Frequently Asked Questions

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     People use therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes it is for help with psychological or mood problems such as anxiety or depression. Sometimes it is for help in making a change, such as living a healthier lifestyle or becoming more effective at communicating in relationships. Life is not always predictable, and sometimes our lives as we know them can be flipped upside down. It can be extremely helpful to have a licensed professional help you navigate these hardships and changes in daily living. Many people seek out therapy to learn more about oneself, for personal growth or for support. Therapy is right for anyone interested in cultivating a life with more clarity, flexibility, autonomy, and resilience.

     People who decide to seek out therapy are taking responsibility for their lives by  demonstrating self-awareness, and showing the courage to act. Everyone encounters challenges in life, and sometimes a person’s skills and knowledge can meet that challenge. Sometimes a helping hand is needed. Everyone can benefit from self-care, learning new skills, tools, and insights to navigate current and future obstacles.

     Therapy is also great for managing our unconscious conflicts or our "blind spots." We aren’t always aware of all of our problems, and part of the role of therapy is to uncover these together in a collaborative process.  

     We don't need a crisis to start therapy.  In fact, it can be advantageous to have established therapy before a crisis so that we can be best equipped to manage a crisis should one arise.  Better yet, crises can be averted altogether by better managing the smaller problems that could have snowballed into bigger ones had they been mismanaged. In other words: Therapy is also a way to establish emotional wellness in your daily life. It can help you handle emotional problems and stressors, even if they aren’t dramatically life-altering or traumatic.

     Each therapy session is unique to each individual. In addition, each therapist has their own orientation, training, and style. Therapy can be short-term to address specific concerns, or open-ended to explore more complex issues, long-standing concerns, or continuing personal growth.

• A better understanding of yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, your patterns in relationships, and you unique needs.
• Identifying your goals and strategies to meet them.
• Finding resolution to long-standing concerns, issues, worries, or things you feel stuck with.
• Learning practical ways to cope with stress, anger, depression, or grief.
• Gaining insight into old patterns and creating new ones.

• Compassion, respect and understanding.
• A fresh perspective on a long-standing issue.
• New ways to solve problems.
• Education on psychological and emotional processes.
• A space to process your personal history, to find support for current day-to-day stress, and to plan for future goals.

     The free initial phone consultation is an opportunity for us to meet each other, for you to ask me questions, and get a sense of my style and my personality to see if II am a good fit for you. I will ask you some basic questions to get to know you and discuss your goals for therapy. My goal is to make you feel comfortable, relaxed, safe and positive. Most people think for a long time about making that initial appointment, and often feel nervous or anxious meeting a therapist for the first time. This is normal. All you have to do to is show up and be yourself. I will be there to help guide you. 

     It has been well established that the long-term solution to emotional and mental distress is not medication alone. This is because medication only treats symptoms (for example, insomnia or raised heart rate in the case of anxiety issues). Therapy, on the other hand, addresses directly the causes of distress and the patterns that keep us stuck. There is evidence that psychotherapy is just as effective as medication for many problems and has longer-lasting effects. Sometimes, however, the best course of action is therapy combined with medication. Working with your medical doctor or a psychiatrist can determine what’s best for you.

     In general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and psychotherapist. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:

• Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
• If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police and the person in danger.
• If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety and in rare cases this requires contact to family members or other service providers.