“Will we do therapy on-line or in person?” 

 

We offer therapy both on-line and in person. Many clients choose to do therapy online and some prefer to meet in person.  You and your therapist will decide which method will work best for you. We can discuss this prior to your first meeting.  We enjoy and value both methods of service delivery.

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“What’s the difference between talking to a therapist versus talking to my best friend or family?”

 

Relationships with family and friends have very different dynamics than do therapeutic relationships.  In a therapeutic relationship you can share everything without fear of judgement or of damaging the relationship.  You can count on your therapist to show you empathy, compassion, and unconditional positive regard in all circumstances.  You can count on your therapist to respect and honor your privacy.  In therapy you can be transparent and genuine with both the easy things and the really hard things.  You can openly cast your cares with someone who will hold a safe space for you. 

 

A loved one can lend a listening ear, but you may need something more than they are able to provide.  Your therapist practices behavioral medicine.  During therapy, different conversational and experiential methods may be used.  All are supported by evidence from current scientific literature demonstrating their validity, benefits, and effectiveness. Your therapist uses theories and techniques that have been vetted through stringent research. 

 

A loved one may care very much but not know how to help.  An independently licensed psychotherapist is a highly qualified, highly skilled professional.   Whether the license is an LPC, LMHC, LMFT, or LICSW,  it is granted only after the individual has met certain rigorous standards.  Achieving this licensure typically takes at least seven years of college education, passing a national licensure exam, and completing 3,000 hours of clinical experience with a preliminary license under a therapist licensed to supervise.  Once a therapist is licensed, they are required to engage in ongoing continuing education.  Part of being a psychotherapist is committing to keep growing and learning in order to offer the best therapy possible.

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“How does therapy work? What will we do in sessions?”

 

We will start where you are comfortable.  We may first talk about why you are seeking therapy and the things that you want to work on.  We may explore what is most important to you in life and what your aspirations are for the future.  We will seek to flush out the things that are getting in your way of living the life you want to live.  We may consider what “your best life” might look like and set goals to help you move toward it.  We will seek to identify your strengths as well as the areas in which you seem to struggle. We will “do therapy” depending on the goals we develop and your individual needs and desires. Most people appreciate therapy, and most people have very good outcomes: Good therapy works.

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“What if I just take medication, or what if I don’t want to take medication?”

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Decisions about medication are important and every person’s needs and desires are different. If you need a medication evaluation, a medical doctor can provide that and advise you about prescriptions. There are those people who decide it is best to use both medication and therapy. Other people choose to do therapy without medication.  Most people do not get maximum benefit using medication alone, but that is your choice. Keep in mind that a therapist listens, teaches, interacts, and explores with you, which can be an important factor in helping you reach your goals.

 

 

“How long will I be in therapy?”

 

The length of therapy depends on several factors.  If you are committed to attending your sessions and working on your problems, you should make progress more quickly.  The complexity of issues may also affect the length of therapy. Simply stated, some things get better faster than others.  What we uncover as we work together may have an impact. Sometimes, what initially seems like a complex problem turns out to be simpler than it first appeared and resolves more quickly than anticipated.  Sometimes the opposite is true and therapy takes longer than was initially estimated.

 

 

“I want to get the most out of therapy. What can I do to help?”

 

You can do so much! Your decision to move in a direction toward health and healing is the first and most important step. For optimal results, recognize that this is YOUR therapy: your motivation, your participation, and your regular attendance are essential for the most effective and desirable results. At Still Waters, your therapist will continually ask for your input and feedback.  Your therapist will encourage, guide and ask for your honest responses. Therapy is teamwork. It takes practice. Practice makes progress. Progress means, “forward or onward movement toward a destination.”  We would love to travel that road with you!