HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD TRY THERAPY?
The decision to seek counseling is very personal. For some, simply having a fresh, objective, and trained viewpoint can make all the difference in overcoming some obstacle or reaching an important goal. Others seek therapy when they find they keep struggling for some reason, known or unknown.
If your sleep, your job or schoolwork, or your relationships are suffering, that’s almost always a sure sign you would benefit from therapy, even with just a single session. Other clients seek help because they are falling into old (or new) patterns of behavior that are not ideal, or it’s become more difficult for them to make decisions, or they feel stuck or in a rut in some way. In still other cases, someone may simply feel “sad” or “numb” a lot, or that things just aren’t getting better, or possibly they may even feel hopeless. All of these are signs that it’s time to seek out an experienced professional to help.
WHY SHOULDN’T I JUST WORK THROUGH THIS ON MY OWN?
Not every problem we encounter requires a therapist’s expertise. Too often though, we know we’re not really getting anywhere but it’s just easier to put it off, to avoid reaching out for help and risk confronting something deeper. Sadly though, the tough problems that we dismissed as “just life” or “just a phase” end up interfering more regularly, defeating our happiness, making it harder to do our jobs or complete schoolwork, damaging our friendships and loved ones, and even making day-to-day functioning a challenge.
A trained professional can give powerful and immediate guidance and clarity and remind you you’re not alone. An experienced therapist can make your road shorter, much less overwhelming, and way more effective getting you where you really want to be.
WHAT DOES PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING PROVIDE?
Professional counseling identifies unseen obstacles and helps you uncover solutions. It gives you an opportunity to share your experiences and then gain new understanding and perspective. Therapy helps you set achievable goals, and begin to make lasting changes to help you reach them. It also gives you support as you dig deep to get to the root of issues and learn new strategies for changing behaviors and thoughts. You can walk away from a session equipped and empowered, which will help you regain control of your emotions and situations and develop healthy patterns for long-lasting improvement.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A THERAPY SESSION?
Each counseling session is unique to the individual or individuals in the session. Generally, however, in the first session you will tell me about yourself and some history relevant to the issues you came to discuss. You would also get to know me as a counselor and ask any questions you have about the process and what to expect. Whatever the issues and feelings, we will talk through them at a pace you set and in a manner that you are comfortable with and that helps you.
DO I HAVE TO SHARE THINGS I DON’T WANT TO?
Certain topics or stories can be difficult to share, and that’s normal and OK. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to, or that makes you uncomfortable. It’s important to build a trusting relationship between therapist and client, but our sessions always progress at a pace that you feel ready for.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
Therapy sessions are generally 45-60 minutes in length. Because counseling is unique to the individual or individuals in a session, ideally there’s no pre-defined number of sessions for a client. Sometimes a great deal of progress is made in minutes of a single session, but it’s also common for therapy to span several sessions or even longer if that is what you find is best for you.
IS COUNSELING COVERED BY MY INSURANCE?
Coverage varies greatly, but my services may be covered in part or in full by your insurance provider. CLICK HERE for specific information concerning fees and insurance.
ARE THERAPY SESSIONS CONFIDENTIAL?
Your privacy is critically important to me, and you can trust that our sessions and your personal information is held by me in the strictest confidence that is permitted by law. If you’d like to learn more about ethical standards and privileged communication exceptions, just ask, and I am happy to provide additional information. We will also discuss the limits of confidentiality in the first session.