Guidelines For Therapy

You may or may not have been to a therapist before. If this is your first experience with therapy you may feel a bit nervous or apprehensive. That’s normal! Therapy is a process that allows you the freedom and privacy to discuss issues that are often painful or difficult to discuss with family and/or friends.

The following are a few suggestions to help make your counseling experience most effective:

• Before your scheduled appointment, write down questions, topics, or issues you would like to focus on in your session.
• Communicate your expectations to me so that we are working together toward your goals.
• Provide ongoing feedback to me so I know how you are doing (example, “I want to focus on my anger more” or “I like doing relaxation exercises”).
• If you feel a need to increase of decrease the frequency of your sessions, or end counseling, feel free to communicate that with me.
• If you feel a need to bring a spouse, partner, or friend with you for your session in order to work on interpersonal issues, feel free to do so. Please discuss it with me prior to their arrival.
• If you have another professional involved in your care (i.e. physician, chiropractor, attorney, etc.), I would be happy to coordinate with him/her if you wish. It is not advisable to have more than one mental health counselor involved in your treatment at one time.
• Try to make a commitment to yourself to remain in therapy and attend regular sessions for as long as you feel necessary. If you wait until you have a crisis, it will be more difficult to build long-lasting coping skills.
• If for any reason you would like to see a different therapist, please feel free to tell me. I can provide you with the names of other therapists.