What you can expect

At the first psychotherapy session, I will gather information about you and your needs. It may take a few sessions for me to fully understand your situation and concerns and to determine the best course of action.  However, during the first session I will discuss my general approach to therapy and how it may be helpful to you. The first session is also an opportunity for you to interview me to see if my personality is a good fit for you.  Don't hesitate to ask questions anytime during your appointment. Having a good fit with a therapist is critical for psychotherapy to be effective.

My approach to psychotherapy

I typically meet with people once a week for a 45 minute session, which I find provides the continuity necessary to understand problems and start to make changes.  Psychotherapy is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual and a psychologist. This is a dialogue; it provides a supportive environment that allows you to talk openly with someone who’s objective, neutral and nonjudgmental.  

There are many different types of psychotherapy; I will consider your particular situation and preferences and tailor an approach that will best fit you, your child, or your family.  Like most therapists, I tend to use a combination of techniques.

Key components to my style of psychotherapy include a focus upon addressing problems with current relationships with other people to improve interpersonal skills.  I find that increasing awareness and developing insight into one’s motivations, sources of dissatisfaction, and difficulties in making changes is very useful.  I try to help people identify unhealthy and negative beliefs and behaviors, and I challenge them with healthier, more positives ones.  I work with people to understand their reactions to stress, and help them develop more adaptive means to handle their emotions and responses to stress.  And very importantly, I work to support the development of one's self-worth and self-image that is consistent with who a person wants to be.   

Confidentiality

Except in rare and specific circumstances, our conversations are confidential. However, confidentiality may be broken if there is an immediate threat to safety (yours or someone else's) or when required by state or federal law to report concerns to authorities. I can answer questions about confidentiality at any time. 

Length of psychotherapy

It may take only weeks to help you cope with a short-term situation. Or, treatment may last a year or longer if you have a long-term mental illness or other long-term concerns. The number of psychotherapy sessions — as well as the frequency of visits – depends such factors as:

• Your particular mental illness or situation
• Severity of your symptoms
• How long you've had symptoms or have been dealing with your situation
• How quickly you make progress
• How much stress you're experiencing
• How much your mental health concerns interfere with day-to-day life
• How much support you receive from family members and others
• Cost and financial limitations

Psychotherapy is not a "cure" as it was once viewed in years past.  It is a means to gain the power to cope in healthier ways, feel better about yourself and your life, and make real, sustainable changes. 

Take steps to get the most out of therapy:

• Approach therapy as a partnership. Therapy is most effective when you're an active participant and share in decision-making. Make sure we agree about the major issues and how to tackle them. Together, we can set goals and measure progress over time
• Be open and honest. Success depends on willingness to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences, and to consider new insights, ideas and ways of doing things. If you're reluctant to talk about certain issues because of painful emotions, embarrassment or fears, let’s talk about them. 
• Stick it out. If you feel down or lack motivation, it may be tempting to skip psychotherapy sessions. Doing so can disrupt your progress. Try to attend all sessions and to give some thought to what you want to discuss.
• Don't expect instant results. Working on emotional issues can be painful and may require hard work. It may time quite some time before you begin to see improvement.
• If psychotherapy isn't helping, talk to me about it. If you don't feel that you're benefiting from therapy after several sessions, we may decide to make some changes or try a different approach that may be more effective.