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FAQ: FAQ

How do I choose a therapist?

Every therapist comes from his/her own particular therapeutic theory Be sure to ask whoever you call what his/her thoery is, and to explain how that will affect your therpay. Feeling comfortable with your therapist and trusting him is very, very important. Please ask any and all questions when you call - I am happy to answer questions to the best of my ability!

Is everything in my sessions kept confidential?

In General the law protects everything that is said in counseling sessions. However, there are some limits to that confidentiality:

If I am subpoenaed by the court, I have to testify.
If I feel you are a danger to yourself or others, I will take steps to make sure that does not happen, to make sure you get the help you need.
If I hear of any child, mentally disabled, or elder abuse, I must report it to the appropriate authorities.
If you tell me that another therapist has abused you, I will report that. In so doing, I may have to disclose some of what we have discussed in sessions.
If you would like me to talk to someone else, I can do that only if you sign a release of information form.
I have an "open secrets policy" if I am working with a couple or multiple family members. This means if you have a secret that you are not ready to share with your family, I will mark it in the file as "secret." It is your secret, and it does not reflect my opinion about your secret, just that you do not desire to share it with others at this time.

What should I/we expect from therapy?

The first session is called the Intake Session, during which I will be asking questions about yourself and family, relationships and what brought you into counseling. We will be setting out what you want to happen as a result of the counseling, i.e., your goal(s). There is typically some kind of homework given, because while insight may happen during the therapy session, change usually happens during the time during the week between sessions. Therapy is us working together!