So, you want to engage in counseling (a.k.a., therapy)? You can expect the following five steps:
Step 1: Reach out!
Contact me via phone call, phone text, email, or any combination of these – whichever feels most comfortable for you. My mobile phone number is 470-239-0686, or you may visit the Contact page on this Website.
If you call/text/email and I do not answer immediately, please do not feel discouraged. It may be that I am in session with clients. Feel free to record a voice message. My voice message inbox is confidential, meaning that only I have access to it.
Step 2: Initial Phone Consultation (Free and Confidential)
Once you and I connect we hold a phone consultation which takes roughly 20 minutes. During the consultation I ask you a few questions – and you may also ask me questions – to make sure that I am a good fit for you. Should you decide to work with me, you and I then schedule an initial intake session. I strongly believe that you should feel comfortable with the therapist you choose and hopeful about therapy.
Step 3: Intake Session
In the counseling or psychotherapy profession, it is standard practice for the initial session to be an intake session. The intake session typically is 50-90 minutes long. Prior to intake you complete some paperwork, and during intake we exchange further information about each other. By the end of this session, we want to make sure that you have answers and a plan – this may provide you with hope or something to look forward to.
Step 4: Therapy Starts
Following the intake, you define the problem area(s) to be worked on. In our treatment plan, we will list the areas to work on, your goals, the methods we will use, the time commitments we will make, and some other things. I expect us to agree on a plan that we will both work to follow.
Step 5: We Work Together
It is my view that therapy works best as a collaborative between you and I. We will work together to help you reduce your symptoms therefore mental health.
Therapy or counseling is a process. Unlike visiting a doctor for a shot, it requires your very active involvement – your best efforts to change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Occasionally, we will look together at our progress and goals. If we think we need to, we can then change our treatment plan, its goals, or its methods.
Therapy is best provided in an atmosphere of trust. You expect me to be honest with you about your goals and progress. I expect you to be honest with me about your expectations for services, and your compliance with and any barriers to treatment.
At times I will be the expert in psychology, teaching you skills that could benefit you, applying specific techniques, leading the structure of the session, etc. Other times, I may be a tour guide during the process for you to find your own answers and solutions. I believe that answers lie within you – hidden beneath murky layers waiting to be peeled off to reach them. Even though I do not always have all the answers (no person or therapist does – for that matter), if we hang in there together, eventually we will find them.
Ready to invest in yourself? Start your journey toward deep healing, wholeness, well-being!