Psychotherapy
I specialize in individual therapy for adult men and women. My clients come to therapy for a number of reasons, including:
- Job anxiety and stress
- Relationship or marital problems
- Lack of motivation or feeling unfulfilled at home or work
- Difficulties making important life decisions
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Insomnia/sleep difficulties
- General unexplained depression, anxiety, or panic attacks
- Difficulties adjusting to major life stressors such as the loss of a job or death of a loved one
- Anger
What to Expect
I understand that reaching out for help is difficult, and even more so if you are new to therapy. My goal for this section is to outline the way I approach the therapy process. This will help you understand what you can expect from our first phone call to the final session. Of course, each person and situation is unique, and so it is important to understand that this process varies from person-to-person.
It is really important to me to speak to potential clients prior to the first session for a few reasons. First, it gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you have about my training, background, style, approach to therapy, and fees. Second, it gives me an opportunity to start to get to know you and what is going on in your life that has you thinking about therapy. Usually we can accomplish all of this in about 15 minutes. If at the end of the phone consultation we determine that I am a good fit for your needs, we will set up the first visit. If not, I am happy to work with you to find someone who is.
Your first visit will be a 60-minute appointment. The focus of this session will be exploring the reasons you are seeking psychotherapy, current symptoms, and relevant history. This tends to be a lot of information to cover in one visit, and so sometimes it requires another 1-2 visits to discuss all of this information. Sessions are typically weekly, but may be more or less often depending upon your specific needs.
After the evaluation period, I’ll talk with you about the way in which I am understanding your problems, and we will work together to develop your treatment plan. This usually includes setting short- and long-term goals, identifying the strategies and techniques we will be using to help you reach your goals, and estimating the length of treatment. We’ll spend our sessions addressing those goals and creating new ones for anything that comes up in the course of therapy.
When we get to the point that you feel you have met your goals, we will start to discuss termination. Termination sounds like a scary word, but all it really means is that you are doing well and no longer need therapy! This discussion happens well before we actually end therapy to give adequate time to process and prepare. I like to taper therapy so it is not ended abruptly. Usually this consists of reducing to biweekly, and subsequently monthly, sessions. It also includes scheduling “booster” sessions to make sure things continue to go well, review skills learned in therapy, or resume therapy if needed.
Teletherapy
If you have received medical or mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, you are probably familiar with “telehealth.” For those that are not, telehealth, or teletherapy, is therapy delivered via technology (e.g., phone, video, text). Teletherapy is a great option for starting or continuing your therapy during a time that we are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.
How does teletherapy work?
I facilitate teletherapy sessions through my practice management software. If we decide teletherapy is right for you, I will send you a unique link to a HIPAA-compliant video visit that you can access through your computer, phone, or tablet. As long as you are somewhere quiet and private with a good internet/data connection, you can have a therapy session!
Is teletherapy effective?
Yes! The research suggests teletherapy is as effective as face-to-face therapy. My own anecdotal experience with using teletherapy is that my clients have a much more positive experience with a video visit than they expected. Teletherapy also comes with some benefits that extend beyond pandemic times, including no commute to an office, less time away from work/family, and not having to arrange childcare.
Have more questions about teletherapy or starting therapy during the pandemic? Reach out to me by phone or email!
How Long Does Therapy Last?
The length of therapy varies by person. Simple, acute problems can be addressed over the course of 3-4 months, while more complex, chronic problems may require a much longer course of therapy.
All clients differ in how they respond to therapy because we all have our own stories, burdens, and worries. Some start to feel better after a single session simply because they’ve been waiting so long to tell someone about their struggles, but for others it is a longer process. Like all things in life, progress is not a straight line. You will have weeks where you feel great, and others where it seems like we take a step back. That is ok, what’s most important is that we keep working at it. I am confident that over time you will begin to feel happier, more empowered, and better able to cope with life’s setbacks.