I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?
Not at all. People who ask for help know when they need it and have the courage to reach out. Everyone needs help now and then. In our work together, I’ll help you explore and identify your strengths and how to implement them to reduce the influence of the problems you are facing.
What’s the difference between talking to you or my best friend or family?
The difference is between someone who can do something, and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, therapy is generally confidential (see down below for the exceptions to this rule). You won’t have to worry about others “knowing my business.” Lastly, if your situation provokes a great deal of negative emotion, and you’ve been confiding in a friend or family member, there is the risk that once you are feeling better you could start avoiding that person so you aren’t reminded of this difficult time in your life.
Why shouldn’t I just take medication?
Medication can be effective, but it alone cannot solve all issues. Sometimes medication is needed in conjunction with therapy. Our work together is designed to explore and unpack the problems you are experiencing and expand on your strengths that can help you accomplish your personal goals.
What is teletherapy?
Typically, therapy sessions are conducted face-to-face in an office setting during a consistently scheduled day and time. Teletherapy is a fancy term for online therapy and eliminates the need to meet formally in an office. Research has shown that teletherapy is about as effective as in-person therapy.
There are many benefits to teletherapy as opposed to in-person sessions, including flexibility in when appointments are scheduled and simple convenience of not having to travel. But, teletherapy is not for everyone and certain issues need to be considered, including the severity of your mental health symptoms; risks to privacy (if there is a possibility that someone can overhear your online sessions); your state of residence; and technological issues.
Under the authority of PsyPact (Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact), I have the ability to provide teletherapy to residents of 40 states. To see if your state is covered, please check the PsyPact map: https://psypact.org/mpage/psypactmap
Who is your ideal client?
There are a few things that I would like my ideal client to know. First, he/she/they will understand that therapy sessions are only once a week for 50 minutes at a time. That means you are figuring things out for yourself for the other 10,030 minutes in the week. It is my job to prepare you for those other minutes, but your responsibility is to actively practice taught skills in your everyday life so you are ready to live a more meaningful life. There may be times where we will even assign you homework (gasp!) to assist with the process of integrating the skills into your day-to-day living.
Second, my ideal client will realize that progress does not always mean a straight line upwards. This means that there will naturally be slight variations in how change is progressing, where sometimes things are going well for a while but you may then experience a slight dip and setback in your emotional growth. This is completely normal and to be expected. While it is important to have long-term goals in mind, it is just as important to remember that change is chaotic and may not always look exactly like the picture we have in our minds.
Finally, my ideal client will be open and honest with us about what is working in our therapy sessions and what may not be working. Remember that therapy is a collaborative process – this means that we need to work together in order to evoke change. Your voice, opinion, and knowledge are important to me. While we will not ever directly tell you what to do or directly give you answers, I will guide you through that process. The only way we can be successful in that is if you agree to be as transparent as possible with me.
How long will it take for me to reach my goals in therapy?
Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the amount of time needed for you to accomplish your goals really depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place.
Are therapy sessions confidential?
I take your privacy very seriously. You are coming to us to talk about some fairly private and personal information and you should be afforded the safety of knowing that information will be respected and honored. Minus several and ethical legal exceptions, I generally do not have the right to share your information unless you give us written permission.
You should also be advised of the limitations of confidentiality that come through the use of social media. The Mindful Practice of Metuchen has an associated Instagram and Facebook profile, which is meant to promote positive mental health. If you participate in the social media process (i.e., choose to “follow” the social media page, “like” certain content posts or stories, or leave a “comment”), you are foregoing your sense of confidentiality as the social media page is public and visible to many people. You should also be advised that I will not engage or allow others to engage in any personal or treatment-related discussions on the associated social media page. As such, please consider these issues before choosing to follow The Mindful Practice on Instagram and/or Facebook.
During our first session, I will talk more in-depth about confidentiality as part of the intake process.