Is this the first time you’ve ever sought out therapy? No problem! Here is a little bit of information about the process. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is more than discussing your problems or venting about what is not going well in your life. This tends to feel good in the short-term but does not help people make meaningful, long-term change. Psychotherapy is a treatment process that involves making changes in ways of feeling, thinking, or acting. You do not have to know right now what changes will be beneficial. We will work together to help you figure out what will help you get to where you want to be in life. Psychotherapy is time-limited and is often focused on learning new skills to help you better deal with emotions or thoughts in order to take different actions in your life. To a large degree, a successful treatment outcome depends on the amount of energy and effort you make. Just as if you were learning a new language or training for a marathon, improving your mental wellbeing requires practicing the changes we agree upon in your everyday life.

What to Expect

Your first 1-3 sessions will be assessment appointments. You and your will discuss what your current concerns are, any symptoms you are experiencing, and how these things are impacting your daily life. Your therapist will also ask you questions about your history so that they can understand the important pieces of your life that have shaped you as a person.

From this point you and your therapist will work together to identify treatment goals, or the specific changes you would like to make during therapy. Then your therapist will discuss the different approaches they can offer you to working on your problems.  During this time you and your therapist will also be making sure that we can work well together in therapy.

Once you and your therapist have completed your assessment, identified goals, and agreed upon a treatment approach you will get started on making the changes you want for your life.

A typical course of treatment varies based on a variety of factors. Some people take less time and others take more time depending on the types of problems for which they are seeking help.