Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about how I can help you or someone you care about, call the number at the bottom of the screen, or contact me through the contact page.

Q: Why do people seek out counseling (psychotherapy)?

A: There are several reasons people seek therapy. Sometimes it is because people experience a crisis in their lives such as abuse, the loss of a job, serious illness, death of a loved one, etc. These crises can cause a person to feel very overwhelmed and effect their day-to-day functioning. Other times people suffer from feelings of depression, anxiety, self-doubt, etc., and seek therapy to help them overcome or deal with these feelings so that they can function more effectively in their lives. Still others just feel “stuck”. They may be in a relationship that feels like it is going no where, working at a unfulfilling job, feel like they have reached a cross roads in their lives and want to make a change.

Q: What happens during a session?

A: Before your first session, you will be emailed forms to complete and send back to me. They will provide me with some background information (i.e. what is the issue you are seeking counseling for, how severe is it, how long has it been going on, etc.) that will help me to get a clearer picture of the problem and how to proceed. It is important for us to work together as a team. I will help guide you toward new insights and personal growth, while it is your responsibility to incorporate those new insights into your daily life. I will provide regular therapy sessions that start and end on time, and it is up to you to attend your sessions and be on time. If you ever feel that therapy is not progressing or going in the direction you need, you can and should bring it up in session. This gives us the opportunity to make changes to meet your needs. If you still feel like things are not moving forward, ask yourself if you are being completely open and honest in your sessions. Sometimes there is simply not a good fit between therapist and client, but often therapy can come to a standstill when clients (knowingly or unknowingly) become resistant. Be aware of areas that you try to avoid (or have never shared in therapy) because that might be the exact issue that needs to be worked on in order for things to move forward.

Q: How long does therapy last?

A: There is no magic number of sessions that’s right for every person. Research is clear, however, that better outcomes in therapy are, in part, a result of regularly scheduled, consistent sessions. Discussions around ending therapy is an important and normal conversation for us to have as you move toward completing your therapeutic goals. Some people may even opt to continue therapy after alleviating the “symptom/s” of their initial visit, in order to gain greater insights into other aspects of their lives or for personal growth.

Most people feel some sense of relief in just the initial session, and many people who attend regular sessions report feeling like things are starting to really improve after a few months.

Therapy may be difficult at times. The process of healing and growth can often feel like being on a rollercoaster, in-that sometimes you will leave a session feeling on top of the world, and other times you may feel quite frustrated. This is normal. When working through difficult problems that have difficult feelings attached to them, you are bound to feel many of them during and after your session.

Another way to answer this question is to say, if you are seeking therapy for a small issue that is mildly upsetting or if you just want an objective perspective in a therapeutic setting, you will not need many sessions. If, however, you are dealing with a serious mental illness that is seriously effecting the quality of your life, you will likely need to invest much more time.