How does therapy help?

Depending on your present situation and your reasons for seeking help, there are many benefits to therapy. If you received a diagnosis of a mental illness, therapy can help you better manage your symptoms, outbreaks, and triggers. It can also offer you increased coping skills and open your eyes to new ways of dealing with situations that you may not have been aware of before. Therapy can offer problem-solving skills, provide support, and help you work through life changes, allowing you to see your circumstances as a personal growth opportunity instead of a burden or obstacle.

Some specific skills therapy can provide are:

  • Emotional management
  • Coping mechanisms
  • Stress-management
  • Skills and techniques to help you better navigate relationships
  • Problem solving skills
  • Improving self-love, self-confidence, and self-compassion.
  • Improving communication, listening, and the ability to speak up for yourself.
  • Understanding your own skills, strengths, and positive attributes and learning to quiet your inner negative critique.
  • Finding a resolution to the issues that originally led you to therapy, such as having panic attacks, or being unable to sleep.

While the decision to begin therapy is an individual choice, in many regards it may be helpful for everyone. There are a wide variety of reasons to begin therapy ranging from a diagnosed mental illnesses to help managing daily stress or a transitional period of your life. Your treatment plan that will vary based on your individual circumstances and needs.

What to expect on your first visit?

Your first therapy session has two main goals:

1. Build a relationship
Our first session will be a chance for me to get to know you and you to get to know me. I will ask questions regarding your primary concerns, your past experiences with therapy and the changes that you would like to work towards. My primary concern in the first session will be establishing our client/therapist relationship while respecting your comfort in coming forward. Some clients prefer to dive right in with their current struggles and goals, while others prefer to build the trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship. I am happy to meet you where you feel comfortable. Whatever your preference,  I’ll get to know you, and you’ll get to know me.  In order for therapy to be successful, it is imperative we establish a client/therapist relationship that is supportive and honest. In fact, it is the nature – and the quality – of our relationship that will determine the success of your overall therapy goals. The success of the ‘meeting of the minds’ with your therapist is the most accurate predictor of a positive, healthy outcome to the hard work you put in towards your happiness. As such, each client/therapist relationship will be unique but certain values and themes are true for all sessions, and you can expect the following:
  • You can expect to be treated with compassion, empathy, respect, and understanding.
  • You can expect to be presented with someone who is available to listen to you and listen to your interpretation of what you are currently experiencing.
  • You can expect to receive knowledgeable and scientifically backed techniques and information to assist you in overcoming your mental health related struggles.
  • You can expect to arrive in a safe, supportive, and confidential space.
  • You can expect to receive real strategies and techniques you can use to enact positive changes on your life.
2. Assess your circumstances

We will take the first meeting to assess your current circumstances, and to explore your goals. While my areas of expertise may be consistent with your reasons for coming to therapy, we will need to address specific areas that are unique to you, and your current circumstances. I may provide you with series of actions to do outside of our therapy sessions, such as practice a certain technique, or read a specific book, as it is important you take on an active role in your healing.

“Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”

– Berne Brown

Is therapy confidential?

As a general rule, all therapy sessions are confidential and anything you discuss with your therapist will remain between the two of you, unless you request otherwise. This is as per protection rules by law, which all therapists legally need to follow, and no information from the session can be disclosed without prior written consent from the client.

There are exceptions to this law however, and the therapist can disclose information from the session to legal authorities or appointed persons if any of the following are true:

  • The therapist suspects abuse to a child, dependent adult, or an elder, or are made aware of domestic abuse. These situations all require the therapist to notify law authorities immediately.
  • If the therapist suspects an individual has caused, or is threatening to cause severe bodily harm to another person, therapists are required to report it to the police.
  • If an individual intends to harm himself or herself, expressing to the therapist for example, plans for suicide. While the therapist will attempt to work through this in the therapy session, if it appears to be unresolved or the client does not cooperate, additional action may need to be taken to ensure the safety of the client.
  • If in the unlikely event that my notes are subpoenaed by the courts of law.