OUR COUNSELING APPROACH

Our team of licensed professional counselors believes in a collaborative approach to treatment. We ask you to define why you are here and what you hope to achieve through counseling. After an assessment, we will suggest a plan for your approval. Throughout our work together we will evaluate your progress periodically and jointly make modifications to the plan.

You and your counselor will determine together the number and frequency of sessions to address your initial concerns. Our experience has demonstrated that meeting weekly at the beginning of counseling is the most effective approach. Some counselees need only a few sessions to make the changes they desire while others may require ongoing therapy over several months or even years.

THE COUNSELING EXPERIENCE

While counseling has been shown to have many benefits, uncomfortable feelings (e.g. sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness) may surface during the course of treatment. Your counselor is trained to help you work through this discomfort, improve your relationships, and resolve problems. While it is not possible to guarantee specific results regarding your counseling goals, we will work with you to achieve the best possible outcome.

ASSESSMENT

To ensure quality service, a thorough assessment of your concerns is necessary. Your initial appointment, scheduled for 90 minutes, includes ample time to read through our client information materials regarding our counseling and business practices and to provide requisite background data and note any questions or concerns to discuss when meeting with the counselor later in this first session.

A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS

In additions to the background information which you will provide, the counselor will determine whether other interventions including a family genogram, psychological or personality testing, and other inventories or questionnaires are needed. The rationale for gathering such data will be explained to you. While this process may take from two to four sessions, successful treatment can hinge on a thorough assessment.

THE BENEFITS OF A TEAM OF COUNSELORS

During the assessment phase, the counselor you have been assigned may determine that he or she is not the best fit for your particular need. If so, you will be offered the option to meet with another counselor in the practice with the appropriate training and skills, or referred to a professional with relevant expertise outside the practice. Additional services also may be recommended for your spouse or other family members. You and the counselor will explore jointly the various combinations of services our team of professionals can provide.

A PLANNED ENDING

While you have the right to end your counseling at any time, we believe it is in your best interest for you and your counselor to decide together how your treatment will end and plan the timing to avoid an abrupt ending. An effective approach is to schedule sessions further apart to evaluate how well you maintain the gains achieved. Some clients like to schedule a three-month “check-up” session at termination. If counseling is successful, you will be better able to face life’s challenges.