Dr. Lena Agree logo featuring her name and title as a licensed psychologist, emphasizing professional psychological services.Dr. Lena Agree, JD, PsyD – Licensed Psychologist and Associates

The Agree Psychology Team

Understanding Insurance Coverage for Therapy: A Complete Guide to Mental Health Benefits and Payment Options

Understanding Insurance Coverage for Therapy: A Complete Guide to Mental Health Benefits and Payment Options

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Finding affordable, timely therapy often begins with knowing how insurance treats mental health care — which terms drive your out-of-pocket cost, how to estimate what you’ll pay at each visit, and the steps to pursue reimbursement if you choose an out-of-network clinician. This guide walks through how insurance commonly covers therapy, explains deductible, copay, and coinsurance mechanics, and compares in-network versus out-of-network tradeoffs so you can plan care that fits your clinical needs and your budget. For readers in Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills, we include local pricing expectations, alternative payment options like HSA/FSA and EAPs, and a practical walkthrough for using a superbill to seek reimbursement. Dr. Lena Agree, JD, PsyD and Associates is described here as a local concierge…

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Schedule Your Appointment — Therapy & Psychological Services in Birmingham, MI

Schedule Your Appointment — Therapy & Psychological Services in Birmingham, MI

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Finding timely, effective psychological care starts with clear, simple next steps. Whether you’re looking for therapy for anxiety, couples counseling, executive coaching, or a formal personality assessment, this guide walks you through how to book, what to expect at your first consultation, and which service best matches common goals. You’ll get practical booking options, intake details, payment and insurance notes related to our concierge model, and a plain-language explanation of how attachment-based and mentalization-based approaches lead to real change. If you’re a busy professional, a parent seeking support for a child or teen, or a couple wanting better communication, this overview shows the right pathways and how to secure flexible appointments — including video visits. Read on for concrete steps,…

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Personalized Mental Healthcare Services: A Practical Guide to Concierge Psychology and Tailored Therapy

Personalized Mental Healthcare Services: A Practical Guide to Concierge Psychology and Tailored Therapy

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Personalized mental healthcare means designing treatment around your history, goals, and life context instead of relying on generic protocols. This guide clarifies what we mean by personalized and concierge psychology, how tailored care improves outcomes for high-achieving adults, adolescents, couples, and families, and which evidence-based approaches support lasting change. Many professionals and parents come in exhausted from burnout, imposter feelings, relationship strain, or developmental concerns with their children; personalized care meets those challenges by aligning interventions with your values, schedule, and responsibilities. You’ll learn how concierge psychology works in day-to-day practice, which specialized services address high-achiever needs, and why attachment-based and mentalization-based therapies often produce measurable gains. We also map intake and ongoing care expectations, explain privacy and access benefits…

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Understanding Relationships Through the Enneagram: Practical Insights for Compatibility, Communication, and Growth

Understanding Relationships Through the Enneagram: Practical Insights for Compatibility, Communication, and Growth

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The Enneagram describes nine personality types and the core motivations, fears, and habitual responses that guide them. In relationships, those patterns explain why we react in familiar ways during connection, conflict, and care. This guide translates Enneagram dynamics into practical steps couples can use to lower reactivity and strengthen intimacy: clear summaries of each type in relationship terms, how the triads (head/heart/gut) shape emotional responses, and concrete communication and repair tools tailored to type. We also outline how structured assessments inform focused therapy and coaching, and how attachment- and mentalization-based clinical methods deepen and sustain change. Along the way you’ll find quick-reference tables, time-saving checklists for busy people, and clear next steps for couples considering assessment or therapy—grounded in both…

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Choosing a Career Based on Your MBTI Type: A Practical, Evidence-Informed Guide for Professionals

Choosing a Career Based on Your MBTI Type: A Practical, Evidence-Informed Guide for Professionals

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How we prefer to think, relate, and make decisions shapes the work we do well and the settings where we thrive. This guide translates the Myers‑Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) into practical steps for career planning: it clarifies the four dichotomies, maps each of the 16 types to likely career clusters and workplace environments, and shows how assessment plus coaching turns insight into measurable career action. For high‑achieving professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders wrestling with role design, transitions, or legacy goals, MBTI can be one evidence‑informed lens to align strengths, values, and occupational realities. Within this article you’ll find clear explanations of the MBTI dimensions, quick career mappings, a review of assessment components and coaching processes, responses to common validity questions, and…

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Strengthen Family Bonds Through Intentional Family Meetings

Strengthen Family Bonds Through Intentional Family Meetings

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Family meetings are planned conversations where everyone in the household comes together to share news, solve problems, and decide things as a team. When done reliably and with emotional attunement, these meetings deepen connection by improving communication, trust, and shared responsibility. Attachment-informed research and mentalization theory show that predictable, emotionally safe gatherings help people name feelings, take each other’s perspective, and coordinate solutions — all of which support belonging and calmer interactions. This article explains how family meetings work, offers step-by-step guidance for planning agendas and roles, describes communication tools (active listening, I‑statements), and lays out collaborative problem‑solving and decision‑making methods. You’ll find practical templates, checklists, conflict‑resolution tools, and clinician‑informed tips for busy or high‑achieving families who need time‑efficient, results‑oriented…

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Child Tantrum Management: Practical, Evidence-Informed Strategies to Understand and Calm Outbursts

Child Tantrum Management: Practical, Evidence-Informed Strategies to Understand and Calm Outbursts

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Tantrums are abrupt emotional outbursts driven by frustration, unmet needs, or limits on a child’s autonomy. When caregivers understand what’s driving the behavior, they can choose responses that keep everyone safe and build regulation skills over time. This guide clarifies the difference between tantrums and meltdowns, gives step-by-step de-escalation tactics, outlines proactive parenting practices to reduce recurrence, and explains when clinical evaluation is appropriate. You’ll find short scripts, research-informed co-regulation techniques (including safe holding guidance), clear referral indicators, and how family patterns and parental emotion regulation shape child behavior. Read on for concrete how-to steps, side-by-side comparisons that clarify common scenarios, and brief guidance on tailored professional services for families seeking assessment or coaching. What Are Child Tantrums and How…

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Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children: Evidence-Informed Strategies for Regulation, Empathy, and Social Skills

Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children: Evidence-Informed Strategies for Regulation, Empathy, and Social Skills

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Emotional intelligence in childhood means a child can notice, understand, and manage emotions in themselves and others. These abilities support learning, friendships, and mental health across development. When caregivers intentionally teach emotional regulation, empathy, and social skills, children gain tools to handle stress, solve problems, and form secure relationships — lowering later risk for anxiety and behavioral concerns. This guide describes what EI looks like at different ages, offers evidence-informed, practical strategies you can use at home, and explains when targeted parenting support or professional care can speed progress. You’ll find clear definitions, step-by-step activities, observable cues to watch, and concise comparisons of therapeutic approaches so busy families can take straightforward action and know when to seek specialized help. What…

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Letting Go of Resentment: Practical Strategies for Emotional Freedom and Forgiveness

Letting Go of Resentment: Practical Strategies for Emotional Freedom and Forgiveness

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Resentment grows when perceived wrongs or unmet expectations harden into repeated thoughts and defensive patterns. This piece outlines why resentment persists, how it undermines mental and physical health, and what evidence-informed steps you can take to let it go. You’ll find clear definitions, symptom checklists, therapeutic tools (like cognitive reframing and mentalization), and conversational scripts for repairing relationship patterns. There are also time-efficient practices for busy professionals, a practical comparison of benefits from releasing resentment, and guidance on when to seek clinical or coaching support. Read on for step-by-step actions, brief self-assessments, and clear criteria for when individualized therapy or coaching can speed more durable change. What resentment looks like — and why it matters Resentment is a persistent mix…

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Strategies for Assertiveness and Self-Respect: How to Build Confidence and Set Healthy Boundaries

Strategies for Assertiveness and Self-Respect: How to Build Confidence and Set Healthy Boundaries

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Assertiveness means naming your needs, limits, and values clearly and respectfully. Self-respect is the inner sense of worth that makes those limits stick. This guide gives practical, evidence-informed strategies to strengthen assertive communication, protect your emotional energy with clear boundaries, and grow lasting self-esteem through everyday habits and targeted cognitive tools. If you find yourself people-pleasing, carrying chronic guilt, or struggling with fuzzy limits at work or in relationships, the steps below translate insight into behavior with scripts, step-by-step boundary work, and short practice drills. You’ll find definitions, core communication skills, examples for couples and professional settings, and clinical context linking attachment and mentalization to assertiveness. The guide also clarifies when coaching or therapy is most helpful and how focused,…

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