In the first few sessions you will tell your story and work towards building a trusting relationship with your therapist. You will also discuss goals and develop a treatment plan.

This will be followed by sessions where you work towards gaining insight, learning skill and strategies, connecting emotions to events, and more.

Plan for 45-minute sessions unless otherwise discussed with your therapist. If you are paying privately, the length of appointments may be negotiated between you and your therapist.

Most therapists would prefer to start out seeing you weekly, if possible. You may then step down to seeing your therapist bi-weekly and eventually monthly. During the course of therapy, if there are set backs, you may be invited to increase the frequency of sessions.

Yes. Therapy is confidential. Your therapy records are afforded the same rules of confidentiality as medical records.

There are however, exceptions to confidentiality that include if you are in imminent danger of harm yourself or harming someone else. Your therapist is also a mandated reporter in situations that involve abuse.

Your therapy records are required to be maintained for a period of time as specified by the governing board that provides oversight to Counselors and Social Workers.

Mental Health parity laws have aligned therapy with medical Insurance and most medical insurance plans does cover he cost of therapy. Most medical insurance plan will require you to cover the cost of a co-payment or patient liability.

Questions around insurance will be covered with your therapist in the initial session.

Goals in therapy are very important and provide a way to measure your progress. Each therapy session is a structured intervention designed to work towards goal attainment.

Most therapists subscribe to SMART goals which are; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Time in each session should be devoted to discussing your goals and progress.

Once goals are completed it may be recommended that you continue for “maintenance sessions”, where a reduced frequency of session takes place.