What happens in therapy?

What happens in therapy?

In your first session I will assess your current situation and history to determine if you would benefit from treatment. The main purpose of this first appointment is for me to find out your concerns, how they are affecting you, possible causes and the background.

Typically at the end of that first session I will have some idea if you would benefit from therapy. I will make some recommendations of what therapy I think would be helpful to you and how many sessions I believe you would need. This is always a negotiated process between the client/s and therapist.

Who should attend?

Therapy can be for one person, a couple, a family or a group. It may start with just you but it may be helpful to involve a family member, partner or friend at a later date if we both consider it would be helpful.

When treating children it is best to involve both parents in assessment and treatment. Depending on the problem and the child’s age, sessions can involve parents only, parents and their children, or involve adolescents only. Adolescents over 14 may chose to attend therapy alone or with their parents.

If in doubt of the best way to proceed, contact me prior to the initial appointment.

How many sessions?

Treatment sessions will be based on an individually-tailored program which addresses the way you think, the way you behave and the relationship between the two. Therapy is a collaborative process. I prefer to work with my clients to determine the best format and method of treatment.
Most clients elect to visit once a week, but some clients opt for fortnightly sessions.

Ultimately short-term therapy (4-12 sessions) is the goal of most treatment programs. I believe it is important to fix the problem as quickly as possible and let you get on with living your life.

In treating children or adolescent behaviour, I will typically see parents first to assess the situation and determine the best approach. Because people lead busy lives and want solutions quickly, I often will assess and give feedback about the situation and then offer solutions to the parent to help their child in a two or three-hour session. Contact me to discuss.