Counseling Services Therapy varies depending on the personalities of the therapist and client, and the particular problems you are experiencing. There are many different methods we may use to deal with the problems that you hope to address. Therapy is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for the therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. Homework will often be given when deemed necessary for therapy. Therapy can have benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings. On the other hand, therapy has also been shown to have many benefits. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress. But there are no guarantees of what you will experience. Our first few sessions will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, I will be able to offer you some first impressions of what our work will include and a treatment plan to follow, if you decide to continue with therapy. You should evaluate this information along with your own opinions of whether you feel comfortable working with me. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, money, and energy, so you should be very careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions about any procedures, we should discuss them whenever they arise. If your doubts persist, I will be happy to help you set up a meeting with another mental health professional for a second opinion. My goal is for you to ultimately get the help you need, whether that is with me or with another therapist. If therapy is begun, we will usually schedule one 50-minute session (one appointment hour of 50 minutes duration) at a time we agree on, although some sessions may be longer or more frequent. Please be on time as I will often have another session scheduled after you. Once an appointment is scheduled, you will be expected to pay $75 unless you provide 24 hours advance notice of cancellation (unless we both agree that you were unable to attend due to circumstances beyond your control). It is important to note that insurance companies do not provide reimbursement for cancelled sessions, meaning you will have to pay for these out of pocket. Please remember that both of our time is valuable and when you cancel with late or no notice, someone else could have taken advantage of that time slot. We will try to find another time to reschedule the appointment.
