What to Expect

What Happens When You Call

Before setting up a formal appointment with new clients, I typically require a brief consultation on the phone to make sure I think we are well matched at the outset. If it feels like a good match, we will set up a 50-minute appointment to go deeper into what brings you to therapy and discuss your hopes and expectations for the counseling process. Appointments that follow are generally 45-50 minutes.

You can also e-mail me about making an appointment. Sometimes finding a good time to connect by phone can be difficult. Please know that e-mail is not a secure means of communication.

What Happens in Therapy

Therapy looks and feels different for everyone. It is often scary for people when they first begin because they do not know what to expect. Some people go through an internal struggle of not being sure if their problems are “big” enough or “important” enough to merit talking to someone.  Usually, after the first session people feel more at ease and more comfortable engaging in the therapeutic process, and trusting their instinct to reach out for help. Clients often report that the special relationship they develop with me as their therapist is what allows them to share things, take risks, explore, and be vulnerable. People say that they appreciate being challenged to look at things differently or to open-up and show more of who they are inside. For this reason, I believe that a trusting and safe relationship between myself and my client(s) is the key to effective healing. I work to create a sense of security and connection between us that will allow us to fully explore your concerns and take the risks necessary for growth. As we progress, we will look at current and past experiences that impede positive growth; we will work together to find ways to get rid of or get around them.

Overcoming obstacles can be a complex process! In our sessions, I provide the support and challenge needed to help you become more aware of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that impact your life. Often this is done through talking, sometimes it is done by exploring how these things occur in the relationship between us, or by developing more awareness of the physical sensations in your body. I see myself as a fairly direct therapist and I am looking to make the process action oriented as early as possible.

Please email or call me with any questions about how therapy could be helpful for you!