Initial Consultation:
The most important thing to me is that you get the help that you need. I, therefore, offer a free 50-minute initial consultation session so that we may meet without you having to make a financial commitment, or feel any pressure to work with me as your psychologist. I see this session as a way for you to begin the process of feeling better. It is a time for you to get to know me, and for me to learn more about you as a person and the difficulties you are facing. It is an opportunity for you to evaluate me, ask me any questions you may have, and determine whether I am someone you feel comfortable talking to, who understands you, and who will be able to help you.
Choosing a therapist is a crucial decision. It is essential that you like your therapist and feel at ease with him or her if treatment is going to be helpful. If you decide that you want to work with me, and I believe that I am well-suited to meet your needs, then we will discuss arrangements for beginning therapy. However, if it does not seem that we are a good match, then I will use what I have learned about you and the issues you want to address in therapy to provide you with referrals to other psychologists who will be better suited to address your concerns.
How I work:
I take an integrative approach to therapy. Current research, as well as my experience and training, help me to determine the treatment strategies from psychodynamic, relational, humanistic, existential, cognitive and behavioral approaches that are likely to be most effective in addressing your concerns. However, you are the expert on you. No amount of education, training or experience on my part will change this. I believe that people are constantly in a process of learning and growing and that they have an innate ability to seek creative solutions to address the difficulties that life presents. Thus, my role is not to tell you my way of addressing the problems you face, but rather to create a supportive environment that facilitates reflectiveness, helps deepen self-awareness and increases insight into these difficulties. I work with unique individuals, not diagnoses, and therefore, consider it essential that I actively seek feedback from you and collaborate with you, so we develop solutions that fit with you as an individual and meet your specific therapeutic needs.
Creating a Safe & Supportive Environment:
It is not easy to open up and share your experiences and struggles with another person. Developing trust and a sense of comfort and safety is a process. I respect that you will share what you deem necessary to our work together in a manner and within a timeframe that is comfortable for you. My focus is on meeting and respecting your individual needs, providing a space that is compassionate and open, where you do not feel judged, where you feel deeply understood, and where you are able to experiment with new ways of being and relating. I seek to help you feel comfortable in providing me with feedback regarding what you find helpful and/or unhelpful, your perceptions of me and our interactions, and in communicating your therapeutic needs. I view such feedback as essential to building trust, increasing your sense of empowerment, helping you to feel involved and respected in the therapy process, and ensuring that our work together is both effective and tailored to address your unique concerns.
Please contact me if you would like to learn more about how I work, have questions about my office location and fees, or would like to schedule a free initial consultation session.