What to Expect
What are psychological services?
It is hard to describe what psychologists do in just a few sentences. Because psychotherapy, unlike a visit to a medical doctor, calls for a very active effort on your part and the part of members of your family, we will identify problems and goals together. Diagnostic evaluations as well as psychotherapy may lead to solutions to specific problems, reductions in feelings of upset and stress, and improvements in relationships and functioning at school and home. Goals are set early on so that progress is measurable and treatment plans can be modified if needed.
The first 1 or 2 appointments:
These will always be for diagnostic evaluation, with a focus on gathering information and evaluating the concerns that led you to call. I will do this by talking with you and asking questions. Sometimes I will ask you to bring prior evaluations, schoolwork and other documents with you to bring me up to date. I may meet with the family together at the first meeting, and then with children or teenagers alone for a second meeting.
Individual and Family Therapy:
In order for therapy to be most successful, I will ask you and others, including family members and teachers, to work on things we talk about both during our sessions and at home. We will set up goals initially and measure progress toward these goals as an indication of treatment effectiveness. For the first 4 to 8 weeks, we might typically meet on a weekly basis. After that time, we decide together on what cadence of appointments is best. We may meet every other week or once a month until treatment is complete, as improvements occur and to allow sufficient time for interventions to be practiced.
Appointments and Scheduling:
Your appointment time is reserved for you and a regular schedule of appointments maximizes treatment effectiveness. Please let me know as soon as possible if you cannot keep a scheduled appointment so that our work together is not slowed or interrupted. Because last minute cancellations can rarely be filled, and leave others waiting for an initial appointment unnecessarily, my policy is to charge the full fee for any appointment that is canceled with less than 24 hours notice or not kept without canceling.
410-881-2111