FAQs Psychological Services Of East Lansing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a psychologist and what is psychotherapy?

Psychology is the study of mental processes and behaviors. A psychologist is a clinician or researcher with a doctoral degree who strives to understand the human experience by studying the development, functions, and actions of the mind and behavior. A psychologist promotes personal development by working to understand, prevent, and relieve psychologically based problems, issues, concerns, and dysfunctions.

A psychologist may combine different techniques and styles of therapy in the treatment of a patient. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, has several different approaches. Some more commonly known approaches include Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Play Therapy; though there are many other approaches as well. It is common for a psychologist to incorporate different elements of therapies to help a patient understand themselves, change their behavior, and alleviate psychological symptoms.

Do you accept medical insurance?

Dr. Titus participates with many medical insurance plans, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, McLaren, Physicians' Health Plan, Aetna, Cofinity, and Magellan. Other insurance companies with whom Dr. Titus is out-of-network may reimburse for treatment from a licensed psychologist. Some plans require a patient to meet the overall medical deductible for that calendar year before they will reimburse. For the most accurate information, contact your insurance carrier and ask about your mental health benefits. You can always choose to pay "out of pocket" in order to protect your privacy.

How long is each therapy session?

A standard session length is 50 minutes. Occasionally, a longer session (75-90 minutes) is necessary, but this is unusual and would be discussed in advance.

How often will we meet, and how many therapy sessions will I need?

Usually, sessions are scheduled once per week, although, more severe concerns may merit two or more meetings per week. Occasionally, when significant progress is made and a patient is working to maintain gains, sessions may be reduced to once or twice monthly. The duration of therapy varies and is dependent upon treatment progress. No patient is ever committed to a series of sessions and can decide at any point not to schedule any further sessions.

Do you have evening appointments?

Office hours are 9:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Friday. Some later evening appointments can be made available for patients with scheduling issues.

Do you prescribe medications?

Only a medical doctor can prescribe medications. If it is believed that a patient would benefit from medication, they will be referred to a physician for evaluation.

If you have additional questions, please Contact Dr. Titus or call Psychological Services Of East Lansing at 517-599-4934.