Finding a Therapist

Do Your Research

1. Be a Good Consumer:  I encourage you to be a good consumer. Feel free to view my website and others. You want to get a sense of the therapist and see whether you might relate to them. Consider getting suggestions of therapists from your physician, family and friends.
   - Is the office accessible?
   - Do they offer online sessions?
   - What are their hours?
   - What are the costs?


2. Contact the Therapist: Then you want to make contact with the therapist by phone or email. This is a big step because it takes courage to reach out and find a person that you will open up to. You are allowing yourself to ask for help and be vulnerable. This step in itself is beneficial to show you care about yourself.


3. Phone Conversation: Ideally, we will converse by phone so that you get a better sense of me and again assess if it is a good fit. I emphasize this fit so much because there is research that finds this comfort with the therapist is the biggest factor in a good outcome of therapy. I will also make sure that your concern fits within my area of practice.


4. Make an Appointment:  If, after this conversation, it seems like a good fit, then schedule an appointment.

Getting Started in Therapy

1. Consent for Treatment & Privacy Policy: With the appointment scheduled, I will send you an email to confirm the time and I will also send you a link to complete the initial paperwork online. This paperwork is the Consent for Treatment and the Privacy Policy that gives you an understanding of what to expect.


2. Initial Appointment: The first appointment will involve giving you your first chance to share more about your concern and what you would like to work on. I will take lots of notes (these days, I do this electronically the first session) while you share your story.


3. Plan the Next Step: At the end of this first session, again, I will make sure you still feel comfortable enough with me and also make sure what your are presenting is within my area of practice. We can then talk further appointments.

Subsequent Sessions

       As we get started with subsequent sessions, I tell clients to give it four to six sessions to really get a feel if this is providing what you need and that you still feel the sense of comfort.