Psychotherapy is therapy for your mind and emotional well-being, like physical therapy is therapy for your body. The prefix “psycho” (from the Greek “psyche,” meaning mind or soul) differentiates it from other kinds of therapy (occupational, speech, massage, etc.). A provider of psychotherapy is called a psychotherapist. I use the terms therapy and therapist interchangeably with psychotherapy and psychotherapist.

A psychotherapist provides psychotherapy. There are many types of psychotherapists, with different educational backgrounds and training. Clinical social workers, professional counselors and marriage and family therapists are some types of psychotherapists.A psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. Other doctors and advanced practice nurses can prescribe medication, too. Psychiatrists and advanced practice nurses are sometimes also psychotherapists.A psychologist has a doctorate in psychology. Psychologists can provide certain types of testing and are often researchers. Many psychologists are also psychotherapists.

I do not prescribe medication. If appropriate, I may suggest you see a psychiatrist or other prescriber. If you do not have a provider, I can try to help you find one, or you may find one on your own.

I offer both short-term and long-term options for therapy, and therapy is different for each person. Some clients may be in therapy for a few months, and others may be in therapy longer, even for years. Some people start and stop therapy many times over their lifetime. This can all vary depending on many factors, including your individual situation (your history, current life, previous therapies, etc.), the goals you want to address, the type of therapy we use and other things that happen in your life while you’re in therapy. If you have questions or concerns about this, I would be happy to talk with you about it.

Your initial sessions will be different depending on whether we are doing short-term or long-term therapy and which type(s) of therapy we plan to use, but they may include the following.Questions for you - Learning about you supports me in being able to help you. I’ll ask about your history, current life, goals, skills, etc. I strive to create a space where you can feel secure and feel comfortable with me, and you are always in control of how much you share and when.Assessments - Depending on the issue you want to address or therapy we plan to use, I may ask you to complete assessments either before or during the intake session. We’ll discuss them together and use them to develop an appropriate treatment plan for you. I may or may not also ask you to complete some of them again later, which can help us track your progress.Education - I’ll provide information for you about the therapy we’re going to use. As needed, I’ll also teach you about your brain and nervous system. Having more information about what you are experiencing, why and what to do about it can help you feel more empowered.Skill building - If needed, I’ll help you develop skills to feel better and more in control. This may take time, depending on your situation, but we’ll start working on it early. I believe the purpose of therapy is to change things that are not working well in your life, and I want those changes to start as soon as possible.

For the most part, what you talk about in therapy is confidential and kept private. However, in certain situations I am allowed or even legally required to break this confidentiality. For example, I am required to report to the authorities if I have reason to believe that you or someone else is abusing or neglecting a child or if I have reason to believe that you may harm yourself or someone else, and I am also allowed to report suspected abuse or neglect of older or dependent adults. I may also receive a court order to release your records, in which case I would have to comply. Please review my Notice of Privacy Practices for a full explanation of the ways your private information may be used or disclosed.

If you feel like I am not a good fit for you or you’re not happy with how therapy is going, please talk with me about it. I will accept this feedback in an open, curious and nonjudgmental way. There may be things we can do to help you feel more comfortable or get more out of the experience. There may also be some things that I will not be able or willing to change. If you ultimately decide to end therapy with me, I would be happy to try to help you find someone else to work with if I can.

I offer both long-term, ongoing therapy and short-term, adjunctive therapy. Adjunctive therapy is any type of therapy you do when you already have another therapist who you continue to see at the same time (called your primary therapy and therapist). Adjunctive therapy is usually focused on a particular type of therapy or addressing a specific issue, and the adjunctive therapist will generally ask you to hold conversations about other topics for your sessions with your primary therapist. Adjunctive therapy is also often short-term, limited to a certain number of sessions or length of time, whereas you may see your primary therapist in an ongoing, open-ended way.

Whether or not adjunctive therapy is right for you depends on a variety of factors. Please consider the following.Are you open to trying a new type of therapy, which may be very different from what you’re used to experiencing in therapy?Do you have an established relationship with a primary therapist, and do you plan to continue to work with them regularly while in adjunctive therapy?Will you be comfortable signing a Release of Information authorization to allow me to collaborate with your primary therapist?Do you have the time, energy and money to engage in additional therapy on top of what you’re already doing with your primary therapist?If you’ve been going through a difficult time lately, do you think you have the emotional “bandwidth” to do additional therapy work at this time? (This may vary greatly from person to person.)How well do you think you will be able to stay focused on doing the adjunctive therapy in our sessions and save other conversations for when you meet with your primary therapist?