• No cost, no obligation
  • About 30 minutes

I am always happy to have a no-cost introductory conversation with anyone who is interested in starting psychotherapy. There is no obligation for further sessions if you feel like we aren’t a good fit. This session usually takes about half an hour and serves as a chance for us to introduce ourselves and get to know what it will be like to talk together.

Subject Matter

  • Depends on you, and what’s going on for you.
  • Common themes: Strong emotions, looping thoughts, family and relationships, coping strategies, consistent moods/symptoms.
  • Share only as much as you are comfortable with.

What we actually talk about will depend entirely on what is happening for you and why you feel the need for therapy. Some people begin by talking about the specific symptoms they are experiencing. Or if they are looking for help with relationships, they might talk about a specific person or group of people.

I often ask about family and friendships, patterns of thought and feeling, “weird” or “crazy” thoughts and experiences, early life and how the people around you dealt with each other and their own emotions. Coping strategies like emotional eating, avoidance or escapism, and alcohol/substance use are also things I usually ask about. But, as I said before, this is always in the spirit of understanding who you are and what is happening for you, and how you cope with stress.

You are also welcome to skip over any subjects that you don’t feel comfortable talking about. You are not at all obligated to disclose or go into detail about any trauma or abuse you may have experienced. Vulnerability and trust are important in therapy, but they cannot be rushed. So I encourage you to keep the secrets you need to keep, until you feel safe enough to talk about them without upsetting yourself or worsening any symptoms you might be experiencing.

Assessment & Emotional Understanding

  • Basic questions: What, how, and why?
  • Habits and patterns of experience, difficult emotions, sources of pressure/tension/anxiety.
  • Formulating goals and outlining a plan.

Generally, my approach to consultations is quite open and intuitive. I prefer not to use questionnaires or multiple-choice assessments, but I do have a few questions that I keep in mind, even if I don’t ask them directly.

  • What’s going on?
  • How are you trying to help yourself?
  • Is it working?
  • What’s getting in the way?

You definitely don’t need to have the answer to all or any of these, but the most important factor for effective and successful psychotherapy is your own involvement in the process. So I include them here as something to think a bit about before we meet.

But the main purpose of the consultation is for us to meet and to speak, so that you can get a sense of what it’s like to work with me, and so I can get to know you a little and understand what’s bringing you into therapy in the first place.

And so what really matters is how you feel while talking to me, and whether you get the sense that my way of thinking, asking questions, and interacting will help you know yourself better and be supportive for you as you face the challenge of doing things differently. Therapy is not always easy since it requires talking about old wounds and difficult experiences, and so it is important that you feel like I will be someone you can trust to help you through these difficult moments.

Duration

  • Minimum 10 mins
  • Maximum 35 mins

I set aside roughly a half-session’s time for each consultation, so that we don’t have to rush through our very first conversation. I like to have room for unexpected tangents and questions, particularly if you aren’t 100% sure what the problem is or what kind of help you are looking for.

I also generally approach consultations in much the same way as I do a normal therapy session, by giving you some time and space to just talk. And so it’s a good opportunity for you to get a sense of the pace and flow of an “average” session.

However, people are also very busy these days, and I’m happy to condense the conversation if that’s what your schedule demands. I would say, though, that 10-15 minutes is a good minimum.