FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These are the questions people most often bring to a first conversation. If yours isn't here, please reach out — we're always glad to answer your quesions directly.
What is it like to begin therapy?
The first session is mostly conversation. I'll want to understand what brought you in, what you've tried before, where life feels steady, and where it doesn't, and what feels difficult right now. You don't need to have it figured out — that's part of the work. By the end of the first session, we'll have a clearer sense of whether we're a fit and what the work ahead might look like.
What kinds of concerns do people typically bring to therapy?
The full range — grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship strain, life transitions, caregiver exhaustion, identity questions, and the quieter forms of suffering that don't fit any single label. Some people come for one specific reason. Many come carrying several things at once. You don't need to know what to call what you're going through. Whatever it is, you're welcome to bring it.
How is therapy with Streams of Hope different from other therapy?
The clinical work itself is evidence-based, professional, and grounded in what we know about how people heal. What's different is that we're also trained to recognize when suffering reaches into deeper questions of meaning, identity, faith, mortality, or moral injury. Many therapists are not trained to work comfortably at this level. We are. For some people, that matters enormously. For others, it never comes up. Both are welcome here.
What if I'm in crisis right now?
This practice provides scheduled, non-emergency therapy. If you are in immediate crisis — thinking about ending your life, in danger of harming yourself or someone else — please call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. Connecticut residents can also dial 211 for mobile crisis services, available 24/7. When you are out of immediate danger, we're here.
Will faith or spirituality be part of therapy?
Only if you want it to be. If spirituality is part of how you understand your life, you can bring it into the room, and we''ll meet you there with care. If it isn't, the work remains grounded in the emotional and psychological concerns that brought you here. The clinical foundation is the same either way.
Do I need to be religious or Catholic to work with Streams Of Hope?
No. The work is the same whether you are religious, uncertain, or have no faith life at all. Several of our therapists are trained both clinically and pastorally, which means we can work with the whole of a person — including the spiritual dimension if it matters to you, and without it if it doesn't. Many of the people we work with are not religious.
Is therapy confidential — and how is the role as a therapist different from the role as a priest?
Therapy is confidential, governed by clinical and legal standards that protect what you share in our sessions. The few exceptions — situations involving imminent danger or legally mandated reporting — are the same exceptions that apply to every licensed therapist in Connecticut. We can talk through those in the first session if you have questions.
On the role distinction: when you come to Streams Of Hope, you can request a therapist that is also a priest if you want to talk about something explicitly spiritual within therapy, but not as a confession or sacrament.
Can I work with your practice if I'm questioning my faith?
Yes. Questioning faith, leaving a tradition, or trying to find your way back into one are all meaningful and serious life experiences that deserve serious accompaniment. Our commitment is to take your questions seriously, wherever they're leading you.
Do your practice accept insurance?
Yes. Major insurance plans are accepted through credentialing and telehealth partners. Coverage and eligibility vary by plan, so the simplest path is to schedule a brief consultation — we'll verify your coverage before our first session and answer any questions about cost.
Are sessions in person or online?
Unless otherwise posted, sessions are conducted online, through secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth, available throughout Connecticut. Many of the people we work with find that the privacy of a session from their own home — without the commute, without the waiting room — allows them to settle into the work more quickly. Research consistently shows that telehealth is as effective as in-person therapy for most concerns people bring to therapy.