Common Questions About Psychotherapy
Why do people seek therapy?
Benefits of psychotherapy?
What kind of therapist do I need?
What can I expect in a therapy session?
Why group therapy? What is it like?
How long will it take to address my concerns?
What do you specialize in?
Are you the right therapist for me?
How do I get started?
Why do people seek therapy?
People come into therapy for many reasons. Some need to respond to unexpected changes in their lives, while others seek self-exploration and personal growth. When coping skills are overwhelmed by guilt, doubt, anxiety, or despair, therapy can help. People seeking psychotherapy are motivated to take responsibility for their actions, work towards self-change and create greater awareness in their lives.
>>Top of Page
What benefits can I expect from therapy?
A number of benefits are available from participating in therapy with a trained psychologist. Often it is helpful just to know that someone understands. A therapist can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. Many people find therapy to be a tremendous asset in managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, and the difficulties of daily life. Therapy can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping for issues such as depression, anxiety, lack of confidence, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, bereavement, spiritual conflicts, stress management, body image issues, and creative blocks. Some of the potential benefits available from psychotherapy include:
- Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
- Gaining a better understanding of yourself and your personal goals and values
- Developing skills for improving your relationships
- Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
- Managing anger, depression, and other emotional pressures
- Improving communications skills - learning how to listen to others, and have others listen to you
- Getting "unstuck" from unhealthy patterns - breaking old behaviors and developing new ones
- Discovering new ways to solve problems
- Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
>>Top of Page
What kind of therapist do I need?
Psychiatrist? Psychologist? Marriage and Family Therapist? Clinical Social Worker? Counselor? What’s the difference? It can be difficult to make sense of the confusing variety of mental health providers available to you. In general, a Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who primarily prescribes medications to help with mental health concerns. Most of the rest—Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs—are licensed professionals who provide talk therapy, exposure therapy, or behavioral therapy to help you address your concerns without prescribing medications—although many people find that a combination of talk therapy and medication is the most effective way of feeling better. Psychologists have doctoral-level degrees, whereas most (but not all) LCSWs and MFTs have masters-level degrees; consequently, although masters-level clinicians may obtain extensive post-licensure training, Psychologists have received more formal education than is required for MFTs or LCSWs. Finally, "counselor" is more of a catch-all term that can even include non-professionals and unlicensed providers on a broad range of topics.
>>Top of Page
What can I expect in an individual therapy session?
During individual therapy sessions you are expected to talk candidly about the primary concerns and issues in your life, and we will work together to understand the underlying emotions they encompass. We will analyze patterns of behavior associated with key emotions and explore ways of leveraging the energy embedded in those feelings to nurture personal growth.
A typical session lasts 50 minutes, but some clients request longer sessions if they have a pressing concern they would like to address at length. People generally find that one or two sessions a week are most helpful. During the time between sessions it is beneficial to think about and process what was discussed; in the following session, we can share any insights you may have had. At times, you may be asked to take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as reading a relevant book or trying out new behavior.
>>Top of Page
Why group therapy? What is it like?
Most concerns that people bring to counseling have a big interpersonal aspect. In depression we often feel lonely and isolated, struggling to connect with others, or we imagine that no one else experiences this and therefore assume that others judge us as harshly as we may judge ourselves. Perhaps our worries about others' judgments lead us to experience debilitating anxiety. If interpersonal issues play a large part in the difficulties you are facing, I may recommend that you consider joining a therapy group.
Group therapy is often described as a "live laboratory" for experimenting with interpersonal issues, but unlike a traditional support group, it is carried out under the caring and watchful guidance of a licensed psychologist facilitator. In group therapy, we have an opportunity to witness that others struggle with similar concerns to ours (even if they look different on the surface); to overcome our difficulties in building deeper relationships; and to question our expectations of judgment from others. We challenge habits of interpersonal relating that tend to leave us feeling isolated or misunderstood, and form new ways of relating that deepen our connections to others and to ourselves.
Groups are composed of between four and eight consistent members, along with the group psychotherapist. The members may be different in many ways—some may be struggling with anxiety or depression, others with difficult childhoods or painful losses; they may be in mid-life, college-age, or retired—but they all share an awareness that their current concerns have a significant interpersonal element, and a commitment to addressing them in the group.
>>Top of Page
How long will it take to address my concerns?
People seeking psychotherapy naturally want to know the answer to this question—and, of course, the answer is "it depends." I work using an accelerated approach developed to resolve the kinds of concerns that people bring to therapy as quickly as possible, and longstanding problems often can be resolved in a matter of months. At the same time, even concerns that at first appear quite straightforward can sometimes take a long time to resolve. I do strive to—and commit to—helping you address your concerns as rapidly as they can be addressed.
>>Top of Page
What do you specialize in?
I specialize in Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT), an innovative approach to psychotherapy that is particularly effective for individuals who are highly motivated to address their emotional and interpersonal concerns, whatever they may be. This approach is appropriate for clients with a broad range of concerns, including:
- Relationship issues
- Depression, anxiety, and stress
- Loss and bereavement
- Men's issues
- Divorce
- Career and work-life struggles
- Recovery from trauma or painful childhood experiences
- Sexual identity concerns
- Emotional issues affecting teens and college students
>>Top of Page
Are you the right therapist for me?
Choosing your psychotherapist is an important decision. In addition to considering credentials and competence, having a good rapport is critical. Research suggests that the single most important factor in therapeutic success is the alliance, or relationship, that you have with your therapist. To help ensure a good therapeutic fit, I encourage prospective clients to schedule an initial consultation. This consultation implies no obligation for either of us but rather provides a chance to discuss your situation in some depth, to get a sense of whether we would enjoy working together, and to understand better what next steps would be most helpful for you.
How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?
"Only one, but the lightbulb must really WANT to change."
