What happens in the initial consultation?

During the initial phone consultation, we will ask about the main reasons you are seeking psychological services and what you would like support with. We will also share more about our background and expertise that is relevant to your needs. Together, we will discuss whether your goals will be met best through our services, and establish an initial treatment plan with us or refer you to other resources that may better suit your needs.

What kind of therapy do you provide?

Our providers have training and expertise in a number of different therapeutic protocols and approaches, but we approach therapy from a holistic, client-centered, and collaborative perspective. Overall, our approach involves analyzing your patterns in-depth, creating a blueprint of how your problems persist and where interventions may be most effective, and working with you to incorporate your personal skills, values, and strengths into the therapeutic process.

Specific adult therapy approaches offered include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for anxiety, mood, substance use, interpersonal concerns, and medical problems like sleep and chronic pain, as well as treatments for specific diagnoses such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) for trauma and PTSD, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and anxiety.

What separates Dig Deep from other mental health providers?

At Dig Deep, our practitioners have a strong commitment to both clinical excellence and client empowerment and autonomy. We want you to not just feel better, but to grow as your own expert on your own mental health. While we provide gold-standard, evidence-based treatments for your concerns, we also want to tailor these treatments to you, not just your symptoms or diagnosis.

Our psychologists hold doctoral degrees, providing a depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise that we hope to share with you in the process of therapy. In addition to general evidence-based psychotherapy approaches, we are certified to provide specialized treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure for PTSD and Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD and anxiety disorders.

Dr. McDougall has unique expertise helping children, adolescents, and their families cope with concurrent psychological and medical issues, with experience in health and medical psychotherapy in hospital and primary care settings. Dr. Keiser also has expertise in health-related psychotherapy, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for sleep, chronic pain, and substance use.

Review out About Us section to learn more about our specific areas of specialization to see if Dig Deep may be just the right fit for what you need.

How much commitment does therapy require?

Therapy often requires a commitment to being open and honest with yourself and your psychologist, putting in energy, effort, and time, and addressing difficult and uncomfortable issues - in other words, you do have to “dig deep”. But many people are surprised by how much motivation and momentum they build to do this work when they are getting the right services and learning effective skills that actually work to meet their needs. We will collaborate with you to determine the right level of commitment and timeline to meet your personal needs and preferences. Appointments can range from being scheduled twice weekly, weekly, every other week, or monthly or less - all depending on what works best for you. Connect with us during an initial consultation to discuss what setup would best suit you.

How much do services cost?

Services at Dig Deep have the same cost across all the offerings we provide, so you never have to wonder about costs. Hourly (60-minute) services are billed at $230, and are typically eligible to be covered in part or in whole through most employer benefits. We are happy to provide receipts to you which may be submitted to your insurance for reimbursement if covered.

We do not bill insurance providers directly at this time. We encourage you to contact your insurance provider to see what is covered in your policy and what documents they need to approve reimbursement. During our initial consultation, we may briefly review your insurance coverage to ensure that the treatment plan best suits your coverage.

How do I know if my therapist is the right fit?

Finding the right therapist for you is an important process, and we encourage you to look at it as just that - a process! An initial sense of connection, warmth, and empathy are essential, but fit is also more than a first “gut sense”. Communicate your goals and preferences and look for a provider who listens to you, responds to your individual needs, and demonstrates flexibility as they get to know you and what works for you. At the end of the day, the right therapist is someone who you:

1) Feel comfortable sharing your true feelings and experiences with

2) Trust to listen to you and respond to your unique needs

3) Gain knowledge and skills from, that work and make you eager to keep going

Will I get the same benefits from telepsychology?

Many people are finding that the accessibility, convenience, and ease of online telepsychology make therapy much easier to access and maintain consistently. Luckily, we know that those who choose telepsychology services for these reasons are not sacrificing their care to do so. Psychotherapy research has shown that the effects of virtual services are just as strong as in-person treatment, and when it makes therapy more convenient, it reduces the chances that people drop out of therapy before they reach their goals. We offer both in-person and virtual services to allow for our clients to choose what format works for them.

Employer benefits typically cover telepsychology services at the same rate as in-person services. Connect with us if you have any questions about options for virtual services.