Services

When Should I Seek Therapy?

People seek psychotherapy for a variety of reasons.  Often when individuals feel symptoms of stress, depressed mood, anxiety, and/or anger that interfere with everyday functioning or interpersonal relationships, treatment can help.

The decision to seek mental health services is often not easy to make.  But the benefits of therapy can far outweigh the initial apprehension. And when your child or family’s well being is at stake nothing can be more critical than getting the tools needed.  

What is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy conceptualizes mental health symptoms in four key areas. Clients working with me will learn to understand their symptoms in terms of their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physiological responses. Therapy sessions include strategies to combat negative symptoms in each domain and I work to empower clients to use these strategies as it applies to their everyday lives.  I help clients learn the tools necessary to cope with and overcome their symptoms.

What Should I Expect the First Session?

Clients meet with me for a detailed interview where a history of development is taken, current symptoms are assessed, and target goals are formulated. In the case of working with children, I meet with parents initially and schedule a separate individual session where children can begin developing rapport. This allows sensitive information to be passed freely between myself and parents and also allows for a development of an initial treatment plan.

Course of Therapy and Treatment

The length of therapy depends on the individual and his/her needs.  Initially, weekly sessions are recommended to establish the therapeutic relationship and work on targeted symptoms. In the case of children and adolescents, I collaborate with teachers, tutors, and school administrators to use an interdisciplinary approach to treatment. I participate in school observations and Individualized Educational Plan meetings to help child and adolescent clients succeed in the classroom.

For clients who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and phobias, I utilize empirically validated treatments such as exposure and response prevention as part of treatment. In addition, I am happy to advocate for and collaborate with schools and agencies to help my clients generalize what they have learned in therapy to their everyday lives.