As Dr. Sue Johnson has found through her research, “70 to 75 percent of couples who go through EFT recover from distress and are happy in their relationships” (Hold Me Tight, p. 7). That does mean that 25 to 30 percent of all couples won’t experience the same benefit.

Some indicators that EFT might not be a good fit for you are is if any of these are present: lack of safety in the relationship (due to intimate partner violence), ongoing competing attachments (such as active, ongoing affairs or addictions), and sometimes multiple attachment injuries which have gone unrepaired for so long that the injured partner(s) has going into detachment). (Once a partner has gone into detachment, it is hard to come back from that.)

Beginning with the first phone call, and in the early weeks of therapy, Dr. Seibert will assess goodness of fit. By session #4-8, she should have some clarity regarding if your relationship would benefit from what she offers through EFT or if a referral to another form of treatment would be more appropriate.

EFT is designed to be a short-term therapy, and the length of time needed is different for each couple. Various factors influence the length of time needed in therapy. If you come into therapy feeling relatively good with your partner, haven’t had a trauma history or attachment injuries with each other, have no alternate attachments (addictions, etc.), and if you have experienced secure attachment somewhere in your life, then you will probably be able to go through the process more quickly. If some or many of those factors are present, then likely more time will be needed, and that is okay. That is just part of the journey, and we’ll take it one step at a time! It is common to need at least a year. As you will learn in EFT, slowing down, being present to your and your partner’s inner experience, and attuning to that will get you where you need to go faster. The investment is worth it!

Sessions are weekly and for 80-90 minutes typically. The research shows that meeting weekly makes a difference to help you get traction in making the changes you desire. I find that to be true. Think of it this way. If a negative cycle hits between sessions and you have a weekly session coming up, you have fewer days for your heart to deal with the injury until you can get help with the repair in session. If you had two weeks to wait, your heart would understandably start to armor up to protect yourself from the pain and we would have to work that much harder to help you not only repair but get back to where we were and move forward. So, I encourage folks to not spread sessions out until we are in the maintenance phase and nearing the end of therapy.

I also find that the longer sessions are needed to have enough time to do the deeper work of the heart in session and help you both feel better and closer by the end.

In light of all this, I ask that all couples who want to work with me be willing to commit to meeting weekly for 80-90 minute sessions.

I have been paneled with insurance for years. However, as of 12/31/22, they stopped paying for the longer couples sessions which I provide (essentially only paying for half of my time), so I shifted to now being an out-of-network (OON) provider and I also accept private pay.

I am an out-of-network (OON) provider with Highmark, Capital Blue Cross, other Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans, Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, UBH/Optum, Quest, and others. Medicare and Magellan do not allow an out-of-network option (sadly!), so those would be fully private pay.

If you have out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill (invoice) which you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement for your out-of-network (OON) benefits. If you have OON benefits, the process is that you would pay me for your sessions and then you would submit your superbill to your insurance company. If you have met your OON deductible, any reimbursement from them would come directly to you. Be aware they may or may not reimburse you for the full amount of my fee.

See the Services page for current rates.

Feel free to talk with me if you are experiencing extreme financial hardship and finding yourself in the place of needing a reduced rate. There are limited spots. If those spots are currently full, I would be glad to make recommendations of other quality EFT therapists who offer a lower rate or take your insurance.

When I commit to taking a couple for therapy, my ideal is to offer you a specific time slot that will be your time slot every week. That makes it easier for you to factor counseling into your schedule and commit regularly to your relationship journey.

I see clients on:
- Tuesdays (8:30am-6:30pm)
- Wednesdays (10:15am-7:30pm)
- Fridays (8:00am-5:00pm)

If you know that you would never be available in those time frames, then feel free to check out the Find-A-Therapist tab of www.CentralPAEFT.com for another skilled EFT therapist who might have the availability you are seeking.

No, I do not have weekend appointments. I do have a limited number of late afternoon/early evening session spots. I am a parent too and part of my taking care of my attachments is making sure I am home in those important evening times. Some folks who work during the day can come during a lunchtime slot, or at the beginning or end of the day. And many employers are willing to let employees come during the day, especially for a regular time slot that is predictable and can be factored into the weekly schedule.

See the “When are sessions” FAQ for more information on my availability.

If I do not have the availability you are seeking, I would encourage you to check out the other skilled EFT therapists on the Find-A-Therapist tab of www.CentralPAEFT.com.

I do have availability for new clients, if our schedules align, so reach out today!

To be considered as a new client or for my wait list, a potential client must reach out through the Contact tab and click on the “New Client Inquiry” button to let me know of your interest. (You may click HERE as well to take you straight to the “New Client Inquiry” form.) We would need to check scheduling compatibility and having a phone conversation to make sure what I offer is what you are needing. If it is and if I still have openings (on my current load or on my wait list), then at that point, we could move forward. I look forward to connecting!

I primarily do couples therapy. (I am taking a limited number of individual clients who are a good fit for Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) and a few clients for Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). I know many great therapists who offer the other kinds of therapy, if you are needing a referral. As for me, I have found my niche in doing Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). I am passionate about it! It is powerful and works! So, that is where I pour my primary energy and focus.

All sessions take place through teletherapy. I have found that teletherapy is very effective and most couples benefit from it and make progress wonderfully.

It is important that both you and your partner be in the same room for all sessions (no “Zooming” in separately) and have the space free from distractions, private (so you can be honest), quiet, cell phones silenced and out of visual range, strong internet connection with sufficient bandwidth, and a device that has a large enough screen, with quality microphone/camera so I can hear/see you well and you can hear/see me also.

I use Zoom Pro which is a HIPAA Compliant, HITECH Compliant, encrypted form of Zoom that is very secure.

I realize it might seem different to do therapy this way, and it can be very effective. Even if the technology is uncomfortable for you, rest assured that we will spend some time early on helping you get acclimated to it so you can be freed up to do what you came for: work on your relationship.

Other questions? Let me know!

I expect clients to pay something toward their bill every session. It is ideal for you to pay your full amount at the time of service each week. This is part of how we take care of each other: I provide a service to care for you and your relationship, and you honor that by paying your fee each week. The reality is that I don’t get paid until you pay.

If you are not able to pay the full amount within a single week, please discuss with me your circumstances and if you need to arrange a payment plan.

If you do not have a payment plan, and get behind by two session fees’ worth and do not pay in full before the next scheduled session, we may need to pause or end counseling. Part of my caring for you is also making sure you don’t get sunk under a huge bill. That wouldn’t be good for your relationship either! So, if my fees are not a good fit for what you can afford, please know there are other options out there and we can try to find you another EFT therapist whose fees would be more doable for you.

Payment may be made in the following ways::
1) Check (payable to “Growing Connections PLLC”)
2) Credit Card
3) Debit Card
4) HSA Card
5) FSA Card

No. You are both important and I need you both present to have sessions be fruitful. If you see me as a “dance coach” and you want me to help you with your dance, I can’t do that if only half of the dance is in the room. I need both of you present for all sessions (with the exception of our two 1:1 sessions at the start of therapy).

So, if you’re partner can’t come to a session, you must contact me and cancel the session. Be mindful of the cancellation policy so you don’t incur a fee. See the Cancellation Policy FAQ.

I ask that you give me at least 24 hours’ notice (ideally 48 hours or more) if you are not able to use your regularly weekly scheduled session slot. That time is reserved just for you.

Out of respect for me, our relationship, and the time reserved for you, I ask that you let me know (by email or phone) if you have a session scheduled and cannot come. If you had a session scheduled and you didn’t show, I would worry about you! And there are folks who might be able to benefit from the time, so you letting me know allows someone else to have their need met too.

If you do not let me know with at least 24 hours’ notice if you can’t come to a scheduled session for a non-emergency reason, I will need to charge you a late cancellation/no show fee. (See the Services page for rates.) An example of a non-emergency reason would be if your boss calls an “emergency” meeting on short notice. It might be an emergency for the boss, but not for our purposes. We might discuss how you could set boundaries with your boss, but it would still be a late cancellation fee. (Some bosses will pay the fee, if you let them know their last minute meeting caused you to miss a doctor’s appointment and now you incurred a late cancellation fee.)

Examples of emergency reasons for which I would not charge you for cancelling with less than 24 hours’ notice would be:

• You or your partner get sick the night before or wake up sick that morning and didn’t know 24 hours’ ago that you’d be sick. Still call or email me to let me know, and there will be no fee.

• Your child is sick. I understand how you need to take care of your attachments, so again, let me know and there will be no fee.

• The power goes out at your residence. We obviously can’t have a teletherapy session with no internet or power. Just let me know and we will reschedule, with no fee.

Go to the Contact page and click on the “New Client Inquiry” link to inquire about becoming a new client. It will take you to a form to fill out and Dr. Seibert will reach back to you to have a conversation.

Good for you for starting this new journey! You are brave! And the potential for connection, soothing, and healing is so worth it!

If you find that during our Zoom sessions, your screen starts showing thumbs up, etc., as you talk, and you are doing our session on a Mac/iPad, you need to turn off Reactions. Watch this brief video to learn how.