It’s a good idea to seek counseling if you’re feeling down more days than not, have difficulty concentrating at work or in school, if you cannot sleep and are having a hard time figuring out what’s important in your life and you feel anxious or depressed most of the time. Your instincts will tell you it’s time. Listen to your instincts.

It’s important to understand that oftentimes the hardest part about counseling is seeking it out and going to the first session. It means that you have to face up to what you’re feeling which oftentimes, you have suppressed those feelings or even built a wall against them and so counseling will force you to bring those thoughts forward and to confront them. Most everything that happens in counseling is confidential and you will be protected from strict state rules that prohibit discussing your situation outside of the counseling room. There are exceptions to this, however and they will be discussed in our first session together.

We will begin by getting to know each other so that we feel comfortable sharing and we will move as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable with. Much about your family history will be revealed at this time.

You will be asked questions that will encourage you to think deeply about yourself and your surroundings and you will be offered reflections and given feedback about your problems right away. My goal is for you to feel heard, understood and accepted just the way you are and you will feel comfortable reflecting on priorities and goals going forward.

This is the million dollar question that only you can answer. However, your instincts speak volumes and learning to listen to them is imperative for healthy living. If your instincts are telling you that you’re feeling down and cannot seem to find a way to move forward, this is the time to seek help and to reflect on what is keeping you from enjoying life to its fullest.

The answer to this depends on your specific situation and while some people begin to feel better right away, others sometimes feel more stress or anxiety at the beginning, especially if their feelings have been repressed for a long time.

Most people feel better after a few sessions. While some people choose to continue seeing a therapist to maintain perspective and have dedicated time to reflect, others find their footing sooner and choose to work alone on the goals set in our sessions. It all depends and this answer is as unique as people are.

As your therapist, I believe in encouraging clients to take seriously their own experience in the world. I will challenge you to take responsibility for how you choose to live your life. Effective therapy does not stop with this awareness itself, but when the therapist encourages clients to take action on the basis of the insights they develop through the therapeutic process.

During sessions, clients must decide what fears, guilt feelings, and anxieties they will explore. When clients feel helpless and attempt to convince themselves that they are powerless, they will be reminded that their journey toward freedom began by putting one foot in front of the other to get to the therapy office. Embarking on this journey requires us to be touched and shaken by what we find along the way and by working through life uncertainties and mysteries, we will move beyond our own preoccupations and sadness toward a new outlook on life.

Learn more about me here.

Most of my clients prefer to work with me and my hourly rate so that their medical diagnosis and records remain confidential. Some clients prefer to use their health savings accounts to pay for our sessions and this works well, too. I accept some insurance. Please refer to the fees section below for more information.

You will not know until we get started and it will be important to understand that during each session, our relationship will be such that you will be invited and encouraged to reflect continuously on what is working, what may not be and how to move forward in our therapy together. I encourage honest, self-reflection and I believe it is very important for you to understand, going into therapy with me, that you are in the drivers seat and this is about YOU.

I believe in the importance of YOUR EXPERIENCE in our therapy sessions together and will invite you to help me know how best to work with you. Our relationship will depend on you feeling comfortable with me and I place great importance on you being comfortable with me.

Contact me to schedule a consultation and learn more. I’d be happy to take time to talk with you. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll do my best to point you to other resources that might be useful.