Insight into Therapy- questions answered

Introduction to Sara Tripalin, MS, LMFT

Founder/Owner of Peace of Mind Therapy, LLC

Hi Sara! Welcome to the Supported Nurse! I am excited that you are here to serve as a resource to RN’s and offer us your expertise! In order to understand your role, I would like to learn more and share with readers about your profession and your story.

What is your degree in and how is that obtained?

I have a Masters of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. This track requires two to four (+) additional years beyond the undergraduate degree. One seeking licensure must obtain a Masters or Doctorate degree, obtain 500 training clinical hours prior to graduation as well as accrue an additional 3000 training hours post graduation and pass one’s national examination to be eligible for full licensure. My license is regulated by State and Federal Laws, and my governing body of AAMFT. This license is held to the same standard as that of a Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Psychologist.

What made you become a Licensed Therapist?

My desire to enter the field of behavioral health was something I came to early on. At the beginning of my undergraduate journey, I had declared psychology as my major. With some twists and turns, after graduation, I ended up working in the business sector in numerous roles, the last role as a Marketing Director. As my life evolved and with a myriad of life experiences over the next 8 years of my life, I began to feel less fulfilled and not on the path that felt most authentic to me. With a lot of soul searching, support of family, and taking some leaps of faith, I left my job, and began the Master’s path towards my license in Marriage and Family Therapy. Many people, myself included, come to this field with some deeply meaningful reasons for doing the work. For me, I had faced some significant life transition experiences (grief/loss, marriage, blended family, health) and the impact of those experiences on myself and others acted as a “guide” nudging me back to the path of psychology.

How long have you been in practice? When did you start your Counseling Practice?

I have been practicing since 2009. I opened my private practice in March of 2011. My private practice has been one of my life joys and has shaped me as a clinician and as a business woman. I had the desire to be my own boss and create a practice that stood out amongst the many options. Peace of Mind Therapy is a practice of (16 currently) clinicians who are passionate, highly skilled, and share the desire to be a part of something that serves individuals, families, and our community in a meaningful way. Peace of Mind Therapy set out to challenge the old stigmas of mental health. We are designed as a “boutique” practice that recognizes its limits in scope of care, but of the population of clients that we do see, sets a high standard on quality and collaboration and meeting folks where they need to be met.

What does therapy mean? How does it work?

Psychotherapy or talk therapy is a means of helping people cope with a myriad of illnesses or emotional difficulties. First and foremost, finding the right fit with a clinician is paramount. Depending on one’s needs and challenges, the clinician’s therapeutic approach and skill set becomes an important consideration. Once you find a therapist that best matches your needs and therapy commences, the clinician and the client will create a treatment plan by identifying what the focus of the work is (the ways and means clinically to achieve that) and desired goals. Just as significant as finding the right therapist, it is also important to recognize that engaging in psychotherapy is healthy, and is an element of personal wellness versus the long-held stigma that something must be wrong with a person to seek such counsel.

How many sessions does someone attend?

One. One session is what is needed to start the journey around one’s mental well-being. There is no one size fits all treatment course with respect to the number of sessions. Sessions and frequency are determined based on one’s therapeutic goals and needs. Folks that come with life-long trauma likely will require a longer arc of care than someone who comes that is facing a life transition point of a new job, new baby etc. At the start of therapy, the number of sessions, the frequency and the goals/changes desired are all discussed and incorporated into one’s treatment plan.

Does insurance pay?

Insurance does pay. As a private practice, we are paneled with numerous local, regional, and national insurances. We also work with folks on an out-of-pocket basis. If one desires to use their insurance to cover behavioral health services, I would recommend reaching out to your insurance company, asking which providers are paneled within their network and if one has a co-pay and/or deductible as part of their individual plan.

What are the benefits of therapy?

There are a whole host of benefits to therapy. For many folks, finding someone they can build rapport and trust with and share their challenges with, has a huge benefit around reduction in depression, anxiety, isolation, shame and guilt. The benefit of a trained professional who can provide means and methods for coping and skill building is powerful. The benefit of externalizing and/or unburdening to another is an age-old benefit that we humans have formally (therapy in the modern age) and informally (family/tribe,community counsel across the centuries) benefitted from. To create an evidence-based means of tracking one’s goals and progress such as a treatment plan, has the benefits of accountability and congruence. The benefit of developing a relationship with a professional that is unbiased, free from the history and dynamics that one experiences with family and friends. The list is lengthy, but generally when you connect with a provider that you feel safe with, heard, and desire to collaborate with, you are already experiencing the early benefits of therapy. Most notably, people will express how powerful the experience is, how helpful it is, and how grateful they are to have a clinician who can walk with them during some of their most trying times.

Do you have clients that are Nurses?

A large percentage of my client population are healthcare workers, many of whom are specifically nurses. The physical location of my practice is in Madison, WI and Madison is a healthcare heavy city. We have the University of Wisconsin Medical School, it’s affiliated clinics and hospitals, a world renowned cancer center, and numerous health insurance plans that support the plethora of clinics and hospitals in our region. Madison’s backbone is healthcare and therefore, my high population of doctors and nurses.

How long does it take participants to see results?

It depends on the person. Generally, I have people come back after our first session reporting that their first hour was helpful and impactful. As we move through the assessment phase (sessions 1-3) and then into the implementation phase with treatment goals etc. most folks are benefiting immediately. Again, each one of us comes with our own unique needs and desires and results mean something different for each person. That is the benefit of a treatment plan. It is an individually tailored, results oriented, plan to be followed each session.

Anything else that you would like to add?

The first step in reaching out to establish services is always the most difficult. I, too, have gone through that process. I have experienced the anxiety, trepidation and sometimes depleting feelings of getting connected and established with someone I feel confident about. As I express to all my new clients, fit is everything. If you meet with a clinician, and you don’t feel like there is a “click” , a sense of join, then there is no shame in thanking that provider and going back to find another. The work we do in session is deeply intimate and I am aware that I am the one being “hired” not the other way around. The real magic of therapy happens when you have a provider you feel you can trust, who challenges you in healthy/appropriate ways, and can hold space for and is genuinely curious about the challenges you come with. If you are considering reaching out to a therapist, recognize that the first steps of connecting and getting scheduled are difficult but after that, the benefits are plentiful.

© 2022 The Supported Nurse