The Next Step Toward Therapy

If you want to explore starting therapy with me, the first step

is to call me at 802-860-9500. Leave your name and phone numbers and times I can reach you and I’ll call you back as soon as I can. In our phone call we’ll explore what you’re looking for in therapy. You can ask me questions about my background and the therapy I offer. Or if you prefer, we can schedule an appointment and do the initial exploration in person.

The first session is a chance for you to get a sense of who I am and whether you feel like you want to do therapy with me.  If we decide to embark on therapy, we’ll explore together how to approach it. I’ll be interested in hearing about your life now and your experience in the past. How much we focus on the past will depend on what approach we take with the therapy. Each person’s needs are different.

If we decide that EMDR is the best course,

we will probably meet at least 2-3 sessions to prepare for it. These sessions are usually, though not always, important in helping me, as your therapist, have a complete sense of what the underlying issues are and helping you have a better sense of who I am. Because EMDR works so efficiently and deeply, we need to take care that we don’t jump in ahead of your comfort level.

Return to EMDR Page

If we choose traditional talk therapy,

for our approach, we will probably spend a considerably longer time exploring the events and relationships of both your current and early experiences. This therapy is based on the relationship we develop as client and therapist. Traditional talk therapy sessions range from 1 or 2 a week to 1 or 2 a month. I recommend that for maximum effectiveness, if you are able, that we set up weekly sessions for at least the first month, to give yourself a chance to hit the ground running and get a good start to your therapy. Then, if you need to cut back to fewer sessions, it’s easier to maintain the continuity.

Return to Individual Therapy Page

If it’s group therapy that you’re seeking,

we will probably meet together in individual  sessions  for 3-5 times before you enter group. These sessions allow me the chance to find out important aspects of your life, now and earlier. I will help you identify goals for yourself in group and go over with you the group agreements. You’ll have as much time as you want to ask questions about group or about me. These preparatory individual sessions are for deciding over time if you want to come into a group. I won’t ask you to commit to group membership until you have a clear sense that it’s right for you. For these preparatory session my fee is the same as for group, $60.

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