FAQs

ready to schedule?

  • Welcome!

    The first step will be to submit your 'Contact' form. I'll get in touch with you by email to schedule your initial consultation call. This is a brief 15-min phone call where you can ask me questions to see if I'd be a good fit for you as a therapist. I'll also use this call to see if your needs are within my wheelhouse or if another provider might be a better fit.

    During the call, if you feel ready to move forward and our availabilities align, we'll schedule your first session, which is known as your intake.

    Like before any other healthcare visit, we'll need to go over some important steps before you attend your appointment, like completing intake paperwork, verifying your insurance, discussing how payment will work, and how to join each session.

    I take my time in ensuring you have all the information you need, so be sure to attend to the details and ask questions if anything is unclear!

  • Every experience of therapy will look different from therapist to therapist, based on their respective modalities, training, and personal styles. With me, your first session will not be a deep-dive into the issues that are bringing you in, nor will we fill the time speaking about the history of your symptoms.

    Instead, we will spend intentional time building a foundation, setting the stage for future sessions, talking about my approaches, exploring your expectations for this work, helping you to get a feel for working with me, getting a brief sense of what you're seeking, and simply being in dialogue and presence with you.

    Also, it’s okay to be a little nervous!

  • Our first several sessions are designed to give you time to develop comfort with this process. We’ll also begin to slowly unpack and understand what is happening while clarifying some of your goals.

    Given the nature of the modalities that I may draw from, we may move at a pace that is more gradual than you might see in traditional or short-term psychotherapy. Approaches like Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) involve engaging in practices within the sessions where we move away from talking and instead toward noticing and supporting what is coming up.

  • While I specialize in trauma, folks who come to me are often navigating a myriad of other concerns as well:

    • Racial and cultural identity

    • LGBTQIA+ identity

    • Stress and adversity

    • Sociopolitical stressors

    • Burnout, fatigue, low motivation

    • Depression and anxiety

    • Self-esteem and perfectionism

    • Adjusting to college, a new job, or other major life events

    • Escaping through alcohol, THC, or other substances

    There is really nothing that cannot be discussed in therapy. That being said, I will be transparent with you if something is outside of the scope of my practice.

  • This is a question therapists are asked often, and the short answer is that this will vary based on your needs. For many folks, weekly sessions are beneficial to achieve a sense of stability, especially in the beginning of therapy. Others may opt for biweekly sessions to begin, or may drop down to biweekly and even monthly sessions over time. We will talk about which cadence may best support you.

    Some folks come to me for shorter-term work on a focused issue, and others are seeking longer-term work on chronic, long-standing issues.

    While it is often suggested that the goal of therapy is to not be in therapy, there is no shame in choosing to continue to work on yourself.

    We will check in periodically during the course of therapy about how the work is going, recalibrating as needed toward an optimal conclusion.

  • No, unfortunately. I recommend reaching out to therapists who specialize in this.

  • I am licensed to practice in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, and all sessions are held remotely.

    Based on the laws and regulations that govern the practice of psychotherapy, at the time of your session, you would need to be physically present within the boundaries of one of these three states for us to be able to meet.

  • Shifa Therapy LLC’s normal business hours of operation are as follows:

    • Mondays 10a-8p

    • Tuesdays 10a-8p

    • Wednesdays 10a-8p

    • Thursdays 10a-5p

    The practice is closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

  • While I am able to speak in other languages (Gujarati, Hindi/Urdu, some Spanish, bits and pieces of Arabic and Punjabi, and some vocabulary from Farsi), I conduct therapy in English, which is the language in which I’ve been trained.

    If you would like to use words and expressions from your language during your sessions with me, feel free! I will absolutely welcome this.

  • In NJ, NY, and PA, I am in-network for most PPO and EPO plans from these private insurance companies:

    • Cigna

      • all, including Wellfleet plans and Open Access Plans (OAP)

    • BC/BS

      • most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans from Anthem, Capital, CareFirst, Excellus, Highmark, Horizon, IBX, etc.

    • Aetna

      • all, including Aetna Student Health plans

    For folks using in-network benefits, your costs will vary based upon the terms of your plan. Typically, you'll owe a copay (a flat dollar amount), though your plan may instead charge a coinsurance (a percentage) and/or require you to meet your deductible first. Be sure to familiarize yourself with your specific plan's mental health benefits.

    I do not accept Medicaid or Medicare in any state. If you have a Medicaid or Medicare plan, it is important that you seek out an in-network provider.

  • For folks using out-of-network benefits, initially you will pay the self-pay rates. After each session, I will send you a superbill, which is like an itemized receipt you can submit toward your out-of-network deductible and/or to receive possible partial reimbursement from your insurance company. This is all based on your specific plan's mental health coverage terms and limitations.

    To better maximize your out-of-network benefits and potentially reduce your up-front therapy costs, I’m happy to discuss some courtesy options I offer.

  • Being an in-network provider means that insurance companies are reimbursing me at levels far below my self-pay rates. To increase access to therapy, I offer self-pay rates that are lower than average for therapists with similar qualifications.

    For this reason, I am unable to accommodate a traditional income-based sliding scale, and can instead offer slight reductions to self-pay rates on a case-by-case basis based upon your specific situation.

still have questions? send me a message!