Therapy has been shown to be extremely helpful to many in navigating various problems of living and it can lead to reduced distress, improvement in symptoms, solutions to specific concerns and a greater sense of fulfillment and meaning in life. Therapy can provide clients with a space to voice their worries, a safe environment that is confidential, and an outside perspective from a trained therapist who has experience working with a variety of concerns.

In order to achieve the benefits from therapy, I believe the most important aspect is the fit between the client and the therapist. To that end, I encourage potential clients to meet with several providers initially so that they can assess which therapist can best meet their needs. Ideally, clients should look for a therapist with whom they feel there is potential to develop trust with, clients should feel they have some level of rapport and comfort initially, and they should feel cared for by their therapist. I encourage potential clients to consider whether their potential therapist has experience in working with the client’s specific concerns and has an approach that will be useful in treating these concerns. It can also be useful to consider therapist credentials and to make sure the therapist is licensed and in good standing to practice. Some counselors such as “life coaches” may have different backgrounds and training from other mental health professionals, so it is useful to be informed of this when entering a therapeutic relationship. Above all, I encourage potential clients to trust their gut instincts and to ask themselves, “How do I feel when I’m sitting in the room with this therapist? Is this someone I feel I could open up to and trust? Does this person seem to care about me and take my concerns seriously?”

During the initial sessions of therapy, my clients can expect that we will spend some time assessing their functioning and clarifying their needs and goals for treatment. I tend to take a history of my client that continues throughout the first few sessions and I often ask many questions about their background and experiences. Clients can anticipate that during these first few sessions we will mutually assess the potential fit between us- I will evaluate whether I feel I can offer help to my clients given my experience and the client’s needs, and the client should assess their own level of comfort with me. 

I offer psychotherapy services to individuals and couples. Individual sessions are scheduled for 45 minutes. Couple therapy sessions are scheduled for 60-90 minutes, depending on partners’ needs. Although the frequency of sessions can vary, I recommend meeting at least weekly during the initial phases of therapy to help build momentum and to develop a working relationship with my clients.