FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Therapy is a confidential, collaborative process where you work with a licensed clinical psychologist (such as me), or other licensed professionals who do talk therapy, to reduce distress, improve daily functioning, and build practical coping skills. It’s common for therapy to feel uncomfortable at first, especially when talking with someone new about personal things. That adjustment period is normal and common. If something doesn’t feel right, we’ll talk about it. Therapy absolutely works best when the relationship is collaborative and when there is a strong therapeutic fit. I am not a one-size-fits-all therapist. Not all therapists are a good fit for all people, and not all therapeutic modalities are necessarily the right fit for all people or all of the infinite things that people might seek therapy for.
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people seek therapy to gain clarity, improve emotional regulation, and handle life challenges more effectively. Learning how your mind works and building better ways to cope and regulate emotion is very useful for most people. I often say that CBT, and ACT skills are life skills that we can all benefit from.
Our first session is a chance for you to slow down and share what’s been happening and what brings you to therapy. You can share as much or as little as you like about what’s been painful, what’s working, and what you’d like to change. This will include an intake assessment lasting up to one hour. I’ll ask some questions to get to know your history and challenges, and together we’ll start exploring practical tools to alleviate pain and build resilience.
I’ll also share how I approach therapy and we’ll discuss what kind of structure and pace is best for you. My goal is that by the end of our first session, you’ll feel understood, supported, and have a clear sense of next steps. Therapy works best as a collaborative effort, and that starts with the first session. You can expect warmth curiosity, and humor, with a focus on solving problems for sustainable change.
There’s no set timeline, although if you use health insurance, your insurance company might determine the duration of therapy. Otherwise, therapy continues as long as it’s helpful, and you can stop at any time. Most people begin with weekly sessions to clarify goals, start to develop skills and build momentum. As symptoms improve and skills feel more natural, sessions often move to every other week, then monthly or as needed. We’ll make those decisions together, based on what’s most beneficial for you.
Therapy is a place to slow down, understand patterns, and learn evidence-based strategies to self regulate your emotions and address other therapeutic concerns. Some sessions will feel encouraging and energizing; others may feel heavier, like a lot of emotional work. Both are part of the process. Working with me isn’t about lying on a couch analyzing your childhood, unless that’s clearly relevant to what’s affecting you now. The focus is on helping you function better in the present and the future.