I like to start with a free consultation call. We'll spend 20 or 30 minutes discussing the basics, including insurance, fees, scheduling, and what you're hoping to work on in therapy. I will ask a bit about your history, including mental health difficulties you've had in the past. I'll leave space for any questions you might have about me. If we both feel good about how the call went, we'll figure out a time for our first session.
In the first few sessions, I'll be trying to get a sense of what you're struggling with right now, as well as how you got there. I'll have questions about your family background, important relationships in your life, what has been helpful, and what has not. As we continue to talk, we'll draw from your history and your current difficulties to figure out a few common themes. These themes will serve as guides for us as we go forward.
After the first few sessions, we will reflect together on whether it feels like a good fit. If I feel that I have enough understanding and expertise to be of service to you in the areas we've identified, I will recommend that we continue; if not, I'll make recommendations for your treatment, and if possible, will offer you a referral to someone who can meet your needs.
Psychodynamic therapy involves a deep dive into how your mind works. Together we strive to understand how your early influences contributed to who you are today, with the belief that greater self-understanding leads to greater self-compassion, and greater self-compassion clears the way for growth and greater freedom.
As we work together, we will develop a relationship that is professional, yet personal. We will explore not only the emotions that come up in your daily life, but also the emotions that come up in the context of the therapeutic relationship. In the psychodynamic approach, the therapeutic relationship is seen as a microcosm of other important relationships in your life; as such, it offers a direct way to examine and understand the way you co-create your relationships with others. In this way, we will work to make your relationships more fulfilling, and less mired in old patterns -- patterns that may have followed you for decades.