It takes courage to talk about your issues. It’s very normal to feel anxious before coming to your first session and it is not uncommon to feel anxious when talking about your issues during your first session. I will make every effort to help you feel safe. Eventually the anxiety you may feel will give way to a feeling of relief as you begin to talk about your issues and take control of them.
It is important that you ask any questions and share any concerns you may have no matter what. Whether or not you fear the concern is trivial or if you think it is just plain dumb. I don’t consider any concern trivial or dumb. Therapy works best when you and your therapist are able to share a good therapeutic relationship. This can only happen when you have shared your whole self. Therapy has many benefits, but it requires risks in order to make progress. I am happy to discuss risks and benefits of treatment with you. Before your initial visit it may be helpful to visualize who you are and where you are in your life, in relation to your problems. Then visualize who you would like to be, where you would like to be, and how you would like to manage your problem.
How Long and How Often Are Your Sessions?
Individual therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes and most clients are seen once a week. Group therapy and for couples new to recovery therapy sessions are typically 90 minutes. I am committed to seeing you for as long as you are receiving benefit from treatment sessions and you are making progress in resolving your treatment issues. For some, this process can take 5 months, and for others this can take years. I will spend time listening closely to your goals in treatment from the beginning so you and I can create vision for when therapy will be complete.
Do I Need To Do Anything Before My First Session?
Before the first session please click on the forms section of this website, print out the new client packet and then complete the paperwork in it’s entirety. Be sure to sign and initial in each space and call us with any questions ahead of time. We will generally use the first session to go over forms, answer any questions you have, do an assessment, and to begin working on a plan to meet your treatment goals.