What should I expect after calling for an initial appointment?
Therapy begins with an intake session. For those interested in individual therapy this involves a 45-minute initial session.
What is an intake and what can I expect from the appointment?
An intake is the first appointment and generally lasts 45-60 minutes depending on the type of treatment you are seeking. Overall, the intake session consists of reviewing office policies and parameters related to confidentiality, exploring reasons for seeking treatment, and gathering information about a variety of areas in your life, or your child’s life, with the goal of creating a comprehensive understanding of functioning across several domains. At the end of the session, if you feel that you would like to work together, we will collaboratively create goals, discuss a tentative treatment plan, and schedule the first therapy session. I recognize that therapy is a personal choice and not everyone may feel comfortable working with me. I understand if you would like to choose another provider and will assist you in the process by providing a list of referrals who may better be able to meet your needs
How often will we meet for therapy and how long are the appointments?
The frequency of sessions depends significantly on individual needs. In general, most clients are seen on a weekly basis. For individual therapy, sessions last 45 minutes and for family therapy, sessions last 45-60 minutes (depending on need and what is arranged in advance). There may be times when it may be important to meet more than once per week or when you would like to space the sessions out to every other week. Depending on individual needs, we will tailor the frequency of sessions and this may evolve throughout our work together.
Do you prescribe medication?
As a clinical psychologist, I am not licensed to prescribe medication. If you are interested in medication, I can provide referrals for doctors in the area who could assist in treatment and see you for medication management while we work together in therapy. If you are already seeing a doctor, I am happy to work collaboratively with them to ensure a continuity of care.
How long should I expect to be in therapy?
The length of treatment significantly depends on personal needs. In early stages, we will discuss your goals for therapy and how to measure your progress towards these goals. It is common for goals to change over time and thus, we will have regular conversations about progress being made. If you feel that you have reached most of your goals and no longer need services, we will discuss a plan for the end of the therapeutic relationship.