Most of us are resilient and have successfully navigated the “lemons” that life has thrown our way. But what about when life gives you limes?

I know reaching out for help isn’t easy for someone who’s used to managing challenges on their own!

Look at it this way…you see your doctor, lawyer, accountant for their professional advice/support, why wouldn’t you talk to someone who specializes in understanding and improving mental health?

You deserve to live a life you love, but that won’t be possible if you don’t have the tools and resources to support yourself in achieving your goals. I have those tools, and I’m ready to help.

The short answer is, it depends on what you want/need. Effective therapy is unique and I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs and goals.

In general, you can expect to discuss current events happening in your life, background/history relevant to your stressors/struggles, and progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous therapy session.

Based on your specific needs we might focus on:

-Learning evidence-based skills and strategies to manage stress, anxiety, depression and other emotional pressures.
-Recognizing patterns of problematic thinking and behavior and developing new ones.
-Role-playing difficult conversations and/or being more assertive.
-Discussing challenges and developing tools to solve problems and improve your relationships.
-Improving confidence and self-esteem.
-Exploring how your past informs your present.
-Improving communication and listening skills.
-Developing a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values.

Therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue/problem/stressor (3-4 months) or longer-term (1 year+), to deal with more difficult patterns of behavior or to process struggles and/or trauma from the past.

Either way, it’s most common to meet weekly at first then increase time between our visits as you make progress and feel better. We will check-in regularly and when we both agree that you are ready, we’ll transition to biweekly sessions and then maybe monthly sessions to maintain the positive changes and new coping skills that you have formed.

Keep in mind that participation in therapy is just like developing any other routine or skill. When you actively participate in the process and proactively integrate the skills/tools we discuss in session into your life, you will likely make progress more quickly.

I will suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to make or maintain progress. Yes, “homework!” That might be: reading articles, keeping track of thoughts/feelings you have during the week, journaling, or practicing stress relieving techniques.

Feeling nervous or ambivalent before the first appointment? That’s totally normal! Here’s a little more information about what you can expect:

Before the first visit we’ll send you a packet of questionnaires to fill out (yes, there are a lot!) Because I value your time, I like to review your background, history, and goals before our visit so we can jump right into the process of working together and making progress as soon as possible.

In the first visit, we’ll get to know each other a little better. We will talk about your background and history and you can fill in any, “blanks” you’d prefer to discuss in person. I’ll ask you some questions and you can ask me questions. We will also discuss your goals, which will be the foundation/guide for our work together.