A first psychotherapy meeting begins by discussing the concerns that have brought a client to seek my assistance. The client sets the pace and agenda of what we talk about. I work to gently deepen these conversations by asking questions and making observations. Clients may not yet know exactly what is wrong or have a clear goal of what they’d like to change. I start wherever clients are and help them find a way forward from there. Over time, I will want to gain a holistic understanding of a client’s life. This occurs naturally in our early meetings rather than there being a formal assessment period. This means that even in the first meeting, we’re getting right to work.
I generally recommend clients come weekly. This creates a consistency in our work and our relationship that makes it more likely therapy will succeed. At the same time, I try to be flexible in arranging meetings in whatever ways work best for clients, including meeting twice-a-week if useful. Meetings last 50-minutes and can usually be booked within 10 days or less of contacting me. I have a 48-hour cancelation policy.
