BARTH THERAPY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW LONG ARE SESSIONS?
Sessions are typically scheduled for about an hour; however, your clinician may end the session 5-10 minutes early to schedule your next appointment, and/or go over any questions about your account. You can also schedule sessions that are 30 or 45 minutes long.
HOW OFTEN DO WE MEET?
This is entirely up to you. Some clients may meet with their clinician once a week, while others meet just once a month. The frequency of your sessions is based on what you need. When starting out, it is typical for clients to meet with their clinician on a weekly basis to build a rapport and determine the course of your treatment.
WHAT LANGUAGES DO YOU OFFER SERVICES IN?
Lyssa, Meaghon, Alejandra, and Hilary provide services in English. Adriana provides services in Spanish and English.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
During the first few sessions, you and your clinician will review your intake questionnaire and go over your background and best hopes for therapy. This may take one or two sessions, but it is unique to the individual needs of each client. After establishing a foundation, you and your clinician can start addressing your issues and hopes. Sometimes your clinician may assign tasks for you to complete outside of your time together—this can include reading handouts or practicing a coping skill.
WHO CAN SEE MY INFORMATION?
Your clinician cannot discuss your treatment with anyone, even health care providers, unless they have a completed Release of Information (ROI) on file. A ROI gives your clinician legal permission to share certain aspects of your treatment with the person or group listed on the document, such as a psychiatrist, primary care physician, etc.
WHAT'S WITH ALL THE PLANTS?
Plants, flowers and other foliage symbolize emotions, ideas and actions. It is the best imagery to represent the resilience, growth, and change that our clients experience at our practice. Also, we are avid plant lovers!
How Barth Therapy Started
Barth Therapy was founded in 2019 out of a deep desire to fill the gap in the mental health landscape of safe and affirming spaces for queer and trans people of color. As a Black, queer woman born and raised in the Midwest, Lyssa Barth experienced firsthand the harm that can result from practitioners who lack a culturally supportive framework for understanding the unique needs of queer and trans identifying people. The gap in services was further observed through her extensive work as a social worker in community-oriented agencies. She felt it was critical that her clients see their own experiences reflected in therapeutic relationships, and as a result, her goal has been to create a space where clients’ responses to racism, capitalism, and systemic oppression are seen as valid and appropriate. With a passion for social justice, clinicians at Barth Therapy strive to foster resilience and effect positive, lasting change through holistic and compassionate therapeutic approaches.