THE FIRST VISIT

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New clients are asked to arrive 10 min. early to complete intake paper work. These forms are on a clipboard hanging in the waiting room.   Or, you may download the same forms and complete them at home.

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During the first visit you will be asked what you want from therapy and what important life events and current circumstance should be taken into consideration.  This is a good time for you to become acquainted with your therapist so you can decide if you will be comfortable working with him.  Your input will be valued and your personal circumstances will be treated with respect and professional care.

FEES & PAYMENT

�	The standard session fee is $130 per visit.  Each session is approximately 50 minutes in length.  Payment is collected before each session, cash or personal checks are acceptable.  Visa and MasterCard may be used for fees of $50 or more.
�	There are insurance plans that will pay a portion of the cost.  Choosing to not use insurance will increase scheduling options and prevent your name from going to a third party payer.

BENEFITS OF THERAPY

After being put to the test, most modern forms of psychotherapy have proven to be highly effective.  Scientific studies find that the average person receiving therapy is better off than 80% of those without the benefit of therapy (Asay & Lambert, 1999; Wampold, 2001).  This is not surprising given that 60 to 70% of physician visits stem from psychological distress or are exacerbated by psychological or behavioral factors (Duncan, Miller, & Sparks, 2004).

Unfortunately, many who would certainly benefit from psychotherapy remain unaware of the opportunity.  The drug commercials shown on TV encourage a chemical solution to most emotional problems.  Accordingly, a large national survey of primary care physicians revealed that antidepressants were the treatment of choice for depression 72% of the time, compared only to 38% for mental health referrals (Williams, Rost, Dietrich, Ciotti, Zyzanski, & Cornell, 1999).  This trend continues despite the fact that supportive psychotherapy combined with antidepressant medication is known to be more effective than pharmaceutical treatment alone, especially in severe cases of depression (Findings presented at the 157th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association).

Exactly why does psychotherapy work?  That question has not been entirely answered yet.  What is known is that within the context of a safe and nurturing environment, it is helpful to discuss situations that we can't seem to get a handle on or past events that were emotionally traumatic.  Speaking with friends or family can sometimes be beneficial, however, there is extra benefit in speaking with someone who is emotionally unbiased and who has years of experience dealing successfully with psychological or behavioral issues.  When working with relationships or social problems, therapists will often provide useful skills for improving communication and negotiating one's needs.  Perhaps most importantly, a skillful therapist works with individuals to help them discover their own inner strengths and then builds on those in a joint problem solving endeavor.

CLIENT RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

 � Freedom

All participation in therapy is voluntarily.  Even if you have been strongly urged by others or even ordered by a court to attend therapy; the decision to participate and derive benefit from therapy resides exclusively in you.  While in therapy, you have the freedom to retain any personal beliefs or behaviors that are fundamental to your sense of dignity and positive self-regard.  The goal of therapy is not to change who you are but to help you become more of who you want to be.  Once you consent to treatment, you should do your best to actively involve yourself in the change process.  If you are not happy with the results obtained in therapy, it is your right to request a new therapist or to request a second opinion.  Finally, you have the right to leave therapy at any time.

 � Collaboration

Therapy is a cooperative endeavor aimed at achieving the results you are seeking.  Therefore it is your right and responsibility to participate in setting the therapeutic agenda by establishing goals and by sharing your expectations for progress.  While consulting with the therapist, you have a right to be informed of the type of treatment the therapist is considering and in return you should indicate what treatment methods and/or style of therapy you think will best meet your needs.  It is your right to be informed of the expected results of prescribed treatments, including any possible adverse effects.  It is important to provide the therapist with feedback regarding your ongoing experience in therapy.  In all cases, you have the right to report grievances regarding services and to have any such concerns addressed. 

 � Privacy

Your right to privacy not privacy not only includes the protection of records, which are not be revealed to anyone without your written authorization, but also the right to keep private those things that you are not yet ready to share in therapy.  There are some obvious exceptions to confidentiality, which include knowledge of child or elder abuse, intent to harm oneself or others, or a court ordered release of records; however, it is your right to be informed from the beginning of any mandated exceptions to confidentiality.  In all cases, you have a right to have your boundaries respected and your confidences carefully guarded.
 

PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATION

"The most difficult part of the session was just getting here."
A common statement from new clients

When new to therapy, it is not uncommon to feel some apprehension before the first visit.  The information on this page will help those seeking therapeutic assistance feel more comfortable on their first visit and better prepared to derive maximum benefit from therapy.

The process of writing your thoughts on paper and describing what you want from therapy is often helpful.  There are many different types of questions that you can ask yourself in order to prepare the way for a more efficient resolution of the problem.  The following is an example of the types of questions that might produce therapeutic benefit, even before the trip to the therapist's office. 

• What is your motivation for seeking therapy?  Why now?

• Describe your problem using only a few words. 

• What effects has the problem had on you and the people in your life?  In what ways have you adapted?

• Think of times when the problem does not occur, or when it is not an issue.  When, where, and under what circumstances do the exceptions occur?

• How have you solved similar problems in the past?  How was this accomplished?

• What type of support and/or resources do you need to accomplish what you want?  

• What has hindered you from achieving the results you wanted up until now?  

• What will be different about your life once the problem is solved?  What other changes will occur as a result of solving the problem?

  "I had many patients write a letter to me, explain that they want help…and not mail it…they went through that formal conscious process of asking for help and then their unconscious would answer them.  So when I am just a memory, you still write to me and your unconscious can answer your letter."
Milton H. Erickson, M.D., 1974

http://www.GoodTherapy.org