Q: Why would I need therapy?
A: You might need therapy if you want to:
Manage a mental health condition, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Cope with life changes, such as trauma or abuse
Improve relationships
Deal with addiction or eating disorders
Improve self-esteem and self-confidence
Learn how your mind works
Build healthier habits
Change your mindset
Process emotions and discuss your thoughts and feelings
Explore various aspects of your life
Enhance your emotional well-being
You can ask yourself if there's anything in your life that you want to change but are having trouble changing on your own.
Therapy can be a safe and confidential space where you can:
Understand what you're feeling, why, and how to cope
Navigate your feelings
What is therapy?
Therapy is learning about yourself and getting to know yourself better. Therapy can help you gain an understanding of how you think and behave. Therapy is not about finding someone to give you advice or tell you what to do. Therapy is more about learning different skills, new ways of looking at things, and how to apply these skills in your daily life.
How can therapy help me?
There are so many lifelong benefits for participating in therapy. Therapists can provide support, problem-solving skills, and coping strategies for issues that many people suffer with. These issues include depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, career struggles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, and stress management Many people find therapists to be a tremendous asset to managing their personal growth, relationships, family issues, and daily life struggles. Therapists often provide a new perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution.
Do I need therapy?
Many people go through challenging situations in life. I am sure you may have successfully navigated through other challenges you've faced, but there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. By seeking therapy, you are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools that you need to avoid triggers, change damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.
What will therapy look like?
The initial appointments are focused on assessment which means gathering information about you to get a chance to better understand your problems and how to help. During this time, you and I will explore what problems need help solving and develop goals together. Since each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. In general, sessions will likely focus on the current events happening in your life, your personal history relevant to your issue, and discussing any progress you made from the previous therapy session. Therapy can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more difficult patterns or for more personal development. Therapy works best when sessions are scheduled regularly (usually weekly).
The best results from therapy happen if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Please keep in mind, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, I may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to support your process which may sometimes be called "homework." This is where you may have things to think about, some things to practice, or take note of in between sessions. This leads to not only faster results but longer lasting results. The benefits you obtain from therapy depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn.
When will therapy end? Will I be in therapy for life?
Therapy doesn’t have to last a lifetime, and it shouldn't last a lifetime! The length of treatment is specific to the individual and their situation. While some people may benefit from short-term therapy (approx. 8-10 visits), other problems require more sessions. Often times as a person improves and is able to solve more problems and use skills, sessions can be more spread out. Sometimes people return for therapy “boosters” to look at a new problem or review skills.
What is the difference between a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Therapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, and Nurse Practitioner?
Therapy is typically provided by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Counselor or Psychologist while a Psychiatrist, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant prescribe medication (medication management). If you are already taking medication or decide that this is the next best course of action, I can coordinate care with another provider who is prescribing medication.
Medication vs. psychotherapy
It has been well established that the long-term solution to mental health and emotional issue and the pain they both cause cannot be solved with medication alone. Medications can treat the symptoms, whereas therapy addresses the cause of distress and the patterns in behavior that interfere progress. Working with your medical doctor you can determine what's best for you, and in some cases a combination of medication and therapy is the right course of action.
The decision to take medication is a personal choice and no one is forced to take medication if they are receiving therapy.
Does therapy remain confidential?
All sessions are confidential between you and a therapist. Confidentiality is one of the components that makes this relationship and treatment so different than speaking with a friend. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but in the therapy session. Every therapist should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. There may be times that you may ask your therapist to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team or another person of your choice, but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission. Therapists may discuss certain cases with trusted colleagues (licensed clinicians) for consultation and get feedback, but information provided is a much “stripped down version without identifying information.” As a rule of thumb, your therapist is not talking about you to friends or family.
However, state law and professional ethics require therapists to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:
* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.
*Prenatal Exposure to Controlled Substances Therapists must report any admitted prenatal exposure to controlled substances that could be harmful to the mother or the child.
*Minors/Guardianship Parents or legal guardians of non-emancipated minor clients have the right to access the clients’ records.