Sessions typically start with your sharing about whatever is on your mind - your feelings, your experiences, your voice. I listen intently to you (which includes paying attention to non-verbal communications), and offer my thoughts as they occur to me and feel useful to share. Our time together involves collaboration and dialogue; not lecturing or giving advice. You say something, I listen, consider, think, and comment, and throw the ball back to you; you do the same and throw it back to me, and so on.

My goal is to help you find the ability to sift through your own complex and shifting states of mind, assess your reactions and priorities, listen to your own advice, and find the courage to act on it. My goal is not to “fix someone,” as this gives the power to heal to the practitioner rather than to the belief that, under the right conditions and support, the psyche can heal itself. This is why the client-clinician collaboration is such an important aspect of this work.

Also, the work is more than just feel-good support and nurturing (though that is part of it). I will say things that you need – but may not want – to hear, suggesting patterns of behavior you may not see, but seem to get in your way. While we all have parts of ourselves that may be hard to look at, it is important for you to at least try on new ideas to see if they fit. Sometimes I will be wrong, and you will need to let me know when you think I’m off track. Together, we can sort it out.

Finally, your sessions should include “full experiences” – those wholly lived moments of perception and feeling, combining heart, mind, and soul – so that the learning that happens for you is not just intellectual learning. Not that there’s anything wrong with intellectual learning, but it is often not enough to create change. Personal, experiential insight is the gift and goal of treatment.

Costs vary widely among psychotherapists. My fee is $200 per session (50 minutes), but I may take a person’s ability to pay into consideration.

The reasons for seeking therapy and someone’s expectations about what is “better” vary so widely that I can’t give you a definitive answer to this one.

I can say I’ve worked successfully with some individuals for several months and others for years.

I can also say that people often start to see improvement in their lives very soon after starting treatment.

I do not handle the billing for insurance at this time, but am happy to provide all the documentation you need for seeking reimbursement from your insurer.

What you and I talk about is confidential, with a few narrow exceptions where I am legally and ethically bound to break it.

The primary areas are if I have reason to believe that you present a danger to yourself or to someone else.

Other ares are the suspected abuse of a child, an elderly person, or a dependent adult. 

Your appointment time is reserved for you.

You may cancel it without charge with 24 hours notice.

If the cancellation is within the 24 hour period and we cannot reschedule, I charge a $100 cancellation fee.

Neither is “better”; there are times and circumstances for both and the combination has been shown to yield satisfying results.

Typically, talk therapy alone works well if you are functioning pretty well – you have some meaningful interests and interpersonal relationships and some means of supporting yourself.

A number of brain-imaging studies have shown that the experience of effective talk therapy can change and improve brain functioning in the same way that medication does.

If you find that emotional difficulties are significantly impacting your ability to live your daily life, however, a medication evaluation may be called for.

Though some will disagree with me, my view is that medication alone is usually not a satisfactory solution.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) have masters’ degrees in social work or psychology.

In addition to educational requirements, they must complete post-degree training and pass tests for competency and expertise in order to be licensed by the state.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors. They can prescribe medicine in addition to providing psychotherapy. Psychologists usually have a doctoral degree in psychology and can conduct psychological testing as well as provide psychotherapy.

Just as all relationships in your life are unique unto themselves, every relationship between therapist and client is one of a kind.

Still, there are important clues to look for to help gauge whether yours is working for you. Do you notice that you are getting curious about yourself, getting intrigued with “what do I really think and feel about that” or “why do I do that,” instead of just relying on habit and reflex?

Are you noticing that you are discovering truths about yourself, your life, your feelings, and that those discoveries are helping you make the changes you want? Do your therapist’s words get through to you and click on a gut level?

Of course, therapy will also have times when you find yourself thinking that the work is confusing or inconsistent or that facing some perplexing and strong emotions is just too brutal. Sometimes clients want to quit instead of facing some painful reality.

This shouldn’t happen often, however, and it is very important for you to speak up and let your therapist know about your feelings. If you don’t understand how to take on this active role and aren’t getting clear guidance or help, it’s probably time to change therapists.