Common Questions About PTSD, Trauma, and Therapy
1
Do you take insurance?
Builder Therapy is private pay. Sessions are $120-$250 depending on length. I do not bill insurance directly.
If you have a PPO health plan, or out of network benefits you may be able to get full or partial reimbursement for services.
I provide a superbill after each session, which you submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Depending on your plan, out-of-network benefits can cover 40-80% of the session fee after your deductible.
Before your first session, call the member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask:
-
Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?
-
What is my out-of-network deductible for mental health?
What percentage of the allowed amount is reimbursed after the deductible?
2
What is Prolonged Exposure therapy?
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD developed at the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.
It is the gold standard PTSD treatment recommended by the VA, the Department of Defense, and the American Psychological Association.
PE works by targeting the avoidance that keeps PTSD symptoms alive. When we avoid reminders of trauma, the brain never gets the chance to learn that the danger is actually over. PE systematically and safely reduces that avoidance through two techniques: imaginal exposure (revisiting the memory in a structured, controlled way) and in vivo exposure (gradually returning to avoided situations in real life).
Treatment is typically 10-15 sessions. Studies show that about 80% of clients who complete PE experience full remission from PTSD symptoms, with relief continuing at 12 and 24 months after treatment ends.
3
How long does trauma or PTSD treatment take?
Prolonged Exposure therapy is structured over 10-15 sessions.
If you meet weekly, that is approximately 3-4 months of treatment from your first session to completion.
This is significantly shorter than open-ended talk therapy, which often continues indefinitely without a clear endpoint.
PE has a set structure: assessment, psychoeducation, breathing training, imaginal exposures, in vivo exposures, and a formal ending session. You will know where you are in the process at all times.
4
What is Solutions Focused Brief Therapy?
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a goal-oriented, evidence-based approach that focuses on exactly where you want to go and your specific goals instead of analyzing every negative thing in life.
Most therapy spends significant time exploring the past to understand the roots of your problems, processing difficult experiences, working through why you are the way you are.
SFBT takes a different starting point: what is already working in your life, and how do we build more of that?
Solutions Focused is one of the most researched short-term therapy models available and is used widely and effectively for anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and burnout.
6
What's the difference between therapy and coaching?
Therapy at Builder Therapy is governed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration and the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice. It involves diagnosing and treating mental health conditions including PTSD, anxiety disorders, and trauma. It is subject to HIPAA, confidentiality protections, and clinical ethics standards.
Coaching is a separate, non-clinical service. Coaching at Builder Therapy focuses on business strategy, performance, and professional development for founders, executives, and operators. It is not therapy and is not covered by clinical ethics rules or insurance.
These two services are never combined. If you are seeking therapy, your engagement is clinical. If you are seeking coaching, it is entirely separate.
5
What is concierge therapy?
In standard therapy practices, you typically go through an intake coordinator, wait weeks for a first appointment, and see a therapist whose schedule has limited flexibility. Billing runs through insurance with its own delays, privacy violations, and endless authorizations and denials. By the time you see your therapist you may have shared your story 3x already.
Concierge therapy at Builder Therapy removes all of that friction:
-
You contact me directly - there's no intake team or coordinator
-
Free 15-minute consult typically available within 48 hours
-
First session usually scheduled within the same week
Scheduling is flexible and built around your calendar, not a fixed slot
6
What's the difference between therapy and coaching?
Therapy at Builder Therapy is governed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration and the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice. It involves diagnosing and treating mental health conditions including PTSD, anxiety disorders, and trauma. It is subject to HIPAA, confidentiality protections, and clinical ethics standards.
Coaching is a separate, non-clinical service. Coaching at Builder Therapy focuses on business strategy, performance, and professional development for founders, executives, and operators. It is not therapy and is not covered by clinical ethics rules or insurance.
These two services are never combined. If you are seeking therapy, your engagement is clinical. If you are seeking coaching, it is entirely separate.