Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy at Catalyst

Catalyst specializes in CBT for adults with anxiety, OCD, insomnia, ADHD, and related concerns. Dr. Weatherford looks closely at how the problem operates in your life, including what triggers it, how you respond, and what may be keeping it going. That understanding guides the treatment approach and the practice you do in and between sessions. You should understand why a strategy fits your needs, how it connects to your goals, and how the plan can be adjusted as you learn what helps.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, examines how thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and circumstances interact to keep a problem going. At Catalyst, you and Dr. Weatherford use that understanding to choose specific changes to practice. Depending on your concerns, this might involve responding differently to worry, practicing ERP for OCD, changing sleep patterns through CBT-I, or testing strategies for attention and follow-through.

Sessions include discussion, practice, and review of what you are learning in daily life.

Yes. Catalyst provides therapy for adults in Massachusetts. Our work is especially focused on anxiety, OCD, insomnia, ADHD, overthinking, rumination, stress-related patterns, and the experience of feeling mentally “on” even when you want to rest.

Catalyst works with adults experiencing anxiety, OCD, insomnia, ADHD, overthinking, rumination, avoidance, intrusive thoughts, sleep anxiety, executive functioning challenges, and stress-related patterns. Treatment is grounded in CBT and related evidence-based approaches, including ERP for OCD and CBT-I for insomnia.

Previous therapy may have helped you understand yourself, navigate difficult circumstances, or develop useful skills. Catalyst may be a good next step if anxiety, OCD, insomnia, or ADHD-related difficulties continue to interfere with daily life and you want treatment focused on those concerns. The phone consultation gives you space to discuss what has helped, what remains difficult, and whether Dr. Weatherford’s approach fits what you are looking for now.

Yes. Catalyst offers CBT-based therapy for adults with anxiety, worry, overthinking, avoidance, perfectionism, and stress-related patterns.

Therapy helps you understand what keeps anxiety going, practice new responses, and build more flexibility in how you respond to uncertainty, discomfort, and pressure.

Yes. Catalyst offers Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, for adults with OCD, intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance-seeking, checking, mental reviewing, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty. ERP helps clients practice responding differently to obsessive doubts and urges so OCD takes up less time, energy, and attention.

Yes. Catalyst offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I. CBT-I helps adults address patterns that keep insomnia going, including sleep anxiety, time spent awake in bed, conditioned arousal, and effortful attempts to force sleep.

Yes. Catalyst works with adults with ADHD and executive functioning challenges, including difficulty with focus, planning, task initiation, follow-through, emotional regulation, and consistency. Therapy may include CBT-based strategies, realistic systems, and support for reducing friction in daily life.

No. You do not need to arrive with a formal diagnosis. Many clients start because they feel stuck in patterns involving anxiety, overthinking, poor sleep, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, or difficulty with focus and follow-through. Your therapist will help clarify what is happening and what treatment approach may fit.

Start by requesting a phone consultation. Dr. Jessica Weatherford will talk with you about what brings you in, what you hope to change, and whether her approach may be a good fit. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask questions. If Catalyst appears to be a good fit, you’ll discuss the current fee, availability, and next steps, including the option to join the waitlist when an immediate opening is not available.

Your first session is a comprehensive evaluation that builds on the phone consultation. Dr. Weatherford takes time to understand how your concerns show up in daily life, what you have already tried, and where things remain difficult. Together, you’ll begin making sense of the pattern and identifying priorities for treatment. This shared understanding helps shape a personalized approach, with room for your questions, preferences, and goals to guide the work.

Treatment length depends on your concerns, goals, and response to the work. Some clients begin with a focused concern, while others address several related difficulties. You and Dr. Weatherford review what is changing, what remains difficult, and whether treatment priorities or session frequency need to shift. Those conversations help guide decisions about continuing, adjusting, or concluding care.

Individual therapy sessions are typically 50–55 minutes. Sessions include discussion, skill-building, planning, practice, and review of progress depending on your goals and treatment focus.

Catalyst offers telehealth therapy to adults who are physically located in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, or North Carolina at the time of their appointment. In-person therapy is also available in Newton, Massachusetts. Appointments are subject to current availability.

The fee is $325 for a 50–55-minute individual therapy session. See Fees & Insurance for details about payment, monthly superbills, and out-of-network reimbursement.

Catalyst Psychology is a private-pay, out-of-network practice and does not bill insurance directly. Clients pay Catalyst for each session and may be eligible for partial reimbursement if their plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits. Reimbursement depends on the plan and is not guaranteed.

Catalyst provides clients with a monthly superbill containing the information commonly requested for out-of-network reimbursement. You may submit it directly to your insurer or use Mentaya for optional claims assistance. Reimbursement depends on your plan, deductible, and benefits and is not guaranteed.

Mentaya benefit checker

You can contact your insurer directly or review your plan’s online benefits information. Mentaya is an optional third-party service you can use to check out-of-network benefits and receive assistance submitting claims. Catalyst does not verify benefits. Confirm coverage and reimbursement details with your insurer before beginning therapy, since estimates do not guarantee payment.

• Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits?
• Do I have a deductible, and how much has been met?
• What percentage of the session fee is reimbursed after the deductible is met?
• Is teletherapy covered for out-of-network psychotherapy?
• Is there a limit on the number of sessions per year?
• Do I need prior authorization?

Yes. You may be able to use a Health Savings Account (HSA), or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), to pay for therapy.

Because plan rules vary, we recommend confirming eligibility with your HSA or FSA administrator.

Payment is handled securely through Catalyst’s client portal. A credit or debit card is kept on file, and payments are typically processed after each session. Receipts and billing documentation are available through the portal.

Catalyst requires at least 48 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule a session. Late cancellations or missed sessions may be charged the full session fee. Each client is allowed two emergency cancellations per calendar year without charge.

If you cannot attend an in-person appointment, switching to a virtual session may be available when clinically appropriate and logistically possible.

No. Catalyst provides psychotherapy and does not prescribe or manage medication. When clinically appropriate and with your authorization, Dr. Weatherford can collaborate with your physician, psychiatrist, or other prescriber. Medication decisions and changes remain with the prescribing clinician.