I Have Never Talked To Anyone. Shouldn’t I Be Able To Handle Things On My Own. Aren’t People Who Go To Therapy Weak?

Not at all! Making the decision to seek out therapy isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a wise act of self-care to reach out for support from professionals when there’s a challenge you need help with. You’d reach out to a doctor for help setting your broken bone or to a lawyer if you needed help filing divorce paperwork, wouldn’t you? When it comes to your mental and emotional health it’s no different. Reaching out for professional support is an act of self-care to address the challenges you’re facing.

What’s The Difference Between Talking To You Or My Best Friend Or Family?

A friend or family member is not professionally trained to help you grow, heal and change. It’s likely that your friends and family have been giving you their best advice for some time now, and if it were sufficient, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. But here is why your friend’s advice is different from a therapist. Your friends want to maintain your friendship so they will probably tell you what you want to hear. Also, they will give advice that is based on their life’s experience. A trained therapist is interested in helping you find your own answers by helping you connect with what is true and right for you.

What Exactly Is Therapy?

Put simply, therapy – also called psychotherapy or counseling – is the process of meeting with a trained and credentialed professional on an ongoing basis to help you recognize and change deep-rooted and potentially self-sabotaging mental and emotional behaviors, thoughts, and patterns that are keeping you feeling stuck, in pain, and away from the life you want to live.

Therapy’s An Added Cost. Is It Worth It?

Therapy is a financial commitment. It’s an investment in yourself and your ability to become aware of self-sabotaging patterns and more capable of practicing new, more effective thoughts and behaviors. This – this ability to think and behave more effectively – can profoundly and positively impact your future relationships, your work, your health, and even your finances. If you’re like most of the individuals I’ve worked with, you’ve likely already invested a lot of time and energy and money into your education, your career, your home, and your physical health. I truly believe that investing in therapy as an act of self-care can be a continued investment in your overall well-being and success in life.

What Kind Of Client’s Do You Work With?

I work with all types of individuals. My clients’ professions, ages, ethnicities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, religions, family backgrounds, and lifestyles vary widely. The thing they all have in common is that they are people who are in pain and who are at a point where they are willing to commit and invest in themselves and in therapy in order to change and create something different in their lives. Also, while some of my clients have been to therapy before, many of my clients are first-timers to therapy. I also have vast experience treating Veterans and some of the unique circumstances they face, such as combat trauma, readjustment difficulties, and military sexual trauma.

How Will I Know If You Are The Right Therapist For Me?

You really need to meet me face-to-face in order to get a good idea of what I’m like as a person and as a professional. It can take a while for us to really get to know each other but for our first few meetings you should keep these questions in mind:

• How easy is it to talk to her?
• Does she seem like somebody I could trust?
• Is she really listening to me?
• Does she seem confident and competent?
• Do I feel comfortable with her?
• Could I ever show this person the deepest, ugliest parts of myself?
• Mostly, “Do I like her?”
• And, what’s more, if it turns out that I’m not the best therapist match for you, I guarantee you that I’ll provide with you additional referrals to other therapists who may be a good fit.

Is What I Share Confidential?

Absolutely. What you share with me in our sessions is completely confidential except in the case of 1) immediate threat of harm to self or other, 2) suspicion of child or dependent elder abuse, 3) in the case of a court subpoena. We’ll discuss all of this and my other office policies during your initial intake session.

How Do I Get Started?

Call me at (585) 582-7740! Or if you’d rather send me a message through the ‘contact me’ section listed on the home page, that is fine too. If you know that you want to get started, let’s schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss your needs and see if I may be a good fit. Then we can schedule our first session and begin your journey of self-discovery and healing!