Frequently Asked Questions

We know therapy is beneficial for may people, but is it right for YOU? It can be hard to commit to starting therapy not knowing exactly what you may get out of it — but we can have an idea.

You may know you would benefit from therapy if you are suffering with thoughts that keep you up at night or make it hard to interact meaningfully with other. If thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are impacting your ability to do your job or are causing your relationship to suffer. These are signs you could benefit from talking with someone.

Physical symptoms are oftentimes linked with mental health related issues such as - feeling like you cant take a full breath, have digestion issues, feel shaky or sweaty when nervous, body aches, headaches or stiffness, sleep related issues (ie. sleeping too much to too little), feeling restless or not able to sit still, heart palpitations (aka a strange feeling heartbeat), feelings of pins and needles over your body, and SO many more.

Head over to the services page to learn about more reasons therapy might be beneficial for you.

So, you want to start therapy.. Now what? I know it can be daunting going into something you’ve never done before, but I am SO thankful you are here. You may be thinking, what do I say? What do I do? Am I even going to have 50 minutes worth of stuff to talk about? And I am here to tell you not to worry about that, I will walk you through and help guide you to allow for this to be as stress-free as possible.

The first session(s) are typically fairly structured, which can be nice in a sense that you do not have to come up with things to talk about, as I ask all the questions :) . I start by taking a full and in-depth history to allow for both of us to get to know each other and to start connecting the dots of how things from your past may be influencing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors today.

We will also be discussing your goals for therapy and how we can work on achieving them. Then from there, we have a bit of a guideline to follow to make sure we work towards your goals. Though, it is always important to remember that if you want to discuss something completely different than what you initially came to therapy for, by all means, let’s talk about it!

Tip — some people find it helpful to write notes throughout the week to bring up in therapy sessions as to not forget. Other’s like to take notes during session, too. Any of these are fine by me! Although, I do not consent to recording sessions to ensure protection of confidentiality of the therapeutic relationship.

You can email me directly at anika@emerge-counseling.com or click here to submit a contact form. I will reach back out about setting up a consultation.

During the consultation I will ask you a few questions to get a better idea about why you are seeking therapy, if we’d be a good match for each other, and if so, how I could help you achieve your goals.

I offer both virtual sessions (through a secure HIPAA compliant telehealth platform) AND in-person therapy at my office located conveniently in Milwaukee’s “urban subarb” of Shorewood, WI, minutes away from UW-Milwaukee’s campus and countless boutiques and coffee shops.

I understand that life can be busy and so I like to add that if you choose to initially start in-person you are always welcome to switch over to virtual temporarily, just for a session, or for good at any time. Just let me know :)

My working hours are as followed -

Monday - Thursday : 10:00am - 5:00pm

Friday : 10am - 2:00pm

I am willing to work with your schedule to find a time that works for you.

I do not work directly with insurance, so each session fee will be billed in-full post session via the credit card saved securely on your file.

I don't accept insurance, but I work with Mentaya, a platform that helps clients get money back on out-of-network therapy sessions. See the billing page for the free benefits checker, as well as further information regarding payment.

Therapy is not one size fit all. Unfortunately there is no way to say how long you may need services for in a FAQ. I can say that most people start off weekly for a month or more, and then back off to bi-weekly, and then monthly until both therapist and client feel they have sufficient skills to manage with more and more time between sessions.

Unlike other services you may use, the goal for therapy is to not have to be in it forever. We want to achieve your goals and feel confident to overcome life’s difficulties on your own, while also knowing if things get too much in the future, you’re always welcome to reach back out.