FAQ's

What if I am not sure that therapy is for me?

Therapy is a co-created process. This means that the therapist will work with you to create goals and pacing that works best for you. If you have concerns about "goodness of fit" and if therapist will work well for you, asking them questions about what they see for you, asking questions about their process of therapy, and understanding who they are as a person may help you to feel more comfortable. It can be uncomfortable talking to someone new about vulnerable things! Your therapist knows this and should help you to feel comfortable and answer any questions that you have.

WHAT if I am worried my therapist will judge me?

Therapists are trained to look at the context of a situation and understand the function of a behavior and how it is meeting someones needs. This means that every thing you do, you do for a reason! Therapist's can help you understand that reason while reducing guilt and shame that may come up for people during therapy sessions.

What if I do not think my therapist is a good fit?

It is always recommended to have conversations directly with your therapist if you have concerns or feel like they are not meeting your needs in some way! Communication is important in any relationship, the therapy relationship included. Many times these conversations can help you to create clear goals, clear up a miscommunication, or help you to feel heard and understood. If you still feel like they are not a good fit or you are looking for a particular style of therapy, they can provide you with a referral to someone who may better support you!

What if my family/ parents/ partner etc does not believe in therapy?

While therapy is something that is becoming more talked about in the United States today, there are still some people who have misconceptions or fears about the therapeutic process. Some people feel uncomfortable being vulnerable with someone, see therapy as a weakness, or believe in keeping issues "within the family". These can be difficult things to hear when you are making the decision to work on your relationship with yourself and others. It can be important to explore you family, cultural or community beliefs about therapy with your therapist. They can help you to sort through your thoughts and make decision about which statements you believe to be true about you and your relationship with therapy.

Why go to therapy when I could talk to someone I already know?

A big misconception about therapy is that therapy is just talking. However, therapy is much more than talking. A therapist is trained on how to observe the process of your thought, how this impacts your behaviors, thoughts and feelings about yourself, your relationships with others and family and significant relationships in your life. A therapist can help you to identify negative belief systems, how they were formed, what influenced them, how you think about them and how they influence your behaviors and life experience now. Therapists are trained in communication patterns and can help to identify how thoughts, feelings and behaviors impact your communication style, family role and personality with various people. It may just seem like talking, but your therapist is paying close attention to track patterns in thoughts, behaviors and language to help you make changes in thought or behavior that will help you to best reach your goals!

What is EMDR? How does it work?

EMDR stand for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. EMDR is a highly tested technique for reducing the emotional and physical impacts of trauma memories. When our body experiences an event that is triggering to our nervous system, it can sometimes create a trauma experience. This means that when we are reminded of that event, our body responds as if it is happening in the present moment even if our brain knows that we are currently safe. This can be very distressing! EMDR uses eye movements or another form of "bilateral stimulation" (activating brain in multiple areas) to reprocess the trauma memory so it no longer has the strong emotional impact that it did before reprocessing. Once a trauma memory is reprocessed it can impact our past, current and future experiences of the world. EMDR does not change the memory itself and it is not hypnosis, but it can greatly impact someone perception of themselves to be more positive and reduce symptoms. If you are interested in learning more you can check out the EMDR international association website linked here. EMDRIA Website

What if I am uncertain about spending money on therapy at this time?

Therapy is an investment in your health. When it comes to any investment in your health there can be a cost associated with that or feelings of nervousness when taking that step. That is normal! When you begin going to therapy you are investing in your relationships with yourself and others.

If you cannot afford therapy at this time, many therapists may offer a sliding fee scale. A sliding fee scale is an agreement to pay a lower cost of therapy each therapy session based off of financial distress. Ask your therapist if they provide a sliding fee scale if needed!

If cost is still a concern try looking into local therapy training programs at a university in your area. Many programs will run their own clinics at a reduced cost and provide high levels of supervision to their trainees.