What is therapy?
There are many different types of psychotherapy and psychotherapists. Therapy is personal, what you should look for is someone who is the right person for you. Therapists understand how important a good fit is.
Initial Contact
The hardest step is making the call, during the call we will discuss your concerns, scheduling, and fee. I will ask you some questions to better understand the situation, and try to answer any preliminary questions you may have. You can then decide if you want to make an appointment. When you schedule your first session, you should plan on coming 10-15 minutes early so you can fill out some forms, or to make this easier you can access my forms on the forms and resources tab. These forms are the initial intake forms--contact information, some questions about your health and habits, etc. During the first few sessions, while you are sharing more details of your situation, I will be getting to know you better and making an assessment.
Ongoing treatment
Most therapy is scheduled for one session per week, for best results and consistency. This is your time to talk and allow someone to listen. My job to help you sort out your concerns, gain new understanding, and learn new ways of coping in situations. Because every person and their experiences are different, I cannot predict how long the treatment will take.
Termination
Ending the therapeutic relationship is up to you. The best outcome is when you and your therapist agree that your goals have been met. It is recommended that you spend a few sessions at the end of treatment discussing things like: how you feel you have changed, what you thought of the process, how you will handle future events, and how you feel about leaving. You will always be welcome to return should you feel the need, or want a "refresher" session.