With so many people interested in therapy, and learning about it from social media – often from non professionals, we thought it would be useful for our therapists to give you an idea of what therapy is like with them.

When thinking about therapy, a few images may flash through your mind. You might picture yourself laying down on a couch while a therapist helps you analyze your dreams. You might also picture someone asking you, “How does that make you feel?”

Both of these are useful parts of therapy, and we will definitely discuss feelings that may come up. However, us working together involves much more. When meeting with a client for the first time, my goals include building a therapeutic alliance with you and understanding what brings you to therapy. In addition, my hope is that you leave each session feeling heard, validated, and understood. 

I want to build a genuine connection with you so that you are able to express your thoughts and feelings comfortably. By building an alliance based on mutual trust and respect we can collaboratively work towards achieving positive changes in your life. 

Understanding what brings you to therapy includes asking you about your symptoms; what has been going on in your life presently, and getting to know you as an individual. We might also discuss past experiences that have been influential and may be contributing to certain patterns in your life. This can include meaningful relationships, family history, and other important areas of your life. However, our first session is not limited to these topics. We may discuss hobbies and interests that you have, or your favorite shows and movies. Building trust and a genuine therapeutic alliance takes time, and I will move at your pace. Everything we discuss in a session is useful information in helping me understand you and how you walk through the world. 

Once I get an idea of what brings you to therapy, then we will work collaboratively on what you hope to achieve in therapy and any goals you may have. This can include discussing a treatment plan that will help you achieve the changes you are hoping to make. Although I do not follow one modality religiously, I do incorporate elements of the following modalities: Person Centered Therapy, CBT, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Psychodynamic, Strengths Based, and Motivational Interviewing. 

After the first session, we may continue to discuss your history, or we may start to discuss presenting issues going on in your day to day. This might look like talking about work stress, reflecting on your feelings about a particular situation, or perhaps diving deeper into the past to uncover unhelpful beliefs and patterns that may be holding you back.