Date: Fri 06-Feb-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

health-Reid-psychotherapy

Full Text:

Offering Therapy In A Private And Comfortable Setting

(with cut)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

There is no psychotherapy couch in Gwenann L. Reid's office.

"That's a 1930s-50s stereotype, the kind that Woody Allen pokes fun at in his

movies," Ms Reid explains, laughing.

A licensed clinical social worker who opened a private practice, Clarity

Counseling Services, in Newtown late last year, Gwenann Reid offers

psychotherapy and consultation services as well as individual, marriage and

family counseling at her office at 54 South Main Street.

"I'm establishing a generalist practice, one which serves a broad range of

needs in the community," she said. "In addition to psychotherapy, I have

experience in marriage and family counseling, grief and loss issues,

adolescent development, substance abuse, parenting issues, the problems of

persons who grew up with parents who were alcoholics or drug abusers,

infertility problems and the issues surrounding them, and issues related to

adoption.

"I also provide help in the area of general stress management," she said.

"Stress can lead to anxiety and physical problems. People can become anxious

and depressed."

Gwenann Reid earned two undergraduate degrees and a master's degree in social

work at the University of Wisconsin doing two one-year internships and holding

a part-time job. Offered jobs in California and in Rhode Island after

graduation, she opted for the east coast and went to work for a community

counseling center as a child and family therapist, working with at-risk

children in dysfunctional families.

Having worked at the University of Wisconsin's counseling center, she jumped

when an opportunity arose to take a similar job at the University of Rhode

Island. She spent the next seven years there, working with students and

consulting with faculty and staff.

"The range of students in college now is much greater than it used to be," she

said. "There are a lot of very young freshmen, of course, but also older

people returning to, or starting, college, and moms returning to graduate

school facing work, family and school issues. And, of course, there are a lot

of problems involving substance abuse among students at colleges and

universities."

While in Rhode Island, she performed two years of supervised clinical work and

passed the examinations required to become a licensed clinical social worker.

She also started her own private practice.

On a trip to Boston, Ms Reid met, and later married, Jay Higham. When Mr

Higham became vice president of marketing and development for a small public

health care company, Integra Med America, in Purchase, N.Y., nearly three

years ago, the couple moved to Sandy Hook with their son, Reid Higham, now 4.

As the mother of a small child, Gwenann Reid wanted a job that was flexible,

so she became a medical social worker and consultant, working with elderly,

ill, homebound persons, and also became a consultant for the state's Birth To

Three program, which provides services for eligible infants who are premature,

autistic and developmentally delayed. She also decided recently to establish a

private practice here. But one issue that she has been forced to confront is

the intrusion of managed care plans into the area of patient confidentiality.

"I question the ethics of submitted information to the insurance company," she

said. "For treatment to be covered for reimbursement, or to extend the

treatment for someone who is seriously depressed, the managed care companies

want to know, in writing, information that I feel is a breach of confidence

for a health care professional to reveal. If I have to say that someone is

seriously depressed and could be suicidal, that information goes into the

record and could show up later when that person tries to apply for life

insurance. But if I don't report the seriousness of the condition, the person

can be denied the request for additional treatment."

Often the person at the managed care company who is requesting the information

and making the decision isn't medically qualified to make those decisions, she

said.

"If a client wishes to use an insurance company for reimbursement, they can,"

Ms Reid said. "But I am also very willing to work with people on a

fee-for-service basis. People want to feel comfortable. They need to feel that

everything will be private and confidential. So that's how I plan to operate

my business. I want a private practice that is professional and confidential

and won't cross ethical lines like managed care companies ask you to do."

Ms Reid also offers services to companies to cover employees for both personal

and work-related issues involving a limited number of sessions.

For private patients, she offers initial free consultations of approximately

20-25 minutes.

"For most people it's very scary to go into counseling," she said. "But we all

have crises, we all have problems a few times in our lives. That's when

professional counseling can be extremely helpful. And by coming in and meeting

me in a casual setting, people see that it's not scary - it's not."

The role of a psychotherapist is not to tell people what to do with their

lives, nor to simply listen and not comment, she said.

"Psychotherapy is a dialogue," she said. "You help the person see what they

want to do, what is not working for them, what is right for them. The person

ultimately is helping themselves with your guidance."

Gwenann L. Reid offers hours by appointment. Her office at 54 South Main

Street is located in the building that also houses the Newtown Chiropractic

Health Center. For more information, call Ms Reid at 270-3722 or, if no

answer, 426-5439.