This time is for you to be able to discuss what you are seeking therapy for and for us to ask each other questions to determine if it feels like a good fit for moving forward. I understand that therapy out of pocket is a financial commitment and I want to insure before you begin to invest in this process that you feel confident that I understand what you are looking for and that based off my expertise and experience will be a good fit for you to reach your goals.
Before your first session I send you paperwork to fill out that asks you more questions about your needs and outlines practice policies of mine. In the first session I go over those practice polices and see if you have any questions. After that, we dive into information gathering where I will ask you detailed questions about your life, history, important people in your life, what your needs for therapy are and how what’s brining you in is impacting your daily life. All these questions are pertinent to help me get to know you better, your support system, and what is impacting you daily to best be able to support you moving forward.
When working with children and adolescents I operate the same and use this first session to gather as much information as I can. I also like to focus on what the teen likes to do for fun and what’s important to them to begin to build good rapport with them for moving forward.
Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, it will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs.
