What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
What is psychological assessment?
Is there any paperwork I need to complete for my first appointment?
How do I know if I could benefit from seeing you?
Why has my doctor referred me to see you?
How should I prepare myself (or my child) for a psychological assessment and what should I expect?
Do you accept insurance?
Do you accept credit cards?
What is your therapeutic (theoretical) approach?
What is your style of counseling?
How is coaching different from psychotherapy?
What assessment instruments do you use? (this links to a Word document)

Q. What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?
Psychiatrists are physicians that specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. They have earned either an MD or DO degree. After obtaining an undergraduate degree, they complete four years of medical school and a four year residency in psychiatry. Today, most psychiatrists use medication as their primary treatment tool, though a few also provide psychotherapy.

Psychologists specialize in the assessment and treatment of emotional distress and mental illness. A psychologist’s primary tools include psychological assessment and psychotherapy. After obtaining an undergraduate degree, most spend about five years doing supervised clinical training and graduate coursework. Prior to obtaining their doctorate degree – PhD or PsyD - and becoming licensed, they also complete two additional years of full-time supervised clinical training.

It is not uncommon for psychiatrists and psychologists to collaborate to help their patients. If you and I work together and I believe you may benefit from an evaluation for medication, I will discuss this option with you. If you see a psychiatrist and are prescribed medication I will then help monitor your response and provide feedback to your psychiatrist (or primary treating physician), as needed.

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Q. What is psychological assessment?
Psychological assessment is a non-invasive procedure that can be used to answer a variety of questions posed by a client, parent (in the case of a child), and/or treating mental health professional. It is a tool for rapidly assessing psychological health, providing diagnostic information, and creating a “roadmap” for treatment. Testing is also a powerful tool for helping people develop deep insight and newfound empathy for difficulties they experience. Testing usually includes the following: obtaining assessment questions from the referring psychologist or physician, the client working with me to develop additional questions to be answered by the assessment, completing paper-and-pencil measures, working on various puzzles, self-report tests, and problem-solving tasks, and completing computerized tests. Once testing is completed we will schedule a time to discuss the results and recommendations.

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Q. Is there any paperwork I need to complete for my first appointment?
Yes. For your convenience, you can find a copy of the required forms by clicking here for psychotherapy or clinical psychological assessment. The intake form can also be accessed from the Resources page. Note: For coaching services, you will receive paperwork only after you and I have an initial appointment.

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Q. How should I prepare myself/my child for a psychological assessment and what should I expect?
Please let me know if you have had prior testing and, if so, what that experience was like for you. I will be happy to address any questions you have prior to testing and to explore additional questions that arise when we review the results.

If you or your child will be testing for several hours, as is commonly the case, make sure you have eaten in advance so you will not be distracted by hunger. If testing is lengthy, I may have you take a brief break or suggest you eat a snack midway through the appointment.

For children, parents are encouraged to be actively involved in developing assessment questions at the start of the testing process. At times, it may even be helpful and appropriate for parents to be in the room with their child during portions of testing. Prior to the appointment, it often helps to reassure children that testing simply involves answering questions, perhaps working on puzzles, and doing written activities. Let them know that the purpose of testing is to help them, not to grade them or to see if they “pass” or “fail.” Finally, let your child know that psychological testing and psychotherapy are NOT like going to a doctor for a physical checkup. Psychological testing and psychotherapy never involve pinpricks, physical exam, or any invasive medical procedures.

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Q. Do you accept insurance?
I do not file claims with insurance companies. This means that the full fee for my service is due at the time of the appointment. However, if you choose, you may of course submit claims to your insurance independently. I provide you with service bills (super bills) that include all relevant procedure codes and diagnostic information. Some insurance plans may reimburse you well for mental health services and out-of-network services while others may not. Reimbursement rates from insurance carriers vary greatly and are contingent on a number of factors. To determine your mental health benefits, you may contact your insurance provider by calling the customer service number listed on the back of your card.  Sometimes mental health services have a separate phone number - it may be listed as "behavioral health" on your card. You may be asked for my NPI number (National Provider Identifier) and/or EIN (Employee ID Number). For security purposes, I do not provide these numbers on my website. If the insurance provider does not already have my EIN or NPI number, I will be happy to give those to you by phone. Tell your insurance provider that they can verify my credentials through the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Please contact me if you have other questions about insurance benefit determination or about my fee-for-service policy. ** Note that I participate as a Duke EAP provider on a case-by-case basis for psychotherapy services.

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Q. Why has my doctor referred me to see you?
Most of the clients seen by psychologists are every day people who have encountered some problem in their lives and want to become more effective in dealing with their difficulty.  Common issues for which I see clients in psychotherapy include:

• Overcoming depression, anxiety, or some other emotional difficulty
• Working through relationship problems
• Living life in a manner that feels more honest or consistent with who you are

If your doctor has referred you to a psychologist, it is typically because he or she thinks if you talk to someone who is trained to listen and facilitate change, you may be able to get your life on track more easily. 

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Q. Do you accept credit cards?
Yes.  My office now accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express cards, as well as Visa and Master Card ATM and debit cards for amounts of $100 or more.  Charges will show up on your statements as "Thomas E Thorsheim, PhD, Inc." Previously (until December 2008) charges were billed through Professionalcharges.com.

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Q. What is your therapeutic (theoretical) approach?
My approach to psychotherapy has been heavily influenced by the following theoretical orientations: cognitive behavioral theory and psychodynamic theories. These theories conceptualize the origins of and recommended treatments for emotional distress quite differently. However, these approaches can complement each other very powerfully when applied to therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) emphasizes treatment of immediate distress and more surface symptoms that are causing pain. CBT provides concrete strategies for changing thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors, which then result in relief of distress. CBT tools can be quite effective in helping treat the more immediate symptoms of depression, various forms of anxiety (including obsessive-compulsive disorder), phobias, and other common conditions. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on identifying deep underlying processes that are generally outside of people’s immediate awareness. These processes affect how people cope with life stress, how people view themselves, and how they relate to other people in their lives. When underlying issues are brought to light, people become more aware of what motivates their behaviors and then are more able to change them. People experience relief from distress and increased sense of freedom in their choices and behaviors once underlying feelings and conflicts are uncovered and resolved. There are appropriate times to focus more on immediate relief of distress as well as times to focus more on underlying factors that drive recurrent relationship patterns, distressing behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Often it is helpful to combine both elements in treatment.

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Q. What is your style of counseling?
My counseling style depends in part on what I feel will be most beneficial to you at any given point in your treatment. At times I will listen closely and be more reflective. At other times I will be more active and ask you thought-provoking questions. In general, my aim is to help you make constructive changes in your behaviors and to help you develop more empowering ways of viewing or making sense of your life experiences. Empathy, support and encouragement are essential ingredients in this mix. Sometimes I may have specific suggestions or even recommend that you take certain actions or do “homework” between sessions as part of the process. I view therapy as inherently collaborative. For your treatment to be successful, you and I will work together as a team. You are the expert on you. Your participation and input will be very important. (Note: refer to therapeutic approach item, above, for further information)

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Q. How is coaching different from psychotherapy?
Coaching is NOT psychotherapy. Psychotherapy generally focuses on treating diagnosable psychological disorders. Because of the vulnerability of individuals who come to psychotherapy, this is a special relationship in the eyes of the law, with specific rules and protections. Psychotherapy is about healing, while coaching is about furthering growth from a starting point of health. Coaching assumes that you are emotionally healthy and able to participate equally in creating the future you desire.

In business environments, coaching can help professionals find clarity of purpose and foster a climate of healthy behaviors in themselves and - in the case of upper level managers - their employees. When people properly care for themselves, possess a clear sense of professional vision, and work in a manner consistent with their core values, energy and enthusiasm are magnified. Coaching benefits for business may include increased productivity, promotion of an inspirational work environment, higher levels of employee satisfaction/retention, and maximized profitability.

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Q. How do I know if I could benefit from seeing you?
Call (864) 421-0098 for a free phone consultation to see if my services may be a good match for your needs. If I feel another provider would be a better fit, I will refer you to another competent professional.

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