Frequently Asked Questions

Ideally, at least once a week. Research shows that meeting less frequently results in slower changes and less effective treatment.

Want to meet more often? There is research that supports “condensed” therapy that includes multiple sessions a week, which has the effect of shortening the number of weeks in treatment and speeds up the results of your treatment.

We will discuss the right schedule for you in one of our first meetings, and adjust as needed.

A standard session is either 60 or 90 minutes. This allows us 50 or 80 minutes to speak together and 10 minutes for documentation and record-keeping.

The duration of your sessions will be determined by your identified goals and the type of therapy you are participating in.

For example, Cognitive Processing Therapy or Written Exposure Therapy have been designed to be completed in 60-minute sessions, while EMDR or Prolonged Exposure were designed for use in 90-minutes sessions.

Unfortunately, the answer is “it depends.” Everybody has had different backgrounds, experiences, strengths, and difficulties.

Someone who has had multiple traumatic experiences or other life challenges may need more time in treatment to work through their issues than someone who has had a relatively calm life before a single trauma.

We will work together to develop a treatment plan, at which time it is likely I can give you a general estimate of what to expect. While it may take some time for you to be ready to leave treatment altogether, it is common to experience benefits from treatment within a month or two, depending on your investment and effort in the process.

There are 168 hours in a week, and 60-90 minutes is a small fraction of that time. To see the true benefits of treatment you will have to act on the knowledge and understanding you have gained to make real changes in your day-to-day life.

It likely took you years to develop and maintain some of your symptoms, and change takes time. We will discuss practice or “homework assignments” you can complete during the week to practice new skills and behaviors.

It has been my experience that the more effort people put into therapy, in and out of session, the more benefits they see, and the faster they notice them.

This is a very important question. If you are going to put in the time, money, and effort, you want to have a therapist you feel comfortable with and who knows what they are doing. Our first phone conversation should give you a bit of a sense of who I am and if we may be a good fit.

When we meet for a session you’ll get a deeper understanding of who I am and what you can expect from me and treatment.

It may take time for you to decide if we are a good fit and if you’ll be able to feel comfortable enough to allow yourself to share openly with me.

If at any time I say or do something that makes you uncomfortable, please tell me! I’m human, and I make mistakes, but your feedback will not only help us but other people I may work with in the future and would be deeply appreciated.

This is also an opportunity to provide feedback to a person who will not react defensively or get upset if you disagree with me or are unhappy with something I did or said. It’s a great opportunity to use your healthy communication skills with someone who knows the importance of talking things through.

Hopefully, we can talk through your concerns or reservations, and continue working together, and if not, I will work with you to find a provider who may be better able to meet your needs. As awesome as I am, I know not everyone is going to like me, and that is ok.

You may need a different style of therapist to work with, and I don’t take it personally. Its particularly important that you feel safe and supported in treatment so that you can allow yourself to be open enough to see the results you deserve.