Frequently asked questions about therapy at AtReef

AtReef Therapy provides private online therapy for couples and individuals. The practice is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and serves clients online across Massachusetts and in other locations where care is legally and clinically appropriate.

My work focuses on couples therapy, communication problems, recurring conflict, emotional distance, trust concerns, anxiety, stress, relationship patterns, life transitions, and personal growth. Detailed information is available on the couples therapy services page and the individual therapy services page.

Therapy may be the right next step if the same problems keep repeating and your usual ways of coping are no longer helping.

For couples, this may look like recurring arguments, emotional distance, defensiveness, resentment, trust concerns, or conversations that start with good intentions but end in disconnection. For individuals, therapy can help when anxiety, stress, emotional overwhelm, or life transitions begin affecting work, sleep, mood, confidence, or relationships.

The first session is focused on understanding what brings you in, what has already been tried, and what needs to change. For couples, I listen for the pattern that keeps repeating between you, not just the surface argument. For individuals, we clarify your concerns, goals, and the practical direction for therapy.

You can expect a structured, thoughtful conversation. The goal is for you to leave with a clearer sense of what we are working on and how therapy can help.

You can request a private consultation through the secure scheduling portal. If you are reaching out for couples therapy, it is helpful to include whether both partners are open to therapy, what you are hoping to work on, your general availability, and where each partner will be physically located during online sessions.

Use the secure scheduling portal to request a consultation, or send a message through the contact page.

I help couples work through recurring conflict, communication breakdowns, emotional distance, trust concerns, resentment, intimacy concerns, betrayal repair, premarital concerns, parenting stress, life transitions, and patterns of disconnection.

Many couples come to therapy after saying some version of: "We have tried talking about it, but it still turns into the same fight." Couples therapy helps slow down that cycle and create a clearer way to understand, communicate, and repair. Read about couples therapy services in more detail.

For couples therapy, both partners should generally participate because the work focuses on the relationship pattern between you. If one partner is unsure, a consultation can help clarify whether this is the right time and format for therapy.

Individual therapy may be more appropriate when only one person is seeking support or when the work is primarily about personal patterns, anxiety, boundaries, or decision-making.

Yes, couples therapy can still be useful when one or both partners feel uncertain. The first goal is not to force a decision. The goal is to understand what has happened, what each person wants, what would need to change, and whether repair is possible or desired.

When there is major ambivalence, therapy can help create a more honest and structured conversation instead of repeating the same painful loop.

My couples therapy approach is structured, direct, and research-informed. I do not simply listen while you repeat the same argument. I help both partners identify the cycle they are stuck in, understand what each person is protecting, and practice different ways to communicate in real time.

The work is accountable without being blaming. My role is not to decide who is right. My role is to help both partners understand what keeps happening and what each person can begin to change.

No. Couples therapy is not about choosing a winner. I work to understand both partners' experiences while also naming patterns clearly. Sometimes that means gently challenging one or both partners.

The goal is not blame. The goal is responsibility, repair, and a more honest understanding of what is happening between you.

Couples therapy often needs more time than a standard session allows. Two people need space to speak, listen, regulate, understand the pattern, and practice a new response.

Longer sessions can be especially useful for couples dealing with recurring conflict, emotional distance, trust concerns, major decisions, or conversations that become intense quickly. Current fees should be confirmed on the current rates page or during consultation.

Yes. Premarital counseling and relationship checkups can help couples talk through communication, conflict, expectations, values, family patterns, money, intimacy, life goals, and how to repair after difficult moments.

This work is useful for couples who are not in crisis but want a stronger foundation before marriage, commitment, parenting, relocation, or another major transition.

Self-Reflective Relationship Therapy, or SRRT, is a relationship framework I developed to help partners slow down automatic reactions and better understand their own role in the relationship pattern.

SRRT focuses on self-awareness, emotional responsibility, communication, repair, and the ability to respond with more choice instead of repeating the same protective reactions.

Yes. I work with individuals seeking therapy for anxiety, stress, relationship patterns, emotional regulation, self-understanding, life transitions, confidence, boundaries, and personal growth.

Individual therapy is especially useful if you want to understand how your thoughts, emotions, habits, relationship history, or stress responses are shaping your life now. Visit the individual therapy services page for more.

Individual clients often come to therapy for anxiety, burnout, stress, trauma history, identity questions, major life transitions, relationship patterns, self-criticism, difficulty setting boundaries, or feeling stuck despite functioning well in other parts of life.

The work is focused on insight and change. We look at what keeps repeating, what it protects, and what practical steps can help you respond differently.

My work is research-informed and integrative. Depending on your goals, I may draw from CBT, DBT-informed skills, Gottman-informed couples work, mindfulness, relational pattern work, and reflective approaches that help clients understand the meaning behind their reactions.

The focus is not only insight. The focus is helping you develop practical ways to respond differently in your life and relationships.

When clinically useful, I may suggest reflection questions, communication practices, skills exercises, or small between-session tasks. These are meant to help you apply therapy in real life, not create busywork.

AtReef Therapy emphasizes focused, intentional care. Progress and goals are reviewed so therapy remains directional rather than open-ended without a clear purpose.

Yes. AtReef Therapy currently provides online therapy only. Sessions are held through secure video, allowing you to meet from your home, office, or another private space.

Online therapy can be a good fit for busy professionals, couples with demanding schedules, and clients who value privacy, convenience, and focused care without travel or waiting rooms.

Sessions are held through a secure video platform, and sessions are not recorded. I recommend that each client joins from a private space with a reliable internet connection and headphones when possible.

Confidentiality has legal and ethical limits, such as safety concerns or situations required by law. These limits are reviewed in intake paperwork before therapy begins.

Online therapy depends on where you are physically located at the time of session. AtReef Therapy primarily serves clients in Massachusetts and may also be able to work with clients in states where I am licensed or legally permitted to provide care.

If you are outside Massachusetts, include your location when you contact me so I can confirm whether services are available.

Often, yes, as long as each partner is in a private location where online therapy is legally and clinically appropriate. Each partner should have a reliable internet connection, a device with video, and enough privacy to speak openly.

Please include where each partner will be located when you request a consultation.

Yes. AtReef Therapy is an affirming practice for LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and relationships. Care should be respectful, culturally responsive, and grounded in the client's actual lived experience.

More about affirming care for LGBTQ+ clients is available on the dedicated page.

Current website pricing lists couples therapy at $350 for a 60-minute session and individual therapy at $300 for a 60-minute session. A private consultation is available before beginning therapy.

Fees can change, and any longer or specialized session should be confirmed directly. The most up-to-date pricing is on the rates and fees page.

No. AtReef Therapy does not bill insurance directly for couples therapy. Couples therapy is private pay.

This helps keep the work focused on your relationship goals rather than insurance requirements, diagnostic restrictions, or limits that may not fit the complexity of couples work.

AtReef Therapy has limited availability for individual therapy clients using insurance. Availability may change depending on schedule, plan, and clinical fit.

If you are seeking individual therapy and want to use insurance, mention this when you contact me so current options can be reviewed.

If you have out-of-network benefits, AtReef Therapy can provide documentation for possible reimbursement when appropriate. AtReef Therapy also uses Mentaya to help eligible clients check benefits and submit out-of-network claims when applicable.

Reimbursement is not guaranteed and depends on your insurance plan. Details are on the see the most up-to-date pricing.

Yes. If you are uninsured or choosing not to use insurance, you have the right to request a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs before services begin.

This estimate is based on the type and frequency of therapy discussed. You can request an updated estimate if your treatment plan changes. Read the No Surprises Act notice for full details.

Appointment times are reserved specifically for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please provide at least 24 hours' notice. Late cancellations and missed appointments may be charged according to the practice policy.

Full policy details are reviewed in your intake paperwork before therapy begins.

You may contact me between sessions for practical matters such as scheduling, forms, billing, or brief updates. Therapy is not provided by text or email, and messages may not be reviewed immediately.

If something feels important clinically, we will usually bring it into the next session where it can be addressed with appropriate time and privacy.

Please include whether you are seeking couples therapy or individual therapy, your location at the time of online sessions, your general availability, and a brief description of what you hope therapy will help with.

For couples therapy, include whether both partners know about the request and whether both are open to attending. You can use the contact page or the book a session through the secure portal.

AtReef Therapy is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or believe you may harm yourself or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are in the United States and need immediate emotional crisis support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. View additional crisis resources on the get help page.

Couples therapy may not be appropriate or safe when there is active violence, coercive control, intimidation, or fear of retaliation. Safety comes first.

If you are concerned about immediate safety, use emergency resources first. If you are unsure whether couples therapy is appropriate, raise this privately during consultation so the safest next step can be discussed.

My work combines clinical training, research-informed methods, and practical relationship tools. I often draw from CBT, DBT-informed skills, Gottman-informed couples work, mindfulness, and reflective approaches that help clients understand the patterns beneath their reactions.

Read more about Dr. Shabahang's background on the about page.

AtReef Therapy is a deliberately small, high-touch private practice. The work is structured, prepared, and focused on meaningful change rather than a generic or one-size-fits-all process.

Clients often choose AtReef Therapy because they want direct, thoughtful, research-informed care with a clear therapeutic direction.

You can explore the therapy resources library, the read about couples therapy services in more detail, the visit the individual therapy services page, and the about page for more information about therapy, relationship work, and AtReef Therapy.

For urgent support, see the get help now page.