Information provided shall be kept in the client’s file at the Center, under their medical number, and not by name– and shall remain confidential. We take strict internal measures to ensure that sensitive documents are safe both soft and/or hard copies. Your therapist only keeps brief notes of the presenting issues and progress in your file which is registered by file number and not by your name or any identifying information. If a client requests that their information be shared with another party (school, doctor, another clinician, lawyer, family member, etc), the therapist can only do so after written permission is given by the client/guardian in the form of a ‘Release of Information’ authorization document.

Exceptions to Confidentiality

There are 3 main circumstances where confidentiality might need to be breached, however, in the majority of cases your therapist will discuss the need to break confidentiality with you before it happens. In some cases, certain exceptions to confidentiality are at a therapist’s discretion; while in others, they are obligated to break confidentiality in the name of personal and public safety, or serious risk to someone’s health. The therapist is legally bound to break confidentiality, both legally and ethically in the following cases:

The client is a violent threat towards themselves or others (especially if in the near future)
Detailed planning of future suicide attempts
Other concrete signs of suicidal intent
Planned violence towards others
Planned future child abuse
Formerly committed child abuse
Experiencing child abuse
Expecting to experience future child abuse

In cases where sharing information is necessary to facilitate client care across multiple providers or is necessary to treat the client, it is believed that these situations are exempt from confidentiality – however, it is at your therapist’s discretion, and would be best to discuss their beliefs and exceptions in the first session.

To learn more click here.