FAQs
Starting therapy can bring up a lot of questions, especially if you’ve never been in therapy before, are returning after some time away, or are trying to find a therapist who feels like the right fit. Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often.
What is therapy actually like?
Therapy looks a little different for everyone. Some sessions may involve talking through what has been happening in your life, noticing patterns, processing past experiences, or learning new ways to cope with difficult emotions. Other sessions may include art, play, mindfulness, body-based approaches, or other experiential activities.
You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what to talk about or what you want to work on. Your therapist will help you figure that out together.
Do I need to be in crisis to go to therapy?
Not at all. People come to therapy for many reasons. You might be navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, burnout, relationship challenges, parenting stress, life transitions, or questions about identity. You may also simply feel stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or like something in your life needs to change.
Therapy can be a place to address something painful, understand yourself more deeply, strengthen relationships, or build a life that feels more sustainable and aligned with who you are.
What is different about talking to a therapist instead of a friend or family member?
Supportive relationships are incredibly valuable, but therapy offers something different.
Your therapist is trained to notice patterns, ask intentional questions, help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface, and use evidence-based approaches to support change. Unlike a friendship or family relationship, the therapeutic relationship is centered on you and your needs.
It can also give you space to say things you may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere without worrying about taking care of the other person's feelings or changing the relationship.
What if I don’t know what to say?
That is completely okay. You do not have to prepare for therapy or arrive with a perfectly organized explanation of what is wrong.
You can start with something as simple as, “I’m not sure where to begin.” Your therapist can help guide the conversation and learn alongside you what feels important.
Silence, uncertainty, humor, tears, tangents, and changing the subject are all allowed.
Will my therapist just give me advice?
Usually, no.
Therapy is less about someone telling you what you should do and more about helping you understand yourself, identify patterns, explore your options, and make decisions that fit your life and values.
There may be times when your therapist offers education, strategies, resources, or direct feedback, but treatment should feel collaborative rather than prescriptive.
What if I have had a bad experience with therapy before?
A previous therapy experience can significantly affect how it feels to try again.
You are welcome to tell your therapist what did and did not work for you in the past, including things another therapist said or did that felt invalidating, uncomfortable, overly clinical, or simply not helpful.
We believe therapy should be collaborative, transparent, and responsive to you. You are allowed to ask questions, disagree with your therapist, give feedback, and talk openly about how therapy itself is feeling.
How do I know if a therapist is the right fit?
Finding the right therapist matters.
Training and experience are important, but so is whether you feel comfortable enough to be yourself. Over the first few sessions, you might ask yourself:
Do I feel heard and respected?
Does this therapist seem to understand what matters to me?
Can I ask questions or disagree without feeling judged?
Does their approach make sense to me?
Do I feel like we are working together rather than something being done to me?
You do not have to stay with a therapist who does not feel like the right fit. A good therapist understands that.
Do you only use talk therapy?
No. Many of our therapists integrate approaches that go beyond traditional talk therapy.
Depending on the therapist and what is appropriate for you, sessions may incorporate art therapy, play therapy, EMDR, Brainspotting, somatic or body-based approaches, mindfulness, experiential work, DBT-informed skills, parts work, narrative therapy, and other evidence-based or evidence-informed approaches.
You never need to be “good at art” to participate in art therapy, and you will not be required to use a particular approach simply because your therapist is trained in it.
Do I have to talk about trauma?
No.
Trauma-informed therapy does not mean immediately telling your therapist every painful thing that has happened to you. In fact, good trauma therapy should not involve pushing you to disclose or process experiences before you are ready.
You and your therapist can work together to build safety, coping skills, trust, and an understanding of what feels manageable. You remain in control of what you share.
Can therapy and medication be used together?
Yes. Therapy and medication can be helpful separately or together depending on the person and the concern.
Medication may reduce symptoms or make some conditions easier to manage, while therapy can help you understand patterns, process experiences, develop skills, strengthen relationships, and create lasting changes in your daily life.
Our therapists do not prescribe medication, but with your permission, we can collaborate with your physician, psychiatrist, or other healthcare providers when helpful.
How long does therapy take?
There is no universal timeline.
Some people come to therapy to work through a specific concern and may feel ready to finish after a relatively short period of time. Others choose longer-term therapy because they are working through complex experiences, longstanding patterns, relationships, trauma, or ongoing life circumstances.
You and your therapist will regularly talk about your goals, progress, and whether therapy continues to feel useful. Therapy does not need to continue indefinitely simply because you started.
How often will I come to therapy?
Many clients begin with weekly sessions, particularly while establishing a relationship with their therapist or working through something that feels especially difficult.
Depending on your needs, goals, schedule, and your therapist's clinical recommendations, sessions may eventually occur every other week or at another frequency.
Your therapist will talk with you about what makes sense for your care.
What can I do to get the most out of therapy?
You do not have to be a “good therapy client.”
The most useful thing you can do is be as honest as you are able to be, even when that means saying, “I don't know,” “I don't want to talk about that,” “I didn't do the thing we discussed,” or “What you just said doesn't feel right to me.”
Change often happens both inside and outside the therapy room. Your therapist may invite you to notice patterns, practice skills, reflect on something between sessions, or experiment with doing things differently. You can decide together what feels realistic and useful.
Will I be judged because of my race, culture, gender, sexuality, neurodivergence, disability, religion, family structure, or identity?
You deserve therapy where you do not have to leave important parts of yourself at the door.
The Art of Healing is committed to providing affirming, culturally responsive care. Our therapists recognize that mental health does not exist separately from relationships, culture, identity, systems, discrimination, privilege, and lived experience.
We welcome clients across races, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, neurotypes, abilities, family structures, and backgrounds. We also recognize that being affirming requires more than simply saying that everyone is welcome. It requires humility, ongoing learning, willingness to receive feedback, and attention to the ways power and systemic inequities affect people's lives.
You should never have to educate your therapist about why your identity deserves respect.
Is therapy confidential?
In most circumstances, yes. What you share in therapy is private and protected by confidentiality laws and professional ethics.
There are some legal and ethical exceptions to confidentiality, such as certain situations involving immediate safety concerns or suspected abuse or neglect. Your therapist will review confidentiality with you before treatment begins and can answer any questions you have.
Couples, family, and child therapy can involve additional considerations around confidentiality, and your therapist will explain those policies at the beginning of treatment.
Do you work with children and teens?
Yes. Several therapists at The Art of Healing specialize in working with children, adolescents, and families.
Therapy with children often looks different from adult therapy. Depending on a child's age and needs, treatment may involve play, art, movement, games, conversation, skill-building, and collaboration with parents or caregivers.
For teens, therapy typically includes more privacy and independence while still involving caregivers when clinically appropriate or necessary for safety.
Do you provide couples or relationship therapy?
Yes. Some of our therapists work with couples and other relationship systems.
Relationship therapy may focus on communication, recurring conflict, emotional connection, trust, intimacy, affair recovery, major transitions, parenting, separation decisions, or understanding patterns that have developed within the relationship.
Your therapist will explain how confidentiality, individual conversations, documentation, and other aspects of relational therapy will be handled before treatment begins.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes. Telehealth is available for many clients depending on the therapist, service, and state where you are physically located at the time of the appointment.
Some therapists also offer in-person appointments at our Edina office.
Do you accept insurance?
We work with a number of insurance plans, and participation varies somewhat by clinician.
Because insurance networks and benefits can change, the most accurate information is available on our Rates & Insurance page. We also encourage you to contact your insurance company to confirm your individual mental health benefits, deductible, copay or coinsurance, and whether a specific therapist is considered in-network under your plan.
What if you don't accept my insurance?
You may still be able to work with one of our therapists using out-of-network benefits or private pay.
If your insurance plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, we may be able to provide documentation that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Reimbursement is determined by your insurance plan and is not guaranteed.
How do I get started?
You can submit our contact form and tell us a little about what you are looking for. We will help determine whether one of our therapists may be a good fit and guide you through the next steps.
You do not need to know which therapist, therapy approach, or diagnosis you need before reaching out. That's something we can help you figure out.