Guides

Therapy guides: plain answers to the questions that come first.

Before booking a first session, most people have questions: what therapy will actually be like, whether insurance will help pay for it, whether what they are feeling has a name. These guides answer the common ones in plain language. They draw on how Erin L. Smith, MSPC, LPCC, LPC works and on general information about the concerns her practice focuses on.

All guides

Start with the question you have.

What to expect in your first therapy session

From the free consultation to the session itself and the days after, a plain walk-through of what a first therapy session involves.

Read the guide

Questions to ask on a free consultation

What to ask on a free 15-minute consultation, from licensure and insurance to methods and fit, plus what to have ready before the call.

Read the guide

Signs it may be time for therapy

You do not need a crisis to start. Common signs that talking with a counselor could help, and what a first step looks like.

Read the guide

Using insurance for therapy

Which plans Erin is in-network with in each state, what copays, coinsurance and deductibles mean, and what to ask your insurer first.

Read the guide

How to prepare for telehealth therapy

Practical telehealth therapy tips on privacy, sound, connection and timing, plus the state rule for sessions with Erin in Kentucky, Arizona or Minnesota.

Read the guide

How long does therapy take?

An honest look at what shapes the length of therapy, from your goals to pacing, and why Erin does not name a number up front.

Read the guide

ART vs. EMDR

How Accelerated Resolution Therapy and EMDR compare in structure, session length and feel, and how to choose between them with Erin.

Read the guide

Signs of unresolved trauma

Trauma does not always look like flashbacks. Quieter signs of an old injury still at work, and the paced options that can help.

Read the guide

Is therapy confidential for first responders?

What stays private when a first responder starts therapy, the general limits every counselor works within, and how insurance and telehealth fit in.

Read the guide

Burnout or depression?

Exhaustion, cynicism and flatness can belong to either. How burnout and depression overlap, where they differ, and why it matters.

Read the guide

Panic attacks

What happens in your body during a panic attack, why the fear of the next one keeps the cycle going, and what can help.

Read the guide

Intrusive thoughts

Unwanted thoughts and images are part of having a mind. When they turn into a loop, why pushing them away backfires, and what helps.

Read the guide

Signs drinking has become a problem

Drinking more than you meant to, hiding the amount, needing it to switch off. Signs worth taking seriously, without shame, and where to start.

Read the guide

01Guides

How to use these guides

Skim the titles and start with whichever one matches the question on your mind. Each guide links to the specialty and approach pages that go deeper, so you can follow a thread as far as it is useful. Some people read one guide and book a consultation; others read several over a few weeks before they feel ready. Both are fine. If a guide raises a question it does not answer, write it down and bring it to your first conversation with Erin.

02Guides

What these guides are, and are not

These guides are general information. They are not a diagnosis, they cannot account for the details of your situation, and they are not a substitute for care from a licensed clinician. No guide can promise how therapy will go for you. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. This practice is not a crisis service and messages are not monitored around the clock.

03Guides

When reading is not enough

Reading can help you name what is going on, but it cannot listen back. When you are ready to talk with someone, the first step is a free 15-minute consultation by telehealth, with no obligation to book anything afterward. Sessions are available in person at the Georgetown, Kentucky office or by telehealth anywhere in Kentucky, Arizona and Minnesota.

Work with me

Have a question these guides do not answer?

Bring it to a free 15-minute consultation. Erin will answer what she can and tell you honestly whether her practice is the right fit.

Free 15-minute consultation

Book a consultation with Erin

Fifteen minutes by telehealth, at no charge. You can describe what is going on, ask how Erin works, and decide afterward whether to book a first session. Scheduling opens in her secure SimplePractice portal.

Schedule your free consultation

Opens the SimplePractice client portal in a new tab.