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What are counseling and psychotherapy?
Counseling and psychotherapy are therapeutic relationships designed to help you resolve problems, improve your mood, and increase your general well being. Whether you are struggling with stress, relationship issues, life transitions, or painful moods like anxiety or depression, counseling and psychotherapy can support you in finding solutions, making significant life decisions, healing moods, and increasing overall life satisfaction.
While both counseling and psychotherapy are healing relationships, they differ somewhat in scope.
Counseling is a shorter, problem focused form of therapy. In it you can expect to identify for your therapist the problem for which you are seeking help. Then, through her/his active listening, questioning, and professional guidance, the two of you will discover together possible solutions or resolutions to your dilemmas. You may also chart new directions for your life journey.
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a longer therapeutic process. In this healing alliance, you and your therapist will explore the deeper issues emerging from your childhood and other significant, perhaps traumatic, life events. Here your therapist will also engage in active listening, questioning, and offer professional guidance. The focus will be to gain insight into your personality, and to unravel patterns that are causing you difficulty in your life.
Sometimes, people come in for counseling, and continue with psychotherapy.
As a therapist, I enjoy doing both forms of therapy. In either, you will find me to be supportive, engaged, relational, and interactive. You will experience me as a deeply profound listener who is attuned to you and the thoughts and feelings that you bring. At times you will find yourself led to your own answers through my listening questions. Other times, I will be direct, providing you with clear feedback. Both styles combine to form the healing dance of therapy.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a process through which one harnesses his/her natural ability to concentrate attention and then use it in the service of healing and growth. “Hypnotic states” occur naturally in our daily lives. Daydreaming; absorption in a good book, movie, or music; deep prayer and meditation; being “in the zone” during performances like athletics, acting, playing a musical instrument, writing, making a speech, or doing a business deal are examples of the hypnotic state of mind.
“Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration, and focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. Similarly, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use them more powerfully. Because hypnosis allows people to use more of their potential, learning self hypnosis is the ultimate act of self control.”
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Within the context of a good counseling or psychotherapy relationship, hypnotherapy can be a helpful tool to:
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. When a client wishes to incorporate this tool into his/her therapy, together we use it towards achieving their desired goal. Initially supported by my training and guidance, clients become equipped to use self-hypnosis throughout their lives in many ways. It is a gift that keeps on giving.
Relieve or decrease symptoms of:
Decrease anxiety:
Enhance performance in:
What can I expect after making the first appointment?
After arriving at my office, you will be asked to complete an intake form in which you will provide basic identification information as well as brief medical, psychological, and family history.
First appointment: People are sometimes anxious about coming for their first appointment. Almost all become comfortable rather quickly. In this appointment, you will share with me the reason you are seeking help. I will guide you with appropriate questions so that I can fully understand the nature of your concern.
Second and third appointment:
In these appointments, I will continue to gather history regarding you and your concerns. I will then provide you with a preliminary assessment and recommendations for your therapy process.
Subsequent sessions:
If you seek counseling, we will proceed with problem solving, solution oriented therapy. While there is no exact prediction of the number of sessions you will need, counseling is shorter term, and concludes when you have reached your goal, or come to a satisfactory resolution of your problem.
If it is psychotherapy that you seek, subsequent sessions will continue to explore early issues, and the ways in which they impact your current living. Appropriate healing approaches will be recommended and shared. Your therapy will be considered complete when you feel less constricted by the patterns that bound you.
Initial Session: Fees for the first 60 minute session are $185.00.
Subsequent Sessions: Fees for all subsequent sessions are $150.00 for 50 minute sessions.
Other Services: Should you request other services such as phone calls greater than 10 minutes, written reports, or extended session times, you will be charged a prorated hourly fee.
Please know that cancellations with less than 24 hour notice and no-show appointments are charged at full fee. However, if you cancel with less than 24 hour notice, and we are able to reschedule within the week, you will not be charged.
Cancellations for Monday appointments must be made on the previous Friday at the latest.
Insurance: Many of my clients choose to use out-of-network insurance. Full payment is expected at the time of each session. At your request, I will provide you with monthly statements which you can submit to insurance for reimbursement. I do not participate in managed care plans.
Out-of-pocket payment: Many clients choose to pay out of pocket for therapy in order to avoid involving insurance companies in their care.
Payment methods: Credit cards, debit cards, HSA debit cards, checks and cash.