New To Therapy?

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy offers you a chance to spend concentrated time on yourself with a highly skilled practitioner who can help you unpack your story, get to the root of issues, and give you new clarity on your past and your present. The bedrock of personal growth lies in a chance to enter into a dialogue with a kind, insightful, and highly experienced psychotherapist. It is an opportunity to process – and overcome – what might be challenging, confusing, worrying, or painful and to chart a course toward greater freedom and possibility.

Please note:

• It’s normal to feel nervous about starting therapy — but taking a few steps to prepare for your first session can help to lessen those nerves.
• First, give yourself credit for taking this leap; also, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you might have during your first session.
• Keep in mind that everything you share is confidential. Additionally, take some time to think about what you want to achieve in therapy.
• Make room for introspection both before and after, and remember that the first session involves clerical items.
• Finally, know that your therapist’s job is to help you — not judge you.

What can therapy offer you?

Therapy is designed to help you feel better and live better. Talk therapy can support improved communication skills and help clients develop coping strategies for trauma and mental health conditions. Therapy can help you;

• Develop healthy coping mechanisms.
• Feel supported and less isolated in coping with your challenges
• On your journey towards achieving and fulfilling your life goals
• Overcome past trauma
• Improve your interpersonal relationships and develop better conflict resolution skills
• To better manage difficult emotions

What are the differences between psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and counselors?

Counselors and social workers often provide talk therapy to clients but are not able to prescribe medication.

Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, which means that they can prescribe medications. They spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment.

Psychologists, who are not medical doctors, focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention.

Psychologists are also qualified to conduct psychological testing, which allows them to assess a person’s mental state and determine a course of treatment.

How can I find the right therapist for me?

Finding the right therapist can be a challenge sometimes, but not always. We recommend being patient with the process and allowing yourself space to explore your options. You may end up meeting with a few therapists before settling on the therapist that feels like the best fit. Choosing a therapist is a very personal decision, so there is no simple formula that we can recommend. However, we do think the following questions are helpful to consider:

Trust – Do you feel you can trust the therapist?

Expertise – Does the therapist have experience and training in addressing the issues that bring you to therapy?

Schedule – Does the therapist have availability in their schedule at times when you are free to attend sessions?

Location – Is the therapist’s office accessible to you? Would you regularly be able to attend sessions at that location?

Fee – Can you afford the therapist’s fee per session?

How do I figure out what kind of therapy would be helpful?

If you’re not sure what kind of therapy would be helpful for you, we recommend reading the following articles:

What Kind of Therapist – and Which Type of Therapy – Is Right for You?
U.S. News & World Report

What Type of Therapy Do I Need? Six Types to Consider – Bustle

What do the different acronyms on your site mean? (e.g. What’s a LPC?)

Here are some of the most common acronyms you will find on the site and what they mean:
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LCAS: Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist
LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor

To learn more about a therapist’s approach or professional training, you can contact them directly to request this information.

What is a student intern?

A student intern is a therapist in training completing their final, clinical internship under the watchful eye of a supervisor. Student interns must complete their internship in order to receive their postgraduate degree and are able to offer $20 sessions for all modalities.

I want to send an email to a prospective therapist. What should I say?

When writing to a prospective therapist, it is best to be as brief and concise as possible. You can start by briefly describing who you are and then explain what you would like to work on in therapy. The point is just to begin the conversation; more in-depth conversations can follow in future emails or phone calls.