Some begin therapy to address a specific situation, while others may have life-long enduring struggles they need support and care for. Therapy can be utilized to treat a specific problem, or it can be a means of self-growth, discovery, and improved well being. There are countless reasons why people seek therapy, a few of which include:

• Sadness or Depression
• Anxiety, including Panic Attacks
• Grief and/or Loss
• Relationship challenges
• Adolescent issues
• Negative Thoughts
• Parenting/Co-Parenting
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Discovery
• Self-Esteem
• Trauma
• Addiction
• Life Transitions/ Adjustments
• Work Related Problems
• Anger Management

With psychotherapy, the length of treatment can vary. Therapy can last from one session to several months or even years. It all depends on the needs of the person seeking therapy, the current symptoms he or she has, the history of the symptoms and the treatment method that the particular psychotherapist would deem necessary to employ. Some people come to therapy with a particular problem they need to solve and might find that relatively few sessions are sufficient. Other people approach to therapy with more complicated issues they are finding challenging and may feel they need a few months or more to understand and resolve their issues. Other people come with long-lasting challenges or difficult feelings and may benefit from longer-term therapy. When we meet with people for the first time, we usually engage with them about what their expectations of therapy are. Then, as our work advances, we as therapists regularly check in with them to see how they feel things are going and to what extent they feel their expectations are being met. If the duration of therapy is a concern for you, you and your therapist can discuss it at your initial session and create a plan that works for you.

Therapy used to have the stigma that it was only for “mad” or “crazy” people. Although there are some who still hold this perspective, happily this negative stigma is steadily being abandoned. Therapy has been proven to be beneficial to treat anxieties, such as phobias, PTSD and panic attacks; depression and bipolar mood disorder before the symptoms associated with these mental illnesses worsen and drastically impact on your quality of life. But what if you are not struggling with serious challenges as mentioned above, well, the reality is that achieving your full potential or functioning optimally necessitates a lot of self-awareness, self-control and reflection. Let’s face it, this hard work is best done when you are not in a meltdown mode.

Everything that you discuss in therapy is kept confidential and private. We want you to feel safe and assured that no one will be informed of your participation in therapy without your specific request for a release of information in writing.

However, there are legal limitations to confidentiality. These limitations include, but are not limited to: when the client is dangerous to him/herself or another person; when a client makes a reasonable threat of violence towards a reasonably identifiable victim; reporting child, elder and dependent adult abuse; or when there is a court order. If confidentiality is a concern for you, please mention this to your therapist during your initial session. We would be happy to discuss your concerns further.