FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE PRACTICE
What is Shadow Work Psychotherapy?
Shadow Work Psychotherapy is a small, private-pay therapy practice in Aiken, South Carolina. I'm Sydney Carter, LPC, a licensed professional counselor and EMDR-trained therapist. I work exclusively with adults. The practice is deliberately small so that each client receives the attention that deep work requires, not a worksheet and a referral out.
Where is Shadow Work Psychotherapy located?
In-person sessions take place at 900 Trail Ridge Road, Aiken, SC 29803. Telehealth sessions are available to adults anywhere in South Carolina. You can reach us by phone at (803) 216-5885 or by email at syd@swptherapy.com.
Is Shadow Work Psychotherapy currently accepting new clients?
I take on a limited number of new clients at a time. When openings are available, you can get started at swptherapy.com/contact. When the practice is full, I maintain a waitlist. If you're interested, reach out and I'll let you know where things stand.
THERAPY SERVICES
What kinds of therapy do you offer?
I offer individual therapy for adults, with a focus on trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and relationship patterns rooted in early experience. My approach is insight-driven and goes beyond coping skills to address the underlying experiences and beliefs that maintain the patterns bringing people to therapy.
I also offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for clients who want to process trauma and emotionally charged memories more directly. EMDR is an evidence-based approach that helps the brain reprocess stuck or fragmented memories so they no longer carry the same emotional charge.
Do you offer couples or family therapy?
Not at this time. I work exclusively with individual adults.
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes. Telehealth sessions are available to adults throughout South Carolina via a secure video platform. In-person sessions are available at my Aiken office. Many clients do one or the other based on preference and scheduling.
What is EMDR therapy and how does it work?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy that helps your brain process traumatic or distressing memories that have become stuck. During EMDR, you focus on a specific memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements), which helps the nervous system process the memory the way it would have if it hadn't been overwhelming at the time.
EMDR does not require you to retell the full story of your trauma in detail. Many clients find it works faster than traditional talk therapy for trauma-related concerns. It is particularly effective for PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, and emotionally charged memories that keep resurfacing.
What do you specialize in?
My primary areas of focus are:
Trauma and complex trauma (including PTSD and C-PTSD)
Attachment wounds and early relational injury
Anxiety and depression, especially when rooted in unresolved experience
Relationship patterns, including people-pleasing, perfectionism, and boundary difficulties
Family-of-origin dynamics
ADHD (assessment and therapy)
Shadow work and depth-oriented personal growth
I work only with adults. I do not work with children or adolescents.
What does a typical therapy session look like?
Sessions are 50 minutes. What happens inside them depends on where you are in the process. Early sessions focus on understanding your history, identifying the patterns you want to address, and building the foundation for deeper work. Over time, sessions may include trauma processing, EMDR, and working through the experiences and beliefs that shape how you move through the world.
This is not surface-level symptom management. The work is slower, more specific, and more demanding than coping skill-building, because the patterns that brought you here were built over years. That also means the changes tend to hold.
How often should I come to therapy?
Most clients begin attending weekly. Consistent, frequent work is what produces meaningful change, particularly in trauma-focused therapy. Frequency may shift over time as goals are met or life circumstances change.
How long will I be in therapy?
There is no fixed answer. Some clients reach their goals in several months. Others work for longer on more complex concerns. What I can tell you is that I do not hold clients in therapy longer than is clinically useful, and I will be honest with you if I think you have met your goals or if a different level of care would serve you better.
Do you work with a graduate intern?
Yes. Kaitlyn Miles is our graduate counseling intern. She is working towards a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Psychology from the University of South Carolina Aiken and provides therapy under my direct clinical supervision. Kaitlyn sees clients at a reduced rate. If cost is a barrier to working with me directly, working with Kaitlyn is a genuine option, not a workaround.
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATIONS
What is a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation?
A Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation is a structured, multi-session assessment that ends in a full written report. It is designed for adults who want an accurate, thorough understanding of what is actually happening, not a diagnosis assigned in a 50-minute intake.
The evaluation uses standardized clinical tools, including the DIAMOND structured diagnostic interview, and takes place across three sessions. You also complete a set of self-report measures before the first session so that your first appointment starts with real information.
The evaluation is offered by Sydney Carter, LPC, at Shadow Work Psychotherapy in Aiken, SC, and is available in-person or via telehealth for adults in South Carolina.
Who is a diagnostic evaluation for?
A diagnostic evaluation may be right for you if:
You have received different diagnoses from different providers and are not sure what actually fits
You need formal documentation for workplace accommodations, academic accommodations, or a prescriber
You have been in therapy for a long time and feel stuck, and wonder if the original diagnosis was accurate
You have a suspicion that something was missed, such as ADHD, that was never properly assessed
You want a clear, written understanding of what you are dealing with and why
The evaluation is for adults only. I do not administer cognitive or achievement batteries (such as the WAIS or WIAT). If you need that level of testing, I will refer you to an appropriate provider.
What conditions do you assess for in a diagnostic evaluation?
The evaluation is not limited to a fixed list. It is guided by your history and the concerns you bring. Commonly assessed conditions include ADHD, depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and trauma-related conditions, OCD, and eating disorder presentations. The measures used are chosen based on what your history actually calls for, not applied uniformly to every person.
Do I have to expect a diagnosis to pursue an evaluation?
No. A diagnosis is not always the outcome. The evaluation ends in one of three places: it confirms and clarifies a diagnosis, it corrects a prior diagnosis that does not hold up under structured assessment, or it finds that no diagnosis is warranted and explains your experience in terms of history and pattern instead.
All three are useful outcomes. All three include the same full written report, conceptualization, and treatment recommendations.
What do I get at the end of a diagnostic evaluation?
You receive a full written report that includes your history, the measures used, the findings, a clinical conceptualization (not just a label, but an explanation of how the pattern formed and what maintains it), and specific treatment recommendations. The report is written to be usable by other providers, prescribers, and accommodations offices.
You also receive a feedback session, Session 3, where we go through the findings together. You will not receive a document full of clinical terminology and be left to interpret it alone.
How long does a diagnostic evaluation take?
The evaluation takes place across three sessions: a clinical interview and history session, a structured diagnostic interview session, and a feedback session. Between sessions, I score the measures, write the conceptualization, and draft the report. If your history is complex enough to require a fourth session, it is included at no additional cost. The written report is typically delivered within two weeks of the feedback session.
What does a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation cost?
The flat fee for the Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation is $1,200. This covers all three sessions and all report writing. There is no hourly meter and no additional invoice at the end.
You can pay in full at checkout (credit and debit cards, HSA and FSA cards accepted) or pay per session through the client portal if you plan to seek out-of-network reimbursement. A superbill is available either way.
RATES AND INSURANCE
What are your therapy rates?
Therapy Intake (first session): $210
Individual Therapy (ongoing sessions): $175
Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation: $1,200 flat fee (all sessions and report writing included)
Reduced-rate sessions are available with Kaitlyn Miles, our graduate intern, under my direct supervision.
Do you accept insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider. I do not bill insurance directly. However, many clients use their out-of-network benefits to offset the cost of sessions. I work with Thrizer to help make this easier. Through Thrizer, once your deductible is met, you pay only your co-insurance amount at the time of session rather than paying in full and waiting for reimbursement.
You can check your out-of-network benefits at swptherapy.com/insurance-coverage before reaching out.
Medicaid plans do not offer out-of-network benefits and cannot be used toward sessions at this practice.
Why don't you take insurance?
Being out-of-network allows me to keep my caseload small, work with clients for as long as is clinically appropriate without insurance-imposed session limits, and make treatment decisions based on clinical judgment rather than what an insurance company will authorize.
It also protects your privacy. Insurance billing requires a diagnosis that becomes part of your permanent health record. Out-of-network care gives you more control over what is documented and where.
What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept credit and debit cards and HSA/FSA cards. Payment is due at the time of service. I do not invoice after sessions.
What is your cancellation policy?
I require 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule a session. Late cancellations and no-shows are charged the full session fee. Each client receives one courtesy waiver per calendar year.
GETTING STARTED
How do I schedule a first appointment?
New clients can get started at swptherapy.com/contact. Because I keep a limited caseload, I will let you know at that stage whether I have a current opening or whether the waitlist is the right next step.
What happens after I reach out?
After you submit the new client form, I'll follow up to confirm fit, discuss availability, and walk you through what to expect before your first session. If I don't have an opening, I'll be honest about that rather than leaving you waiting without clarity.
Do you offer consultations?
The contact form and follow-up is how I screen for fit. Submit the New Client Inquiry form at swptherapy.com/contact, and you will be given an option to book a free 15-minute consultation on the confirmation screen..
I'm not sure therapy is right for me. What should I do?
That is actually a reasonable place to start. If you're on the fence, the best move is to reach out and have a real conversation about what you're dealing with and whether this practice is a good match. I'd rather tell you honestly that I'm not the right fit than have you start therapy that isn't going to help.
Shadow Work Psychotherapy | Sydney Carter, LPC #11662 | 900 Trail Ridge Road, Aiken, SC 29803 | (803) 216-5885 | swptherapy.com
Serving adults in Aiken, SC and throughout South Carolina via telehealth.