We wish our therapist would just tell us what to do. You might not believe this right now, but the solution to your problem already exists within you. 

You can develop and use long-term, meaningful tools to improve how you feel. If someone just told you what to do right now that wouldn’t serve you in the long run. This is not to frustrate you further, it’s to give you back your voice and lead you to the source of your own healing.

INITIAL CONVERSATION

During our initial assessment, the evaluation goes both ways. We will clarify expectations — both yours and mine. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about my practice, to find out if you’re comfortable working with me, and I will assess your needs and my tool sets. If we just don’t mesh, I can definitely refer you to another mental health provider. 

Once working together, you can count on me to be open-minded, non-judgmental, and sincerely interested in sharing my knowledge and experience and offering tools to help you on your path. And I’ll count on you to be honest with yourself, to bring your curiosity and commitment, and to show up for your appointments.

EVALUATION & PLANNING

I’m going to say this right off the bat. There is no simple fix. There isn’t one therapeutic method or pill or number of sessions that will get you where you need to be. Everyone is complex and deserves a unique approach. That might be talking things through, developing healthy coping methods, considering medication, easing into some lifestyle changes, or all of the above. Whatever path we choose, we’ll solve this in a holistic way. 

The only thing you need to do right now is show up and trust the process. Let’s get started.

“Honestly, no one has ever treated me this way.”

— Formerly Incarcerated Middle Age Male