Do I need the surgery?

What are my expectations regarding the surgery?

Dr. Meshberg will review what you expect from the surgery, and whether than is what your really want, or whether there is something else motivating you to have the surgery.

What will I do if the surgery doesn’t meet my expectations?

Together, Dr. Meshberg and you will explore other options after surgery to see what alternatives are available, and to determine whether your expectations regarding these options are reasonable.

Are there alternative ways of making changes I want?

Yes, there generally are alternatives, but it is important first to ensure that what you want to occur as a result of surgery is possible and realistic.

What are the risks of surgery?

There are always risks involved with surgery. This will be discussed to determine whether you have had all your questions answered by the surgeon or their staff. Patients have a right to ask and get answers to questions from their doctors.

Employee Assistant Programs (EAP)

What is EAP? 

EAP is a program that companies, organizations, and governmental agencies contract out to providers to get help from psychologists.

Is it confidential?

If a supervisor tells an employee that they need to go to therapy because of a problem that is affecting their work, that supervisor can only ask whether the employee is attending; he or she can learn nothing of what is talked about in the sessions. If the employee realizes that they have a problem, they can go to their company’s EAP provider, and no one in their company can be told anything, including whether they are attending therapy.

How many sessions will I have?

Generally, this is short-term therapy or five to ten sessions. More sessions than are contracted for are available with authorization from the company.

What will be done in the sessions?

There will be a psychological assessment, as well as a discussion of the presenting problem(s). Sometimes psychological testing will be conducted to help determine some of the underlying difficulties.

It is necessary that I use EAP?

No. A persons can make use of the service, if they feel they have a need for it, or if their supervisor thinks that they can benefit from it.

Why are psychologists involved in forensic assessments?

Psychologist determine a defendant’s cognitive ability in order to help their attorney defend them in a trial, or to determine whether they were aware of what they were doing at the time of the alleged crime.

Where do you see defendants?

If the defendant is not incarcerated, Dr. Meshberg sees them in his office. If they are in jail, he can see them there.

How are assessments conducted?

Assessments are done with a clinical interview and psychological tests. There are many psychological tests, but only relevant tests are administered.

How long will it take?

That depends on a number of factors, including on what is reported during the clinical interview. The interview will help determine which psychological tests are indicated.

Will you testify in court?

Testifying in court about his findings is one of the services Dr. Meshberg provides, if needed or requested.

What is therapy?

Therapy is the process of helping individuals, couples, or groups to deal more effectively with their psychological problems and uncomfortable feelings.

How do I know if I need therapy?

If something is bothering you in your personal or work life; if your friends and family respond to you differently from in the past; or if you don’t feel the same pleasures as before, you could probably use therapy.

What do you do in therapy?

Generally, therapy consists of talking about feelings and problems in your life. On occasion, a psychological test may be used to help pinpoint problems.

How long will it take?

There is no one answer to that question. It may take five to ten sessions to work through a crisis situation to months for problems that you have been dealing with for most of your life.

What if I want to stop coming to therapy?

In a private practice setting, you can always quit therapy. It is a good idea to discuss with the therapist that you want to quit and why. The therapeutic process can make a person feel uncomfortable at times. Since people generally don’t want to feel uncomfortable, so they stop coming to therapy. However, it is precisely those times that they are overcoming their problems. If they continue therapy and allow the feelings of discomfort for a while, they will likely get relief from their problems.