What Happens In the Free 15-Minute Consult?

This is a brief call so we could get to know each other. You’ll have a chance to describe your goals and ideas and have a chance to ask me questions about my style as a therapist and then we will decided if it’s a good match.

I’ve never consulted with a therapist - what happens in a session?

Via a HIPAA compliant video conference platform, we will spend time together discussing your story. I’ll ask you questions along the way to help build a full and rich discussion about the influences of various problems and factors on your life. I am listening for patterns and for details that might be worth further exploring. If I notice something incongruent, I use compassionate directness to note it and prompt us to discuss it.

How often do we meet and how often are sessions?

Most folks can anticipate meeting once per week for one hour, some folks will meet bi-weekly or switch to monthly when moving into a maintenance part of the work.

Do I have to be given a diagnosis?

This comes down to how you would like to fund consults with me. If you would like to use your health insurance benefits, I will have to provide your insurance provider a diagnosis for billing purposes. We will discuss it in advance before I use it. If you are privately paying for consults, we will likely forgo any diagnosis so as to maximize flexibility in both of our minds for what approaches and techniques could be helpful to you.

How do I know if therapy is working?

Seeing results takes some time and also is dependent on your dedication to doing the work, but after several sessions and your commitment you should expect:

• You are better at naming and knowing your feelings

• Your problems are more articulated and understood

• Your community notices … is that a new haircut?

• Your sense of self-worth is elevated

• Your relationships are improving

What if I’m starting to think this isn’t working?

Tell me. In a world where “ghosting” has become the norm, we are neglecting learning the art of feedback. I assure you, I am a professional and your feedback is necessary and welcomed. If our work together is not adding value to your life then it is worth talking about. We can discuss if there are ways to improve to better meet your needs or partner to help find what will work for you. I will also periodically check-in with you and invite feedback on the process.

Okay, I’m ready to tell my story — what now?

Contact me and we will get you scheduled for your 15 minute initial consultation. If you still like what you hear after that chat, we will book your Initial Evaluation. Visits after that will be approximately hour long telehealth sessions.