FAQ

Almost everyone is familiar with therapy these days thanks to award-winning shows like the “Sopranos” and features in pop culture and social media. Despite this familiarity, few people can define therapy or know what it is supposed to accomplish.

Most people know they can see a therapist when they feel down or want to discuss something bothering them. Rarely do people understand how the process works. I want you to be informed about how it works. Therapy changes harmful thoughts, feelings, or behaviors through various tools, including talking and guided mental and physical exercises.

Thoughts: How we think about something matters because how we think about something determines our experience of it. We cannot control what happens to us in life, but we can use various tools to help us control how we think about it. Through therapy, we learn valuable ways of thinking about people, events, and circumstances to help us manage life and cope with stressors. Our thoughts are also directly connected to the way we feel.

Feelings: Have you ever felt sad for no apparent reason? Have you ever felt nervous and couldn’t figure out why? Although our feelings connect to our thoughts, there are ways of altering the emotions or their intensity before addressing thoughts. Therapists utilize practical tools and exercises to help manage feelings, so they do not disrupt your day-to-day life. Let’s face it, we all want to feel good but don’t always know how. Part of therapy is discovering the how.

Behavior: Behaviors are the actions we take during day-to-day life. Sometimes, doing certain things affects the way we feel. Other times, we don’t know what we are doing wrong, but we get a negative result. For example, why don’t I get the second date? Why do I struggle with job interviews? How come there is always a conflict between my spouse and me? Therapy helps provide practical and valuable skills that you can implement to begin improving the results you get in real life.

During our first session, I will learn about who you are and your personal history. I will ask questions and gather information. Once we have established what you would like to work on, I will work with you to develop specific goals and a treatment plan tailored to you.

Following the first session, I will create space for you to discuss anything you’d like. I will reflect on my observations to ensure that I hear you correctly, and then we will move through the process of achieving your goals.

I consider my style of therapy very proactive, which means I will do more than listen, nod, and ask questions. I will provide specific exercises and directions in the session and possibly simple assignments between sessions. We will also identify any barriers that arise and find ways to overcome them.

A typical session lasts 50 minutes, give or take a minute or two. Sessions typically happen weekly during the initial phase and less frequently as you progress toward your goals.

Call the number or send me a message, and we’ll schedule your 15-minute complimentary consultation. If we decide that working together will be right for you, we’ll schedule an office or online visit.

When you schedule an appointment and then later need to cancel, I request that you provide me with 24 hours’ advanced notice.

I have a limited time frame and many people waiting for appointments, so advance notice will allow me to fit someone else into the time slot. If appointments are canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice, there will be a missed appointment fee.

I work with adults, adolescents, and children over six. I also offer parenting consultation for parents of children younger than six.

Using sound psychological principles is effective regardless of a person’s background. I work with people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions.

Sometimes, I may not be familiar with something from your culture or background that will be important in our work together. When this happens, I will ask you to inform me on the topic, so I can understand and help you understand how this may have influenced you and be relevant to our work.

I like both, depending on the personality of each animal. But you should know that a therapist’s favorite animal is “the elephant in the room.”