The Importance of Playing!

Practice what you preach! Those are the words that go through my mind as I encourage others to make time for themselves and give to themselves as much as they would give to others. But I'm just as guilty of taking better care of everyone else than myself. For the past 2-3 weeks now, I have been suffering from burn-out. A job hazard for sure in my line of work! And now I am no good to anyone...especially myself! I am tired, irritable, feeling resentful, isolating myself, and lacking excitement for life. (Sounds very similar to depression, doesn't it?) This week is my last week of work before I head out for vacation. A long overdue vacation! I haven't had a vacation in 2 years! Just to write that makes me a little sad. To think that I haven't made time for myself. Sure, I've had the occasional 3-day week-end, gone to get a massage now and again, and I've hung out with friends. But we all need to recharge by getting away from it all and focusing on our needs. Being self-employed, I've realized how much time and energy goes into my business. From seeing clients to managing the books to marketing the business, I invest more time into it than I do myself. I've also realized that since moving 4 years ago, I haven't quite settled into my lifestyle of fun and activities. I've certainly gotten involved in groups like Soroptimist, am the Vice President of my local chapter of CAMFT (CA Marriage Family Therapists), and have been politically active. But that is still giving to others! But what I haven't done much of are the things that I really enjoy like salsa dancing, biking, playing tennis, going to cultural arts events, going to plays, roller blading, wine tasting, and spending time in nature. (see that picture up there...that's beautiful Bidwell Park in the fall...and it's only 5 miles away from where I live!) All of these activities are accessible to me. But I need to make the time to, as the Nike commercials suggest, JUST DO IT! I need to play! We all have the need to play! So, I encourage all of you to get in touch with your inner playful child and do the things that you used to do when you were a kid! How did you play? I encourage you to practice what I call The Art of Self-Care by eating right, exercising regularly, socializing, doing date night with your spouse and leaving the kids at home, and just playing! Feel free to let us know how you play! Either leave comments here or if you're on Facebook feel free to look me up at FlorenceMFT and become a fan! You may also visit my website at www.florencemft.com. Now let's play! (photo courtesy of Carleen Clark)

Answering the Infamous Question...

Do you take insurance? This certainly seems like a simple "yes" or "no" question. But it isn't. It fact, it can be a somewhat complicated answer. Whenever a potential client asks me this question, I try to give them the easy-to-understand answer, "I am an out-of-network provider so it depends on your insurance plan." But even that provokes more inquiry and explanation. Sometimes, behavioral health plans are part of one's medical health plan and sometimes they aren't. If they aren't, then there may be different deductibles and co-pays applied. Sometimes, too, behavioral health plans are covered by a separate health insurance company altogether. So if you have medical insurance covered by Company A, your mental health counseling may be covered by Company B. And Company A and Company B can have different rules, procedures, deductibles, and co-pays. In other words, if you have medical coverage under Company A, they may allow you to see an out-of-network doctor but if your mental health coverage is through Company B, they may not allow you to see an out-of-network counselor. Confused? You're not the only one! And the worst part of all of this is that neither you nor your provider may be aware of this. I had a client recently who found me through her insurance company directory. When the claim was filed, it was denied because her mental health coverage was through another company who chooses not to cover providers outside of their network. We didn't realize this since her insurance card listed me as a provider AND she found me through her insurance company's directory! This doesn't happen all the time but it is something to be aware of. Therefore, when I get a call from a potential client and the discussion unfolds, I encourage them to call their insurance company and ask about their mental health coverage. Or to review their insurance plan paperwork. If they get stuck, I'm certainly happy to call on their behalf. So going back to the question of whether I take insurance? I am an out-of-network provider (except for Aetna) who chooses to seek payment up front and bills on behalf of the client seeking reimbursement. Whether the insurance company reimburses is in the hands of the insurance company. Should you run into problems or need more information about insurance, feel free to contact the CA Dept of Insurance by clicking this link.