Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a session? How often do clients attend therapy?
Each session is 55 minutes, and sessions are on a weekly basis (or twice weekly, if needed).
How long does therapy last?
This is difficult to predict and depends on a number of factors, such as: your goals, what kinds of issues bring you to therapy, your level of commitment, and your life circumstances. Most often my clients elect to continue seeing me for a year or more (with the exception of hypnosis-only clients with more focused goals). Some people terminate therapy once they are satisfied that they have achieved certain specific goals. Others commit to longer-term therapy either because they need more time to address their concerns, or because they find value in having a dedicated time and place to receive support and to focus on their personal needs and aspirations.
One reason therapy length is hard to predict is that often what clients present initially as their concern or goal turns out to be only one part of a larger picture or theme that unfolds as therapy progresses. This is one of the best things therapy has to offer: helping you understand your concerns and needs in the larger context of your life and your personality. I invite you to talk with me at any time about how therapy is progressing and what kind of time frame seems appropriate and necessary.
What is your style of psychotherapy?
Most people want to hear from their therapists and feel their active support. This interaction and developing a strong alliance are critical parts of therapy. But there is also such a thing as doing too much, and therapists can get in the way of a natural, deep process of self-discovery and healing if we aren't careful. I'm cognizant of this when I sit with my clients. I strive to strike that right balance between holding space and honoring the client's natural process on the one hand, and speaking up or intervening in some way on the other.
Occasionally I will disclose some thing about myself and my personal life, but I do so sparingly, as the hour belongs to the client. It does not serve either one of us to become distracted from this central purpose, and I lean on my own support system to meet my emotional needs. When considering who to work with, I strongly urge you to assess whether they will hold these ethical boundaries for you.
My primary goals with my clients are: creating an environment of emotional safety; helping clients become more aware of their emotions when they are not in touch; helping clients tolerate or contain emotions when they are too overwhelmed; asking meaningful questions to help folks consider things from different angles; providing feedback based on my impressions and clinical experience; maintaining humility and open-mindedness; and conveying respect at all times. I want to create those conditions that allow a client to feel safe, accepted, heard, understood, and validated. As we converse and listen deeply, the solutions present themselves and the healing unfolds.
I attend to both the here-and-now, and exploration each client’s personal history to consider how the past may be affecting a person’s present life. Some of the most powerful influences we have are the relationship blueprints we formed in our childhood families. My theoretical orientation incorporates aspects of several schools of thought, with particular emphasis on the following: Client-Centered/Humanistic, Cognitive Behavioral (“CBT”), Intersubjective, Relational, and Attachment theories.
What is the best way to choose a therapist?
You may want to meet with more than one therapist to get a feel for how different clinicians work and to for what style you are drawn to. Sometimes a referral from someone you know is a good lead — but just because your friend likes her therapist, it does not necessarily follow that that therapist will be a good match for you.
You may want to find a therapist with specific training and expertise. For example, some clients have sought me out because they had read about the wealth of researching supporting the efficacy of mindfulness in improving mood and overall mental health.
The most important element is a feeling of trust and rapport between you and your therapist. When you sit with a clinician, notice how you feel: Are you at ease? Do you talk openly and freely? Do you sense that the person is interested in you and respects you? Do you feel you could trust this person to work with you compassionately and ethically?
This is a very personal, very important decision, so take your time and listen to your instincts!
Each session is 55 minutes, and sessions are on a weekly basis (or twice weekly, if needed).
How long does therapy last?
This is difficult to predict and depends on a number of factors, such as: your goals, what kinds of issues bring you to therapy, your level of commitment, and your life circumstances. Most often my clients elect to continue seeing me for a year or more (with the exception of hypnosis-only clients with more focused goals). Some people terminate therapy once they are satisfied that they have achieved certain specific goals. Others commit to longer-term therapy either because they need more time to address their concerns, or because they find value in having a dedicated time and place to receive support and to focus on their personal needs and aspirations.
One reason therapy length is hard to predict is that often what clients present initially as their concern or goal turns out to be only one part of a larger picture or theme that unfolds as therapy progresses. This is one of the best things therapy has to offer: helping you understand your concerns and needs in the larger context of your life and your personality. I invite you to talk with me at any time about how therapy is progressing and what kind of time frame seems appropriate and necessary.
What is your style of psychotherapy?
Most people want to hear from their therapists and feel their active support. This interaction and developing a strong alliance are critical parts of therapy. But there is also such a thing as doing too much, and therapists can get in the way of a natural, deep process of self-discovery and healing if we aren't careful. I'm cognizant of this when I sit with my clients. I strive to strike that right balance between holding space and honoring the client's natural process on the one hand, and speaking up or intervening in some way on the other.
Occasionally I will disclose some thing about myself and my personal life, but I do so sparingly, as the hour belongs to the client. It does not serve either one of us to become distracted from this central purpose, and I lean on my own support system to meet my emotional needs. When considering who to work with, I strongly urge you to assess whether they will hold these ethical boundaries for you.
My primary goals with my clients are: creating an environment of emotional safety; helping clients become more aware of their emotions when they are not in touch; helping clients tolerate or contain emotions when they are too overwhelmed; asking meaningful questions to help folks consider things from different angles; providing feedback based on my impressions and clinical experience; maintaining humility and open-mindedness; and conveying respect at all times. I want to create those conditions that allow a client to feel safe, accepted, heard, understood, and validated. As we converse and listen deeply, the solutions present themselves and the healing unfolds.
I attend to both the here-and-now, and exploration each client’s personal history to consider how the past may be affecting a person’s present life. Some of the most powerful influences we have are the relationship blueprints we formed in our childhood families. My theoretical orientation incorporates aspects of several schools of thought, with particular emphasis on the following: Client-Centered/Humanistic, Cognitive Behavioral (“CBT”), Intersubjective, Relational, and Attachment theories.
What is the best way to choose a therapist?
You may want to meet with more than one therapist to get a feel for how different clinicians work and to for what style you are drawn to. Sometimes a referral from someone you know is a good lead — but just because your friend likes her therapist, it does not necessarily follow that that therapist will be a good match for you.
You may want to find a therapist with specific training and expertise. For example, some clients have sought me out because they had read about the wealth of researching supporting the efficacy of mindfulness in improving mood and overall mental health.
The most important element is a feeling of trust and rapport between you and your therapist. When you sit with a clinician, notice how you feel: Are you at ease? Do you talk openly and freely? Do you sense that the person is interested in you and respects you? Do you feel you could trust this person to work with you compassionately and ethically?
This is a very personal, very important decision, so take your time and listen to your instincts!