How can therapy help me?
A number of benefits are available from the psychotherapy process.- Gaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
- Attaining skills to improve your relationships
- Resolving issues that previously made you feel trapped
- Learning new ways to deal with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, grief, depression, anxiety, and stress
- Improving communication and listening skills
- Identifying old behavior patterns and developing new ones
- Explore new ways to solve relationship issues
Why do people go to therapy?
People have many different reasons to seek therapy. You may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful situations well. You could be wrestling with depression, anxiety, relationship problems, or spiritual conflicts. Another reason you could seek therapy is you may be at a point where you are ready to learn more about yourself or want to be more effective with your goals in life. If you are ready to meet the challenges in your life and ready to make changes then you would be a great candidate for therapy.What is the first session like?
In a typical first session we will review and sign basic paperwork at the very beginning of the session. At that time, we will want to learn what circumstances brought you in to meet with me. By the end of the session we will discuss some steps that can be established to start the process of meeting your goal. We will discuss how often we need to meet and set up a suitable schedule.What about medication vs. therapy?
Research supports that medication can be very useful in alleviating symptoms associated with mental health issues. However, medication by itself does not explore the underlying issues that create long-term mental and emotional pain. Therapy aims to address underlying issues, educate the client, and provide a skillset that can be used to prevent reoccurrences. We are not able to prescribe medications. If at any time we believe medication would be an appropriate option to combine with therapy, then you can work with your primary care physician, psychiatrist or we would be happy to provide you a referral.Confidentiality & Privacy Policy
Ethical principles outlined in the Code of Conduct for Counselors as well as Federal and State laws, protect the communication and relationship between a patient and a therapist. No information can be disclosed without written permission. Exceptions include:- Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse, for which we are required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.
- If a patient is threatening serious bodily harm to another person/s, we must notify the police and inform the intended victim.
- If a patient intends to harm himself or herself, we will make every effort to enlist their cooperation in ensuring their safety. If they do not cooperate, we will take further measures without their permission that are provided to me by law in order to ensure their safety.