Maybe it’s that extra 20 pounds you just can’t lose. Perhaps you’re struggling with infidelity. Or maybe you’re unhappy in your job, and need some guidance in figuring out what career will really make you happy. It could be that you’re struggling with depression or anxiety. Or maybe, you’re really struggling with how to address the shifting dynamics of your relationship with your child.
If any of the above situations applies to your life, counseling could be helpful. So, what’s stopping you? The way counseling (often used interchangeably with the word “therapy”) is portrayed in movies and TV shows can paint a “no way, that’s not for me” picture. But in reality, while there’s often a couch or a comfy chair, therapists are not detached, distracted listeners who charge an arm and a leg for an hour of their time. And just because you receive counseling doesn’t automatically mean that anything is “wrong” with you, sometimes we all just need new or different tools in our proverbial “tool belt”.
“Often times I hear that people think, ‘I have to be in crisis,’ or, ‘things have to be really bad for me to go to therapy’. But often, people can benefit from therapy for something as simple as needing help reaching a specific goal.
It’s also easy for people to get hung up on the cost of therapy – but therapy is an investment and you should be getting a return on your investment. There are other things that are expensive, that we don’t question the finances of so much, such as hiring a good attorney if you’re going through a divorce. Therapists have master’s and doctorate degrees and have spent years studying how people change, relationships, work environments, conflict resolution and communication.
A first session of counseling consists of similar things for everyone who comes in. I will work to get to know you and what it is that brings you in. We will have some general paperwork, go over the terms of our therapeutic relationship, and I will begin with an assessment to gather information both of your history and current experiences.
The important thing to remember is that the therapist-client relationship is exactly that — a relationship. You’re the co-creator of this therapeutic relationship. I am committed to help you find solutions, explore your goals, and help you gain tools to get there. After your first appointment, we will set up regular appointments (this could be weekly, bi weekly, monthly, etc), and we will strive towards your therapeutic goals.