FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When starting therapy or coaching, it’s very common to feel nervous. It can be difficult to imagine the words around what you are feeling. Maybe you’ve experienced feeling tounge tied when trying to open up to friends or loved ones in the past. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Talking to someone, even when you are nervous is not easy. It may take courage to take those steps. You reading this now shows that you are already stepping in the right direction.
Counseling is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.
Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can call me.
During a free phone consultation, you can ask me what a typical session with me is like, or any other questions you may have that are specific to you. You’ll also be able to discuss what’s on your mind and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.
It may be helpful to think of the first few sessions as trying out the waters together. During the sessions, you’ll be able to start seeing what it’s like. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.
For most of my clients, it can feel scary to open up.. During our sessions, I will never push you to talk about things that are too painful for you to talk about. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.
You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to session and we can explore that together.
If you open up to me, I will not think you are crazy, I will think you are unique and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy).
Working with my clients has shown me that the challenges your are facing are normal and natural.
You’re not being dramatic or “too much.” Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.
I know many of us are overwhelmed, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, we may have normal reactions to abnormally challenging experiences.
Whatever it is you’re going through, I provide a comfortable space where I will listen to you and give you my full support
It can be concerning feeling like things you say or do in our sessions could “get out.” So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential
Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance.
You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.
If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during a free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.
You might be asking about how long it will take because you are currently struggling and want relief fast.
If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing positive effects after the first a few sessions.
By that point, they they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives a bit better
The total duration varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 8-16 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy.
We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.
Overall, you can think of the first session as two-way interview where we can ask each other questions so we can begin to know each other. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.
Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:
What brought you to seek help?
Have you gone to therapy or worked with a coach before? How did that go?
What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?
You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my expertise or how future sessions work.
The most important part of a first session is to notice how you feel during and after the session. If you feel supported, seen, and at-ease with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.
I’m here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can discuss what’s on your mind and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.
