Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy at Catalyst

Catalyst specializes in structured, CBT-based therapy for adults with anxiety, OCD, insomnia, ADHD, and related patterns like overthinking, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, sleep anxiety, and difficulty with follow-through. Sessions are active, collaborative, and focused on helping you understand the patterns keeping you stuck, practice new responses, and apply change in daily life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a structured, evidence-based form of therapy that helps you understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and the patterns that keep problems going.

At Catalyst, CBT is active and practical. Sessions focus on insight, skill-building, practice, and real-life application, so therapy does not stay only in discussion

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.

Many clients come to Catalyst after trying therapy that felt supportive but not specific enough. Catalyst may be a good fit if you are looking for active, specialized, CBT-based therapy that helps you understand the patterns keeping you stuck and practice new ways of responding in daily life.

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 consultation. This brief conversation helps us understand what you are looking for, answer your questions, and determine whether Catalyst is the right fit. If it seems like a good match, we will discuss availability, fee per session, and next steps for scheduling your first individual therapy session.

The first therapy session is a comprehensive intake. Your therapist will ask about your current concerns, history, symptoms, goals, and what you want therapy to help you change. You will also begin clarifying a treatment direction so sessions feel focused, purposeful, and connected to your real life.

The length of therapy depends on your goals, symptoms, progress, and treatment focus. Catalyst does not use a one-size-fits-all timeline. Care is structured and reviewed over time so therapy can adapt as goals are met, refined, or expanded.

Some clients come in with a specific concern, such as insomnia or OCD symptoms. Others are working on broader patterns involving anxiety, ADHD, overthinking, avoidance, or stress. In either case, the focus is meaningful progress rather than open-ended therapy without direction.

Individual therapy sessions are typically 50–60 minutes. Sessions include discussion, skill-building, planning, practice, and review of progress depending on your goals and treatment focus.

Yes. Catalyst is based in Newton, Massachusetts, and most sessions are offered virtually for adults located in Massachusetts. In-person sessions may be available by request depending on therapist availability.

The fee for individual therapy starts at $265 per session and varies by clinician. This reflects Catalyst’s specialized, evidence-based care for adults seeking focused treatment for anxiety, OCD, insomnia, ADHD, and related concerns.

Catalyst Psychology is considered out-of-network for health insurance plans. Many clients with out-of-network benefits may be eligible for partial reimbursement, depending on their specific plan.

We can provide documentation to support out-of-network reimbursement, and we can discuss our individual therapy fees and out-of-network options during your consultation.

If your plan includes out-of-network mental health benefits, you may be reimbursed for part of your session fee after submitting a claim. Catalyst can provide a monthly superbill with the information many insurance companies request for reimbursement. Your actual reimbursement depends on your plan, deductible, and benefits.

You can call your insurance company using the number on your insurance card or check your online insurance portal. Catalyst also partners with Mentaya, which may help you verify benefits, estimate reimbursement, and simplify claim submission when available.

• 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 medication. When appropriate, we can collaborate with your physician, psychiatrist, or other prescriber as part of your broader care plan.