Tuesday, Jan 20th, 2026

Mental Health Resources and Blog

Octave Therapy has curated a selection of mental health articles to help you effectively manage daily challenges and achieve emotional well-being. Dive into articles covering therapy, relationships, mental health disorders, self-help and self-care, therapist advice and more.

How Does Couple's Counseling Work?

Couples counseling is like individual therapy in that it helps people learn new coping skills. But couples counseling focuses on developing coping skills within a relationship, such as communication, emotional connection, and trust. It also ensures that both partners feel heard. Couples counseling is effective in its goals, with about 70% of couples attending couples therapy saying that it’s had a positive impact on their lives.  Many people feel uncertain about couples counseling, worrying that they’ll be blamed for their relationship problems or feeling uncomfortable about being so vulnerable. But a counselor is there to be a neutral party and can help you share things at a pace that feels comfortable to you. Not knowing what to expect can also raise anxiety levels for people. So, in this article, we’ll explain more about couples counseling and how it works so that you have a better understanding of what the process looks like.

Relationships

5 min read

In Person vs Virtual Therapy: Pros, Cons, and How It Compares to In-Person Care

Many people reach a moment in their lives when they know they need support, yet they are not entirely sure how to begin. For some, the idea of sitting with a therapist in a quiet room feels grounding. For others, that same sense of ease appears when they can speak openly from home, with a cup of tea nearby and no commute waiting on either side of the conversation. Virtual therapy provides this second possibility. It allows you to meet with a licensed clinician through a secure video session and turns a familiar space into one where you can reflect, pause, and understand yourself more clearly. In-person therapy offers a different kind of steadiness, shaped by the comfort of sharing physical space. Neither option is automatically better. Each offers its own kind of support. We will explore in-person vs virtual therapy so you can understand how they differ, how they overlap, and how Octave helps clients choose the approach that feels most supportive for the life they are living now.

Therapy

6 min read

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Expert Comparison: CBT, DBT, and EMDR Programs

Many people seek therapy when life feels heavier than expected. Stress might feel unmanageable, emotions may rise quickly, or past experiences might return in ways that continue to shape the present. In those moments, it can help to understand the types of therapy modalities that can offer you support. Three of the most widely used, research-backed approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Each of these programs was created with a different purpose in mind, and each offers a distinct path toward emotional steadiness. People exploring these options often want to know how they compare. This is why we created a guide to provide a clear comparison of CBT vs DBT vs EMDR, including how these therapies work, who they support, and what you might expect from each one. By the end, you will have a grounded sense of what sets these modalities apart and how Octave’s licensed therapists can help you find the right fit.

Modality

8 min read

What is Stress Management?

“I’m stressed.” This is one of the most commonly uttered phrases in the twenty-first century. Everyone can relate to it: whether you are managing the demands of work, the stress of finances, dealing with parenting challenges, the pressure of exams, or trying to stay physically and mentally healthy. It’s natural that we’ve begun to think of stress as a problem. After all, we’re bombarded with information about all of the negative consequences of stress. Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t help. You cannot stop yourself from being stressed by stressing about it! The good news is that stress itself is not always a bad thing. Stress can help boost motivation and focus, can help us get organized, and can help us take action. It can also trigger adrenaline and other hormones which can improve reaction time and problem-solving. Stressful experiences can also lead to positive growth and personal development. Therefore, the best way to approach stress is not to try and get rid of it, because you don’t want to lose those positive benefits, but rather to learn to manage it. In recent years, mental health and mindfulness experts have developed practical tools for effective stress management. Before we get into these techniques, it’s important to understand what stress is and how it actually helps us.

Modality

6 min read

What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

If you have never been to therapy before, it is normal to wonder how the first session actually works. Will you be asked a lot of emotionally loaded questions? Do you need to prepare anything in advance? How much are you expected to share? If you have any of these concerns, you are not alone, since most people come to therapy with a simple goal: to feel better than they do now as quickly as possible.  It is important to know that the first therapy session is not about fixing everything at once, and certainly not about pushing you into anything before you are ready. When you know what to expect in your first therapy session, the experience often feels more manageable and less anxiety provoking. Instead of worrying about what should happen, you can focus on how the conversation feels and whether the support is right for you which makes it easier to show up just as you are.

Therapy

4 min read

Why Your Therapy Cost Is Different From Your Insurance Verification of Benefits

Before your visit, many healthcare providers check your insurance. This step is called a verification of benefits (VOB) or a cost estimate. After your appointment, your provider sends the actual claim to your insurance. This is when your insurance performs adjudication — a formal review of the claim. They look at the exact services provided, apply your specific plan rules, and calculate the final payment and patient responsibility.

Insurance & Cost

4 min read

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