Dr. Alison Niblick

07/11/2023

Breaking news! Dr. Alison Niblick now has authorization to practice inter jurisdictional telepsychology via the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) !!!

So what does that mean?

It's fancy language that says you no longer need to be physically located in Pennsylvania solely to work with Dr. Niblick. Per this authorization, Dr. Niblick can work with you in therapy if you are located in Pennsylvania, as well as if you are located in:

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming.

Hip hip, hooray!

06/28/2023

In this final week of Pride month, trauma specialist Dr. Jamie Marich brings us her Lullaby for Pride. Dr. Marich tells us this song “is dedicated to all of us who identify as q***r, LGBTQIA+....So many of us have survived, and so many of us have not. If you’re here and have lived to tell the tale, please sing, celebrate and rejoice in honor of the beauty that you are.”

Happy Pride, Dear Ones.

An impromptu car sing in honor of Pride 2023 and all survivors of spiritual abuse and trauma.

12/21/2022

The holidays can be hard, Dear Ones. That's why my office will be open for an abbreviated week (Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10A to 6P) next week (12/27-12/28). Go gently on yourselves, and if it helps, remember that laughter is a potent medicine.

[Image descriptions: 2 tweets written in black text on a white background. The first tweet reads, "Doing teletherapy from your childhood home is kind of like 'reporting to you live from the scene of the accident.'" The first tweet is attributed to Brad Wetherell.

The second tweet reads: "oh no i've made too much progress in therapy since i was last around my family and i no longer have patience for pretending that how they treat me is acceptable and it's getting me in trouble." The second tweet is attributed to anna borges]

10/20/2022

"What's with all the plant and nature pictures on your site, Dr. Alison?" you may be asking.
Good question! I will admit, someone who knows me outside my role as a psychologist thought on first glance that my therapy website was actually a plant store. 😆 I can understand their confusion - I sure do use a lot of nature imagery!
Where does that nature fixation come from, you may wonder? Well, I am an avid permaculture gardener and absolutely love nature and the outdoors. That isn't the only reason, however. A plethora of research suggests that spending time in and connecting with nature are extremely beneficial to human health - even human mental health!
Is that to say that immersion in nature alone can "cure" the issues that often bring people to therapy? Probably not. However, spending some time in a natural setting, like a park or a wooded area, or even adding a few houseplants to the areas you spend most of your waking hours can have a surprisingly positive impact on your mental health and sense of wellbeing. Try it out! 😊🌱😊🌳
PS: If you'd like to learn more about some of the positive impacts of nature on mental health, here are some articles:

https://tinyurl.com/natureandbrain
https://tinyurl.com/exposuretobluespaces
https://tinyurl.com/natureprescriptions

[Image description: a 5-picture collage. Clockwise, there is a closeup image of green leaves with white and yellow variegation, followed by an image of pink lotus flowers with green leaves, followed by a closeup of green and purple succulents, followed by a sketch of a human brain with flowers growing out of it set against a backdrop of a page from an antique book. In the center of the collage there is a green square with a white moon with a flowering tree growing out of it. The words, Dr. Alison Niblick and Clinical Psychologist are written on the green square in a light pink font.]

10/10/2022

Ruh roh! Technical difficulties - please stand by.
We’ve heard from some folks that when they call Dr. Niblick’s office (484-714-0376,) they receive a message that the number is disconnected. The number is in service, thus, we’re not 100% sure why this is happening. The phone company has been made aware of this issue, and we are hoping it will be resolved soon.
In the meantime! If you’re calling from a T-Mobile cell phone (which seems to be the common denominator in this issue), try calling from a landline or a cell phone serviced by a different carrier, if you have access to either of these options. If you experience this issue and don’t have access to a landline or a different cell phone (not many folks have more than one cell, am I right?), texting Dr. Niblick’s office still works. So long as you are comfortable with the fact that texting is not an entirely secure mode of communication, you can send a brief text (no clinical information, please) stating who you are and requesting a call back.
Again, we are so sorry for the inconvenience, and hope to have this issue resolved soon!
[Image description: a graphic with brightly colored boxes and the message "Technical difficulties: Please stand by" written in white letters on a black background.]

10/03/2022

Exciting news!

Dr. Niblick's practice can now accept clients with Geisinger health insurance!

Check out this link to see if your Geisinger plan is covered.

09/06/2022

So, how does your telehealth practice work, Dr. Niblick? How do I get set up as a new client?
I’m so glad you asked! For starters, I typically infer that when someone is looking for a therapist, they’re probably not having the best day of their life. Thus, I try to make the process of getting started with me in therapy as easy and comfortable as possible. Here’s a general overview of what you’d want to do:
Step 1: Give me a call at 484-714-0376 and let me know that you’re interested in beginning therapy with me. We will then schedule a completely FREE 20 minute consultation on a day and at a time that works for both of us.
Step 2: Consult! We’ll use my secure telehealth platform to chat for 20-25 minutes, with the goal of determining 4 things:
A: What’s happening in your life that motivated you to look into therapy?
B: Are your needs and my skills a good fit?
C: Is telehealth the best therapy modality for you?
D: Do you feel comfortable working with me on the issues that are bringing you into therapy?
Depending on the answers to those 4 questions, we will decide if you and I working together makes the most sense for you and your therapy goals, or, if it would make more sense for you to work with a different provider on those goals. Some of this determination may involve whether or not I am in network with your insurance company, if you are electing to use insurance to pay for your services; or, if my rates are in your budget, if you decide to pay out of pocket for your therapy.
Step 3A: It’s a match! If we decide at the consultation that telehealth is a good therapy modality for you, that your needs and my skills are a good fit, that you feel comfortable working with me, and that I am in network with your insurance (if you are using insurance) or that my rates are in your budget (if you’re paying out of pocket), we will then schedule an intake appointment. The intake helps us more depthfully explore the issues you shared at the consultation, as well as gather more information on you, your lived experience, and how to make this therapy experience as beneficial as possible for you. After the intake appointment, our next appointment will likely focus on goal setting, and from there, we can jump into the true, healing, therapeutic work!
Step 3B: It’s not a match. We discovered at consultation that either telehealth isn’t a good therapy modality for you, your needs and my skills aren’t a good fit, you don’t feel comfortable working with me, or I’m not in network with your insurance (if you are using insurance) or my rates are outside of your budget (if you’re paying out of pocket). Don’t despair! I promise I won’t say, “Oh well, it was nice to meet you, bye now,” and send you back to square one.
When someone meets with me for a consultation and we discover that, for whatever reason, it’s not a good match, I then use the information gathered through the consultation to generate a list of about 3 other providers who do accept your insurance/are in your budget, report specializing in the issues you’d like to work on, and are accepting new clients.
What’s most important to me is that people who come to see me get the care that they need. If that’s with me - great! If that’s with someone else - great! Everyone deserves access to healthcare.
[Image description: graphic that reads "Going to a counselor or therapist when you're feeling sad or overwhelmed should be as normal as going to the doctor when you have the flu. Let's end the stigma about mental health." Words are written on a white background with a colorful botanical border.]
Image note: I could not find the name of the artist for this image. If you are the artist or know the artist's name, please let me know!

08/22/2022

Did you know? Dr. Alison Niblick's practice is now on Mental Health Match! ☺️

Learn about Alison Niblick, a therapist in Pennsylvania who specializes in Chronic Health Issues, Cultural Diversity and Identities, Trauma & more.

07/10/2022

Yes! This practice accepts Geisinger, UPMC, traditional Medicare, some PA Medicaid plans (Medical Assistance), as well as Highmark insurance. (Highmark is the "umbrella" company under which many of the "Blue" insurances, such as Blue Cross, Blue Shield, etc. fall). We are also working on credentialing with additional PA Medicaid/Medical Assistance plans. Stay tuned for additional updates!

If you do not have any of these insurances and wish to pay out-of-pocket and seek partial reimbursement from your insurance company, you can pay the practice directly for your session, and the practice will provide you with a "Superbill."

Superbills are essentially fancy receipts you can submit to your insurance company. Upon review of the Superbill, your insurance company may provide you with some reimbursement of the fee you paid for seeing an out-of-network provider.