WHAT TO EXPECT
We speak briefly to all prospective clients (or their parent/guardian) by phone prior to setting up an initial consultation. The initial consultation lasts one hour. This meeting provides us with a chance to discuss your interest in coming to therapy at this time, and to see if we are a good fit for working together. If we decide to proceed, we will typically meet on a weekly basis for 45 minutes per session.
THERAPY
Individual therapy is used to treat a wide number of emotional difficulties, life transitions and psychological disorders. A person does not need to have a psychological disorder to benefit from therapy. Often people start therapy during periods of life change and intense stress, and after a brief course of treatment, many people feel better and decide to stop therapy. Other people have more pervasive challenges or difficulties, and benefit from being in therapy for a longer period of time.
Individual therapy involves regular meetings between a therapist and a client. For kids and teens, regular or intermittent check-in meetings with parent(s)/guardian(s) also occur. Together, we come up with goals for your treatment, and check-in regularly to be sure that we are on track with our goals.
One of the most important aspects of therapy is that the client feels that she/he/they can trust the therapist, and feel comfortable talking to the therapist.
Topics such as a person's day-to-day functioning, struggles, fears, dreams, relationships, past experiences and hopes for the future often come up in therapy.
The therapist's role in treatment is to provide a safe and supportive environment where the client and the therapist can work together towards achieving the client's therapeutic goals. Therapy is intended to facilitate growth, healing and change. Therapy is a tool for living life to the very best of your ability (at any age).
therapeutic approaches
Our therapists draw from a diverse toolbox of therapeutic approaches.
We adhere to an eclectic approach in that treatment is designed to achieve the client + therapist's specific treatment goals. Treatment may incorporate tools and insights from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Exposure Therapy and/or Play Therapy. Our work may also involve the use of mindfulness meditation / relaxation exercises, art, journaling, games and more.