What to expect

Therapy proceeds in stages. Although I will work to help you reach your goals as quickly and as comfortably as you can, therapy takes a commitment to yourself and your journey.

Our first stage is getting to know one another, understand goals, and deciding how we will work together. In general, this stage takes between one and three meeting times.

At our first meeting, you can expect that we will focus on what brings you to therapy, and to get acquainted. It is helpful for me to understand what is happening for you, what you feel stands in your way of accomplishing what you want, and your hopes and expectations for therapy. It will also be helpful for me to get to know you a little. Additionally, this is a time for you to ask me any questions you have about me, so that you can feel comfortable in our work together.

At the end of our first meeting, you should have a sense of who I am, and a preliminary idea of how we might work together. Ideally, you will leave our first session feeling that you have enough information to decide if you want to continue meeting through this first phase which will involve me getting to know you even further and the two of us deciding on your goals, timing of our meetings, and how we will work together,

When we have accomplished these things, we will begin to work even more directly on the issues that brought you to therapy. As we do, we will be keeping track of progress and continuing to understand you. During this phase of therapy, you may be asked to try new things, and even take some emotional risks. I understand that change is not easy, and never occurs in a straight line. Sometimes, as one goal is accomplished, another steps forward that you want to address. Therefore, we can't say for certain how many times we may meet during this phase. However, by both of us keeping track of the changes you are experiencing, we will know we are continuing to work toward your goals.

The final phase of therapy involves increasing your confidence in the changes you have made and saying goodbye. This phase can involve a mixture of feelings and a new awareness that all of life is a journey with constant growth and development. My wish for you is that by our work together, you will feel well prepared for that continued journey, where ever it takes you.