When should you seek therapy?

• You have symptoms that you are struggling to cope with on your own: If you’re feeling sad/numb, angry, hopeless, withdrawn or overwhelmed, feeling anxious, fidgety, hypervigilant, fatigued, apathetic or on edge.

• You go through a big life event. Maybe you recently lost your job, or a family member is sick. Perhaps your relationship is taking a toll with the added strain. Major life events, like having children, getting married and changing careers, while reasons for celebration, can also be stressful events that affect your mental health. 

• Something feels off and it’s negatively affected your personal, social, or occupational life. If you’ve made changes in your life or developed habits to cope with the challenges that have led to a decrease in your quality of life, it may be time to talk with a professional.

How long will I be in therapy?

Therapy is not a one size fits all experience. Each person comes to therapy with a unique set of skills and goals they would like to work on. Because of this, each person’s timeline will look different. We recommend that each client begins by seeing their therapist weekly to build rapport and progress in treatment. Once a client has made progress towards their goals, the therapist may suggest reducing the frequency of sessions. Some people benefit from short-term treatments while others continue to work with their therapist for years. It’s all about what works best for you.

What should I expect?

A standard session is 55 minutes long. The first session will be all about gathering history and is known as a diagnostic evaluation. What this means is that a therapist will ask you a bunch of questions about your past, which could include your family, relationships, education, social life, and employment history. This assessment could also focus on your past and current behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, which helps a therapist form a diagnosis. A therapist really wants to understand your personality and how your past has shaped you as a person. They want to know what messages and narratives you picked up along the way as you grew into who you are today. This will provide the therapist with important context regarding the issue you would like to address in counseling. It will also provide the therapist with clues as to where the issue is rooted and how it formed. 

The second section will begin by making your treatment plan and determining your goals. You and your therapist will work together to identify specific goals that you want to work on, and these will be used to gauge your progress in treatment.

How do I know if a therapist is right for me?

The therapeutic relationship is one of the most effective measures of successful outpatient therapy. This is why we offer a free consultation to all potential clients to make sure the client and the therapist believe the professional relationship is a good fit. These are some of the questions you can ask yourself when trying to determine if your therapist is right for you.

• Do you feel emotionally and physically safe? 

• Does it seem like you could trust this person?

• Do you like how they carry themselves?

• Do you think they ask good questions?

• Do they seem knowledgeable and competent?

• Do you feel heard and understood?

• Does the therapist seem empathetic to your situation?

• Do you feel distracted and not engaged?

• Do you want to stay and talk or are you counting down the minutes until you can leave?

How do I know if therapy is working?

Here are a few examples of ways to know that therapy is effective:

• You feel symptom relief

• You feel more equipped to manage what life throws at you

• You are more aware of your thoughts and emotions

• You feel less defensive

• Your relationships improve 

• You feel more like you

• You feel more confident

• You’re meeting your goals

Goals and progress can change during your treatment. If you have questions, please ask your therapist what progress looks like for you.

Will my therapist give me advice?

It’s a common misconception that you can go to a therapist for professional advice. Therapists, however, are not advice givers. Your therapist will help you see the options available to you, identify any distorted thoughts or false beliefs about the options, and can help you identify the pros and cons of different paths but ultimately the decision is up to you. Therapists want to help you figure out what YOU truly want to do about a situation and then encourage and empower you to do it.

Is what I say in therapy truly confidential?

Yes! All Licensed therapists are required to follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA, which is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. Your therapist will discuss confidentiality with you in your first session as well as the limitations.

What if I do not want to talk about a certain topic?

That’s okay! This time is for you and should be spent processing the topics that you are ready to discuss. If a topic feels like it’s off-limits, don’t hesitate to let your therapist know.

Will things get worse before they get better?

Maybe. During the first few sessions, as you’re digging into emotions that you may not even know you have, you might feel worse than before. You should know this is a completely normal experience. A therapist will often help you identify and bump up against strong emotions with the goal of teaching you how not to get hijacked by them. A therapist will try to make sure you’re not completely overwhelmed by your feelings. You should know, however, that feeling difficult emotions is a good sign that you’re accessing valuable information. As you continue to talk to your therapist, you’ll eventually start feeling relief. And you’ll be happy to know that, with time and work, those difficult feelings might not pop up as often or manifest themselves in other unhealthy ways.

 How will I know when I’m ready to “graduate” from therapy?

When you have met your goals for therapy, your therapist will discuss your progress with you and help you determine if you are ready to “graduate.” Generally, once clients feel they don’t have much to talk about in therapy, it’s a sign that they may be ready to transition to maintenance sessions before terminating completely. Maintenance sessions consist of meeting with your therapist bi-weekly or monthly to make sure you are maintaining progress/using skills and feel comfortable moving forward. Below are some common signs you may be ready for graduation.

• You don’t feel like you’re growing anymore.

• You’re not feeling challenged by your therapist anymore.

• You solved the initial problem that brought you in.

• You’ve met all or most of your goals.

• There are other things you’d like to do with your time that could bring more value to your life.

  If I go to therapy once, do I ever have to go back?

  I like to think of therapy as an extra support system that is there when we need it. Sometimes people have a big life event that they seek out a therapist for and feel the skills they learn can help them through additional life challenges. Others find that different life events present different challenges and can use a different perspective/different skills. The important thing to remember is going back to a therapist does not mean you failed. You wouldn’t judge yourself for going back to the doctor if you caught a virus 2 years in a row. So, you shouldn’t judge yourself for seeking out additional support when things get tough.