Information for Clients and Referring Providers

Deidre Marsh is currently not accepting clients through WI CBT Center.

To schedule a free 30-minute consultation, please email us at: consultation@wicbt.com

So we may provide the quickest and most helpful response: Share a brief description of why you are seeking treatment and your most recent experiences with psychotherapy. List the best dates/times for an initial discussion via video call or phone. Please be aware that we do not provide therapy services over email. If you are currently experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts, please call 988 or seek help at your local emergency department.

While CBT is effective for many challenges people face, our clinicians have focused our training and experience on specific concerns to ensure we provide high-fidelity treatment. Currently, we are most effective with adults experiencing symptoms of:

• PTSD

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Social Anxiety

• Panic Disorder

• Adjustment Disorders

A psychiatric diagnosis does not provide a full picture of who you are (no one is defined by a diagnosis). This is why the initial sessions focus on understanding your context. If we are unable to provide adequate interventions directly, we will provide you with information to refer you to a more capable or suitable provider.

Teletherapy, sometimes termed telehealth, involves meeting with your therapist virtually online. This is done through a secure videoconferencing application. When you schedule a session, you will be emailed a private link that will connect you to this application. For teletherapy to be most effective, it is essential to have a space with minimal distractions and privacy so your confidentiality can be maintained.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)  is a mental health professional with a master’s degree in social work who has completed additional coursework and supervised clinical experience. In Wisconsin, LCSWs can diagnose and treat mental health conditions.¹ Treatment is usually done through psychotherapy. LCSWs are not able to prescribe medication.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people 1) understand the connection between their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions 2) develop helpful ways to respond when situations negatively impact how we think, behave, and feel. 

There are thousands of approaches to psychotherapy.² CBT is often referred to as the gold-standard for treatment as it has the most research to demonstrate its efficacy with people in all walks of life and for a variety of psychological difficulties.³ 

Psychotherapy is typically performed in weekly, 1-hour sessions. The work done in-session is enhanced and preserved through work done outside of session. Therefore, CBT incorporates practice in-between sessions to improve your well-being.⁴

For an extensive explanation of CBT, please see the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. 

Psychotherapy is most effective when there is a good relationship between you and your therapist that is focused on helping you.⁵ Therefore, the initial sessions with your therapist will involve them learning about the experiences and goals that led you to seek therapy. Treatment or CBT sessions will then focus on accomplishing those goals and monitoring our progress towards this end. 

In each session, a CBT therapist will collaborate with you to find actionable ways to move toward your goals. As the name "cognitive behavioral therapy" suggests, this usually involves conversations around two topics: 1) The experiences that inform what and how you think, feel, and behave, and 2) the actions you take when experiencing desirable or undesirable situations. Your therapist will offer solutions grounded in evidence-based methods of improving well-being, then work with you to adapt these solutions to your needs and strengths. Parts of each session are often spent practicing new skills to see if they fit your needs.

While CBT is generally effective, every person is different in their context and ability. It is essential in therapy to openly discuss your concerns, strengths, goals. As noted in the previous question, the relationship between you and your therapist is key in predicting success. Your understanding on how therapy is going is the most important. It can be helpful to ask yourself a few questions during and after a session:

• Do I feel respected and understood by my therapist?

• Are we talking about and working on the topics that I believe are helpful?

• (For any intervention you and your therapist consider using) Does this make sense to me? Do I think it will help?

• Am I readily sharing any questions, complaints, or worries that I have about my therapist and/or the therapy itself?

If your answer is no or you are unsure how you would answer these questions at any time during therapy, it is crucial to share this with your therapist to ensure that you are being helped in a way that works for you. 

For anxiety-related disorders, many clients see meaningful improvement in as little as 8 sessions of CBT.⁶ Specialized treatments for PTSD, like prolonged exposure (PE) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT) have been shown to create meaningful changes in under 15 sessions.⁷ These require at least once a week sessions, lasting about three months.

Key factors that can impact the length of treatment to consider and discuss with your therapist are (in no particular order): The severity and duration of the concerns bringing you to treatment, your willingness and ability to complete tasks in between sessions, and any substance use you engage in. 

Costs (We are currently private pay only)

For private pay clients, costs are as follows:

$240 Initial assessment (1 session)

$200 Subsequent 60-minute sessions

So, for the initial session and 8 to 15 treatment sessions, you can expect to pay between $1,840 and $3,240. 

Please note that a sliding scale/reduced rate is available in some cases to increase accessibility for clients with significant barriers. Please talk with your therapist about any concerns you have regarding the affordability of care.