FAQ about Therapy and my services
Many people have questions when they begin therapy. I hope the information below helps you get the most out of our time together.
Is therapy right for me?
Therapy is helpful for anyone seeking the most out of their life, and it can be especially useful when learning how to deal with managing a stressful situation or problem. Other common areas of focus include: long standing psychological issues, anxiety or depression, grief, body image issues, parenting, and general life transitions. In my practice I provide support and work with clients to develop a greater sense of self awareness. I then teach the client new strategies to manage life challenges and help the client work toward a desired change.
Therapy can be helpful for individuals (including children) seeking the most out of their lives, managing stressful situations or dealing with problems. Therapy leads one to create greater self-awareness, develop perspective and work toward desired changes. Clients come to therapy to deal with long-standing psychological issues, problems with anxiety or depression and social issues triggered by unexpected changes in one's life. Working together with a therapist, clients gain insight, support, and new strategies to manage life challenges. Therapy can help individuals manage many challenges including depression, anxiety, conflict, grief, stress management, body-image issues, parenting and general life transitions.
Do I really need therapy? I can usually handle my problems.
Therapy is especially helpful for those wanting to take responsibility for their problems and find the most effective solution possible. In life we all encounter challenging situations and seeking out support when you need it can be a critical step in finding your solution. I can teach you tools such as how to avoid triggers, and eliminate damaging behavior patters to help you achieve your desired outcome.
Life brings challenging situations. Therapy is seeking out support when you need it, asking for and receiving a helping hand and learning to navigate through your life decisions. Participating in therapy is taking responsibility to address problems and learn different ways to cope or it might simply be learning how to enhance your life. Through therapy, you can acquire tools to avoid triggers, eliminate damaging patterns of behavior, and overcome challenges.
How can therapy help me?
Counselors help you learn to manage and develop insight into interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues, and the routine of daily life. Tools you develop include
- Improving self-esteem and self-confidence
- Better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values
- Managing anger, grief, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Examining behavior patterns and replacing problematic ones
- Resolving problems in your family or marriage
- Refining skills for improving your relationships
- Effectively coping with stress and anxiety
- Improving communication and listening skills
- Improving social skills
- Developing resiliency to assist you in overcoming your challenges
What is therapy like?
Every therapy session is unique and caters to each individual's specific goals. We discuss your concerns in life in sessions that are typically scheduled in a series of weekly appointments with each session lasting 50 minutes. Therapy can be short term and focus on a specific issue, or long term to address more complex issues and foster ongoing personal growth. In each session you can expect compassion, respect and understanding. We will work to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings to ultimately develop a strategy for enacting positive change in your life. To assist you in processing what we discuss in our sessions and integrate it into your life I occasionally may ask you to take actions outside of the office like some light reading or tracking certain behaviors. I do this because therapy is most effective when the participants are actively working to accomplish their goals.
Each therapy session is unique and caters to each individual and his or her specific goals. It is standard for therapists to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life during therapy sessions. It is common to schedule a series of weekly sessions, where each session lasts around fifty minutes. Therapy can be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing issues that are more complex or ongoing personal growth. There may be times when you are asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or keeping records to track certain behaviors. It is important to process what has been discussed and integrate it into your life between sessions. For therapy to be most effective, you must be an active participant, both during and between the sessions. People seeking psychotherapy are willing to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives. Here are some things you can expect out of therapy:
- Compassion, respect and understanding
- Perspectives to illuminate persistent patterns and negative feelings
- Real strategies for enacting positive change
- Effective and proven techniques along with practical guidance
Is medication a substitute for therapy?
You can determine the best course of treatment for your individual needs with your doctor, but long term relief from mental and emotional problems often requires a combination of therapy and medication. The client, working with his or her medical doctor and therapist can determine the best course of treatment for individual needs. Long-term relief for mental and emotional problems and the resulting pain are not solved by medication alone. Through therapy the cause of distress and related symptoms can be addressed by insight and gaining ways of coping.
Is therapy confidential?
Communication between a client and psychotherapist is protected by law. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. Exceptions to that law include:
- Suspected child abuse or dependant adult or elder abuse.
- If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. In either of these cases I am required by law to immediately report the situation to the appropriate authority.
- If a client intends to harm him or herself I will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.