Frequently Asked Questions 

How long will I need to be in therapy?

My goal is to not have you in therapy forever, but to help you reach your current goals and develop skills to overcome future challenges.  Some clients need only a few sessions to achieve their goals.  Others may require several months or even several years of therapy. As a client, you are in complete control of how many sessions you want to have for either yourself or for your child/adolescent. 

How often will I come for therapy?

The frequency of sessions will depend on the nature of the issues you present and the goals for therapy.  The majority of clients will be scheduled for weekly or every other week sessions.  As therapy progresses and nears termination, the frequency of sessions may reduce.  I will make recommendations for frequency of sessions, but as the client you also have control over how often you wish to schedule sessions. 

What if my child/adolescent doesn’t want to come to therapy but I want him/her to get help?

It is not uncommon for some children and adolescents to not want to come to therapy for various reasons.  I believe in spending time getting to know each client and finding ways to connect with them, even the youngest ones.  Through talk, play, games, art, and other activities I am able to build rapport with them and show them that therapy can be a positive and even fun experience.  I have worked with many children and adolescents who actually look forward to their therapy sessions. If despite our best efforts, the child or adolescent still refuses to participate I will have a discussion with you about what options you have.  I will always be open and honest with you as a parent about your child/adolescent’s progress.

What if I would like marital or couples counseling but my spouse doesn’t? What are my options?

While ideally you would both attend therapy sessions, if you are having relationship issues and wish to attend therapy I encourage you to begin with individual sessions. Any changes that an individual makes can have a ripple effect resulting in changes in the couple or other family relationships.  Oftentimes, when one partner starts therapy the other will become curious about the therapy and later be willing to agree to come to at least one session.  

If you see my child/adolescent for individual therapy, how involved will I be as the parent?

Parents are the most important and influential people in a child’s life. For very young children, I usually require parental involvement.  I will be looking to you as the person who knows most about your child for feedback on progress at home and without your collaboration, success in therapy may be limited. For older children and adolescents we will discuss your level of involvement and participation on a case by case basis.  I explain in detail during the initial session how I balance the adolescent’s need for confidentiality with the parents’ right and desires to know what is being discussed in sessions.  I always give parents frequent updates and am willing to involve parent participation as much as they are willing and is therapeutically beneficial.  I believe that the more parent participation the more likely the child/adolescent will be successful in reaching their goals.

I am going to court for custody issues, can you testify in court for me?

I do not do custody evaluations.  My role is a therapeutic one focusing on treatment which involves aligning with my clients as well as working with client perceptions.  Because of this, I am not an objective third party able to make to make such recommendations.  

What happens if we run into each other outside of our sessions? 

Be assured that I follow all legal and ethical guidelines pertaining to confidentiality and your right to privacy. The therapeutic relationship and issues discussed are private and confidential except in specific circumstances.  My relationship with clients is a professional and therapeutic one and it is imperative that I have no other relationship with them outside of therapy.  I do not accept social invitations, including requests on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In.   I cannot purchase products from clients or accept gifts.  In the event that we were to cross paths in a social or public setting our therapeutic relationship comes first.  In order to protect your confidentiality, I would not initiate a greeting.  Privacy and confidentiality is highly important to me and is addressed in the intake paperwork and initial session.  If you ever have additional questions or concerns please bring them to my attention.