COPE fees are set based on treatment specialties and standard rates for doctoral level clinicians. Although our rates vary depending on the clinician and the specific services you are requesting, generally speaking our individual therapy rates begin at $250. Lower fee slots do occasionally become available. We welcome you to contact us to discuss your specific treatment and financial needs. If we are unable to accommodate you, we are happy to provide you referrals to lower fee mental health centers. For specific group rates or rates on IMPROVE: Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Program, please contact us for more information.

Do you take insurance?

COPE is not affiliated with a particular insurance panel and is considered an out-of-network provider. However, Dr. Rubin is a Lyra provider and can see individuals with Lyra benefits. Please check with your insurance company to inquire into possible out-of-network benefits and rates for reimbursement. Upon request, COPE providers can provide a monthly statement documenting services received that can be used for possible reimbursement from your insurance company and/or healthcare spending accounts. Some questions that may be helpful to ask your insurance company: Do I have mental health benefits? Do I have out-of-network benefits? If so, what are the benefits? How would I obtain reimbursement for an out-of-network provider? How many sessions will be covered per calendar year? What is my deductible and has it been met?

How long does therapy last?

Treatment length varies greatly depending on your specific concerns. However, research has shown that significant improvements can be made within 12 weeks and sometimes less. Some concerns may require longer-term treatment and some individuals choose to continue coming to therapy even after initial treatment gains to maintain skills, prevent backsliding, and manage weekly stressors. Your therapist will work with you closely in the initial sessions to clarify your presenting concerns and an expected treatment duration.

How do I know if therapy will work?

Finding the right therapist mixed with the right treatment can sometimes feel like finding a unicorn for those looking to begin therapy. However, at COPE we try to make this process a reality with a number of talented, specialty trained clinicians who work with you to customize a course of treatment that suits your needs.

What can I expect from the first few therapy sessions?

The initial therapy sessions are a great time for your therapist to get to know you and for you to get to know your therapist. Both are equally important. Your therapist will use this time to ask you a variety of questions in many different domains to understand as much breadth and depth of your life as possible in order to develop a thorough treatment plan. It is important to develop a set of goals that will guide treatment during these initial sessions.

Transition Adjustment and PTSD: What is The Difference and How Therapy Can Help

Navigating life’s transitions and adjustments can be both exhilarating and challenging. Whether it’s relocating to a new city, starting a new job, or experiencing significant relationship changes, these transitions can impact our mental and emotional well-being in profound ways. In seeking therapy for adjustment or transition concerns, individuals recognize the need for support in adapting to these changes. However, it’s essential to understand the distinction between adjustment disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to ensure appropriate treatment and support. Let’s look into the key differences between these two conditions and how therapy can aid in managing them effectively.

Common Types of Transition Adjustment

Adjustment and transition issues can take diverse forms, depending on individual circumstances. It’s crucial to note that individuals might face multiple adjustment or transition challenges simultaneously, with the duration and impact varying for each person. Seeking help from therapists or counselors can aid in navigating these issues and developing effective coping mechanisms. Here are some prevalent types of adjustment and transition challenges:

Relocation Adjustment: Adjusting to a new environment, whether it’s a different city, country, or culture, can trigger feelings of homesickness, loneliness, and difficulty establishing a sense of belonging.

Career Transitions: Starting a new job, changing careers, or entering the workforce for the first time can induce stress and anxiety, necessitating adaptation to new work dynamics, responsibilities, and organizational cultures.

Relationship Changes: Significant shifts in relationships, such as marriage, divorce, or the end of long-term partnerships, can disrupt one’s sense of identity, routines, and support systems.

Parenthood: Becoming a parent requires significant adjustments, including adapting to childcare demands, changes in roles, and balancing parenthood with other aspects of life.

Empty Nest Syndrome: Parents may experience feelings of loss and loneliness when children leave home for college or to start their own lives.

Cultural Adaptation: Moving to a new country or cultural setting can lead to culture shock and challenges in adjusting to different social norms, customs, and values.

Retirement: Transitioning from a full-time career to retirement entails adjustments in routines, lifestyle, and finding new sources of purpose.

Academic Transitions: Starting college, graduate school, or transitioning between educational institutions can be stressful, requiring adjustments to academic demands and social environments.

Health-related Transitions: Coping with chronic illness, disability, or major health changes can necessitate significant adjustments in daily life and emotional well-being.

Identity and Self-Exploration: Life transitions may prompt individuals to reevaluate their identity, values, and life goals, leading to a process of self-exploration and personal growth.

Symptoms of Difficulty with Adjusting

When individuals struggle to adjust or transition, they may experience a range of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms. These symptoms can vary from person to person and may persist over time, significantly affecting daily functioning and causing distress. Seeking professional help from a therapist or mental health professional can be beneficial in addressing these challenges. Common signs and symptoms include:

Emotional Symptoms: Persistent sadness, anxiety, mood swings, loneliness, and increased sensitivity to stress.
Cognitive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts, intrusive thoughts related to the change, and negative self-talk.
Behavioral Symptoms: Social withdrawal, changes in sleep patterns and appetite, avoidance of new experiences, and increased substance use.
Physical Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, digestive issues, muscle tension, weakened immune system, and sleep disturbances.

What is the Difference Between Transition Adjustment Disorder and PTSD?

Transition Adjustment Disorder: Understanding the Challenges of Transition

Transition adjustment disorder is a psychological response to stressors or life changes, characterized by significant emotional or behavioral symptoms. Unlike PTSD, which typically stems from traumatic events, adjustment disorder arises in response to various stressors, such as relocation, career transitions, or relationship changes. Symptoms of adjustment disorder may include sadness, anxiety, mood swings, and impaired functioning. While the symptoms can be distressing, they usually occur within three months of the stressor and resolve within six months after its cessation.

PTSD: Unpacking the Impact of Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), on the other hand, is a mental health condition triggered by exposure to traumatic events. These events can involve actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. While adjustment disorder arises in response to various stressors, PTSD specifically relates to trauma and its lasting effects on an individual’s well-being. Symptoms of PTSD may include intrusive memories, avoidance, negative mood, and hyperarousal. Unlike adjustment disorder, PTSD symptoms can persist for months or even years after the traumatic event and may require specialized treatment approaches.

Differentiating Symptoms and Presentation

One crucial aspect in distinguishing between adjustment disorder and PTSD is understanding the nature of the stressor and the resulting symptoms. Adjustment disorder symptoms are typically related to the stressor itself and may diminish once the individual adapts to the new circumstances. In contrast, PTSD symptoms often reflect a heightened state of arousal and reactivity, triggered by reminders of the traumatic event. Additionally, PTSD symptoms can significantly impair daily functioning and may require intensive therapeutic interventions.

Therapeutic Interventions: Tailoring Treatment to Individual Needs

Both adjustment disorder and PTSD can benefit from therapeutic interventions aimed at alleviating symptoms and promoting resilience. However, the approach may vary depending on the nature of the condition and the individual’s specific needs. For adjustment disorder, therapy may focus on developing coping strategies, enhancing emotional regulation, and fostering adaptive responses to stressors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are commonly used approaches for addressing adjustment difficulties.

In contrast, PTSD treatment often involves specialized interventions designed to address trauma-related symptoms and promote healing. Trauma-focused therapies, such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), aim to process traumatic memories, challenge negative beliefs, and reduce distress associated with the trauma. These therapies provide individuals with the tools to confront and overcome the lingering effects of trauma, facilitating recovery and resilience.

Types of Therapy for Transition Adjustment

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT):

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used therapeutic approach that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In the context of adjustment, CBT helps individuals recognize and challenge negative or unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs that may be contributing to their difficulties in adapting to new circumstances. By identifying and modifying these thoughts, individuals can change their emotional responses and behaviors, leading to more effective coping strategies and improved adjustment.

Here’s how CBT helps with adjustment:

Identifying Negative Thought Patterns: CBT helps individuals identify negative or distorted thought patterns related to the adjustment process. These may include thoughts of inadequacy, catastrophizing about the future, or dwelling on past failures. By recognizing these patterns, individuals can begin to challenge their validity and replace them with more balanced and realistic thoughts.
Modifying Maladaptive Behaviors: CBT also focuses on changing maladaptive behaviors that may be hindering adjustment. For example, avoidance behaviors or excessive reassurance-seeking can maintain feelings of anxiety or uncertainty. Through behavioral experiments and gradual exposure, individuals can learn to confront and overcome these behaviors, leading to increased confidence and a sense of mastery over their new circumstances.
Developing Coping Strategies: CBT equips individuals with practical coping strategies to manage the stress and challenges of adjustment. This may include relaxation techniques, problem-solving skills, and behavioral activation to increase engagement in rewarding activities. By learning these strategies, individuals can better regulate their emotions and navigate the transition more effectively.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach that focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions aligned with one’s values and goals. In the context of adjustment, ACT helps individuals cultivate psychological flexibility and resilience in the face of change.

Here’s how ACT helps with adjustment:

Acceptance of Difficult Emotions: ACT encourages individuals to accept and acknowledge difficult emotions related to the adjustment process, rather than trying to suppress or avoid them. By learning to tolerate discomfort and uncertainty, individuals can reduce emotional avoidance and develop greater psychological resilience.
Clarifying Values and Goals: ACT helps individuals clarify their values and long-term goals, even in the midst of transition and uncertainty. By connecting with what truly matters to them, individuals can find motivation and direction for navigating the adjustment process and making meaningful decisions.
Taking Committed Action: ACT emphasizes taking committed action towards valued goals, even in the presence of discomfort or fear. This involves identifying concrete steps that align with one’s values and actively pursuing them, despite potential obstacles or setbacks. By focusing on meaningful action, individuals can cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment amidst change.

Types of Therapy for PTSD

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a type of psychotherapy designed to help individuals who have experienced trauma, particularly those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Developed by Dr. Patricia Resick and colleagues, CPT is rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and aims to address the cognitive distortions and negative beliefs that often accompany traumatic experiences.

Here is how CPT helps with trauma:

Processing Traumatic Memories:

Helps individuals confront and process traumatic memories within a structured therapeutic framework.
Encourages the exploration and expression of emotions associated with the trauma, facilitating emotional processing and integration.

Challenging Negative Beliefs:

Assists individuals in identifying and challenging negative beliefs and thought patterns stemming from the trauma.
Utilizes cognitive restructuring techniques to reframe distorted beliefs, reducing their impact on emotions and behaviors.

Reducing Distress:

Provides a supportive environment for individuals to address and alleviate distress associated with traumatic experiences.
Equips individuals with coping strategies to manage distressing emotions and reactions effectively.

Facilitating Recovery and Resilience:

Promotes recovery by empowering individuals to regain a sense of control over their lives post-trauma.
Enhances resilience by fostering adaptive coping mechanisms and promoting psychological well-being.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a psychotherapeutic approach used to alleviate distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR involves recalling distressing memories while simultaneously undergoing bilateral stimulation, such as following the therapist’s fingers with one’s eyes or listening to alternating tones. This process is believed to facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories, leading to a reduction in emotional distress and the development of more adaptive coping mechanisms.

Here is how EMDR helps with trauma:

Reprocessing Traumatic Memories:

Facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements, auditory tones).
Helps individuals integrate fragmented memories into a coherent narrative, reducing emotional distress associated with the trauma.

Integration of Traumatic Experiences:

Supports the integration of traumatic experiences into the individual’s broader cognitive and emotional framework.
Promotes a sense of resolution and closure regarding past traumatic events.

Alleviating Emotional Intensity:

Reduces the emotional intensity and distress associated with traumatic memories and triggers.
Enables individuals to develop more adaptive responses to trauma-related stimuli.

Empowering Coping Mechanisms:

Equips individuals with coping skills and strategies to manage trauma-related symptoms and reactions effectively.
Enhances self-efficacy and confidence in navigating future challenges or triggers.

Next Steps

We’re here to support your transition adjustment journey with the right therapy for you. Reach out to COPE Psychological Center today for a consultation or explore our therapist directory to find the perfect match.