FAQs

How are appointments made?

To make an appointment, please contact our office directly. You can easily reach us by filling out our Contact Form, emailing us at joe@dovetailcounsel.com, or calling the office line at 908-837-1251.

I want to know if you’re the right fit for me. Do you offer pre-appointment consultations?

Yes! We offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to get a sense of your difficulties, give you an idea of who we are, and then explain how we can help.

Where is your office located?

The office is situated in the heart of beautiful downtown Somerville and is conveniently located a few blocks away from the Somerville train station. There is also ample public parking nearby.

What are your office hours?

We offer meeting times in the morning, afternoon, and evening depending on the day. We do our best to be flexible and work with our client’s scheduling needs. We currently do not offer weekend hours.

How often do you meet with your clients?

At the beginning of therapeutic process, we ask that clients agree to meet for at least 1x weekly sessions. Some clients find that 2x weekly sessions are helpful if they are highly motivated to begin making changes, or if they need help finding motivation to change.

How long are sessions?

Therapy sessions are typically about 45 minutes long.

What ages do you work with?

We work with clients as young as 13 and adults of all ages. For clients under the age of 18, please note that parental involvement and consent is required in almost all cases.

How do you manage fees and insurance?

Dovetail Counseling Group is considered an out-of-network option, which means that we are not contracted as an in-network provider with any insurance company. We collect fees directly from our clients and then offer regular documentation that can be submitted to an insurance company for reimbursement through out-of-network benefits. We accept cash, checks, debit cards, and credit cards as forms of payment. We collect fees at the time services are provided.

What are the benefits of working with an out-of-network therapist?

Out-of-network therapists offer many advantages that are not available to individuals receiving therapy through an insurance plan. Below are some of the top examples:

• Insurance company representatives can influence what kind of therapy you receive, what you focus on in sessions, and when therapy should end. When a therapist is out-of-network, all of these choices (and more) are controlled directly by the client and their therapist.
• Your privacy and confidentiality are key components of a great therapy experience. Insurance companies often require additional paperwork, which can lead to a larger paper trail. Being out-of-network allows for a more private counseling experience.
• Excellent care requires more time and effort than what a standard session allots. Out-of-network providers have more time available to dedicate to their client’s unique needs, such as coordinating treatment plans with multiple other professionals (guidance counselors, physicians, dietitians, etc). This is an especially important part of care when seeking help for an eating disorder as other professionals are regularly involved.

Do you collaborate with other professionals?

Yes! Properly managing a client's care often requires coordinating with other providers and professionals. We also have access to a wide network of other providers if you need a referral for additional services.

Do you only work with people who have eating disorders?

While many of our clients are people struggling with eating disorders, we see a wide variety of clients with other needs. We have helped people with confusing life transitions, stress management, anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma/PTSD, life skills, and general “what the heck is happening with my life?” situations. If you are unsure if we can help you, feel free to contact us for a free consultation. If we don’t think we can help, we may be able to point you to colleague who can.

Am I sick enough to come to therapy?

People with eating disorders, and others, often struggle to acknowledge their pain due to unfair comparisons with others, or by examining how much worse things could potentially be. The presence of eating disorder thoughts and urges, or just being generally unhappy, regardless of other factors, is reason enough to seek help. You deserve care regardless of severity. Sick at all is sick enough.

I’m not sure I want to get better from my eating disorder. Should I still come to therapy?

Absolutely! Most of our early therapy conversations when working with people who have eating disorders sound something like this: “I want to get better, but X.” Most of the job in helping you with your eating disorder is walking alongside you as you do the back-and-forth in your head and make your own choice about recovery. We are very used to talking with people who are not totally sure about what they want as they start therapy.

I thought I had to live with this forever. Can I really heal from my eating disorder?

Anyone can be 100% recovered from an eating disorder. Being recovered means you no longer have eating disorder thoughts, urges, or behaviors. Your mind is entirely your own again and you care about your body and eating about as much as anyone else does. As impossible as this may sound, it is very real and something that anyone can attain. It is not easy to become recovered, one has to work very hard, but it is possible for anyone. The only people who don’t get better are those who stop trying to.