How do I schedule an appointment?
You can send me an email with your phone number and the best time to reach you, or you can call. If I don’t pick up, I’m probably in the middle of a session. Leave a message in my voicemail and I will return your call just as soon as I can.
How long are appointments and how many will I need?
Appointments are approximately 45 minutes long. Some clients prefer weekly appointments in an effort to resolve problems more quickly. Others prefer to schedule appointments every other week. I also meet with some clients once per month, if that works best for them.
Each client comes in with unique goals for his or her therapy. Some have a specific problem that can be addressed and resolved in just a few sessions. Others have multiple issues and require ongoing sessions over a longer period of time.
What can I expect during the first appointment?
I will ask you to fill out forms and sign consents. If you plan to use your insurance, I will make copies of your insurance card. This will take about 5 minutes. Afterwards, I will ask questions about your personal history, family history, and about the problems that led you to seek counseling. I prefer to gather this information directly from you, rather than to have you fill out more forms. I find it valuable to discuss your history in an informal manner and it allows me to ask follow-up questions.
Some people who have never attended therapy before may be a little nervous. This is quite normal and I will try to put you at ease. You can tell me as much or as little as you feel comfortable with during our initial and future sessions.
After the first session, then what?
Most people feel more relaxed by the second session. You may be ready to begin the process of figuring out what is causing your distress and we can start to identify the goals you'd like to achieve. We will write them down and will periodically look them over to get a reading on how much you have achieved or whether your goals need to be modified.
Depending upon your issues and wishes, we can also discuss what type of therapy you would most benefit from. I use a wide variety of counseling theories and techniques in my sessions, and can explain how each one works and why one might work better for you than another. As I said before: there are no mysteries here. You will be an informed consumer and can choose whatever you are the most comfortable with.
How long does therapy take?
This depends upon your particular issues and how much you would like to accomplish. After some sessions, you should begin to develop more control over your emotions and the things that once seemed beyond your control. We will know if your goals are being met because we will look at them and rate the degree to which you feel you are meeting them.
As your goals are met and problems decrease, so does your need for therapy. At this point, you may decide to reduce the frequency of your appointments. When all your goals are met or you feel your issues are under good control, you may decide to stop therapy.
Many of my clients return to therapy after some period of time has passed. Either other issues have surfaced or they feel a need for a "tune up." I always reserve space for returning clients before I take on new ones.
