What to Expect
Every counselor has their own style.
Here's some information about what it is like to work with me.
What to Expect
My goal for our time working together is for you to develop a clear idea of not only where you want to go, but how to get there. You provide expertise on your life while I provide expertise in mental health. With our combined knowledge we can work together to get you where you want to go. It will rarely (if ever) feel like “just talking” because we are going to be actively working toward solving the problems plaguing you.
Consultation Call
Our first initial contact will be a free consultation call to see if we would be a good fit for working together. If my vibe and knowledge match what you need we will schedule an intake session. After the consultation call, our meetings will be teletherapy (online video chat) through a secure platform.
Intake Session
During the intake session, you will let me know more about the issue(s) getting in your way. I will ask questions to collect a brief history about your life, symptoms, and stressors more generally. You do not have to share anything with me that you don't feel comfortable sharing. You choose what you want me to know. My focus will be collecting information that helps me know where you want to start learning, growing, and changing.
Treatment Plan & Goals
Together we’ll develop a flexible plan that will outline why you are in counseling, what you want out of counseling and your counselor, and how you know when you are done with services. (You don’t have to know all of this before we ever meet. Your treatment plan is something we can figure out together.) If you have new goals or want to adjust anything we’re focusing on we can update our plan at any time.
Sessions
In sessions we will work toward helping you meet your goals by;
Learning about how the mind, the body, and behavior works
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Identifying and developing skills that will help you meet your goals
Identifying any barriers that might be getting in the way of using your skills and coming up with strategies to navigate them
Setting realistic behavioral goals to actively practice your skills
We may talk a little about what has been going on recently, but just catching up on recent life events will not be a priority unless it is related to your goals. Think of this more like an energized and often playful business meeting where the business is your life and our agenda is to help you succeed. We can come back to the drawing board as many times as you like to develop and put into place the strategies that will help you succeed.
Frequency of sessions will depend on your needs. At the beginning we will meet more often so you can get that extra support. When you have leveled up your skills and need me less our check-ins will get further and further apart until eventually we may not need to meet at all.
When is Counseling Done?
Counseling is done when you have met and maintained your progress toward your goals. Once you learn the information, develop the skills, and know how to implement change on your own then my role is no longer needed. Which is awesome!
I both look forward to meeting you, working with you, and to working myself out of a job with you.