What happens? How does it start? How long does it take?
First, email me or give me a call.
In that first contact, you can give me some idea of why you are looking for help and then we can figure out if the counseling I do might be helpful to you. If we decide that it makes sense to do so, we'll schedule a first appointment. During that first appointment, I'll ask you about yourself and your life and you'll get a sense of the way I work and if you feel comfortable with it. I tell my clients that in some ways, I am like a detective looking for the clues to figure out what will help them feel better about themselves and their lives. I also say that I act as a mirror, reflecting back to them what I see, hear and feel from them which serves to help people understand themselves better.
If we both feel good about the first session,
we will schedule another session, usually for the following week. I find that weekly sessions for at least the first few months is usually the best way to do it to really get the process going. When people have too long a space between sessions before they're ready for it, they can experience set-backs or lack of progress and feel frustrated with it.
How long it takes is a question that has no answer.
For some people, one session can be enough to provide some information or education about something or to give them enough feedback to allow them to feel able to go on their own. I also have some clients with whom I've worked for years, whether weekly the whole time or sometimes every other or third week. We both will know when the process is ready to be slowed down or when it is done because you will feel able to handle your life's ups and downs without my support. My ultimate goal is for my clients not to need me anymore or, at least, not to need more than an occasional "tune up." By that, I mean that sometimes after not coming in for a while, maybe months or more, someone might have an issue that comes up for which they want some help to process, to figure out. Then, they might come in for a session or two or longer, and, as before, we will both know when they are ready, again, go out on their own.
Get help if you need it.
Email me or call me at 908.420.0898