How To Get Started
If you are contemplating therapy:
Therapy can make people uncomfortable. If you experience anxiety about starting therapy, remember that it is normal to feel uneasy when going through the process of self-reflection. It is also normal to feel uncomfortable when you start to share personal information with a therapist. However, growth comes from stretching yourself, trusting your therapist, and trusting the process. If you choose to start therapy, it will be important for you to remember why you want to change and what your goals would be if you were in therapy. You will need to continually remind yourself of the reasons you want to change in order to stay committed to the process. More often than not, people who stay committed to the change process see results. If you would like to ask specific questions in order to help you decide whether to move forward, feel free to call me and I will try my best to give you the information you need.
If you are ready to seek therapy but are not sure who to work with:
Initial phone consultation: If you are at this stage, I would encourage you to give me a call so that you can gather the information needed to make a decision about who to work with. Since you have many options, it is important that you regard conversations with a therapist as a way to gather more information to make your decision rather than feeling like you have to work with him/her just because you have had a conversation. Figuring out who to work with is often accompanied with a sense of urgency, anxiety, and sometimes guilt. I am sensitive to the discomfort that comes up during this part of the process and believe that you need to make the best decision for yourself. If it is decided that we are not a good fit, I would prefer that you tell me so that I can provide you with additional referrals based on your stated needs and preferences.
If you are ready to seek therapy with me:
1. Initial phone consultation: Before we meet in person, I prefer to speak on the phone so that we can both get an idea about whether we would be a good fit. The therapy relationship has been scientifically studied and shown to be one of the main factors that impacts the effectiveness of therapy. Taking the opportunity to interview each other is a very important part of the entire process. Therefore, not only am I thinking about whether I am the right therapist for you, I would encourage you to ask questions to find out if you can work with me. Common questions may involve my treatment approach, experience with specific conditions, and availability.
2. First session evaluation: If you choose to schedule an initial face-to-face session with me after the phone consultation, I will spend the first session gathering information about why you are seeking therapy. Since I am trying to develop a comprehensive understanding of your problem, this session may entail more questions on my part. Sometimes this session is overwhelming for people who have not been in therapy before. It is important for you to tell me what you need in the moment so that I know how to best support you.
Download these forms prior to your first session of therapy:
3. Fourth session summary and planAt around the fourth session (not always at this point), I will provide you with a preliminary summary of the evaluation process as well as a basic plan for treatment.
