Deciding whether or not to pursue psychotherapy services can be a challenging task. Here are some considerations for you to reflect on before reaching out to a psychotherapist.
Am I ready for psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy has many definitions, but you might think of it as both a service, and a relationship. Psychotherapy is a method of helping people address challenging emotional and life experiences, and it largely relies on the quality of the relationship between therapist and client. Psychotherapy requires you to be deeply attentive to yourself, and has meaningful outcomes including increased quality of life, improvements in interpersonal relationships, reduction of emotional distress (for example, depression and anxiety), etc. Despite these positive outcomes, the nature of the psychotherapy process can sometimes cause discomfort. I frequently check in with my clients for feedback about how our relationship and psychotherapy process are working, and I take my clients’ feedback seriously.
What kind of psychotherapy am I looking for?
Psychotherapy is a varied field with many different approaches to helping clients reach their goals. All licensed psychotherapists have graduate degrees in one of a variety of fields, such as social work, psychology, mental health counseling, and others. Beyond graduate school, psychotherapists go on to learn about more specialized methods for providing psychotherapy services, and for this reason, clients may have very different experiences from one therapist to another. I encourage you to learn about some of the major types of psychotherapy that you may seek out, so that you can find a fit for you. The American Psychological Association has a helpful resource that summarizes some of the major types of psychotherapy you may encounter: https://www.apa.org/topics/therapy/psychotherapy-approaches. Psychology Today includes a more detailed list of different types of psychotherapy, that you may wish to consult as well: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/types-of-therapy
Do I need to see a psychotherapist who specializes in a particular kind of problem I’m experiencing?
Some people come to psychotherapy seeking general support as they work towards emotional goals, while others come to psychotherapy with a very particular problem in mind that requires their therapist to be experienced and knowledgeable in treating that problem. Psychotherapists are mindful of their scope of practice, meaning that if they encounter a issue that they are not qualified to help with, they should refer you elsewhere. I cannot possibly list all of the specific issues that you may need specialized care for here, and you should consult directly with a psychotherapist to learn more. Here are some examples of specialized training that I have completed and am prepared to support you with:
- Gender transitions for transgender and gender non-binary individuals and their families
- Recovery from traumatic experiences
- Psychotherapy for very young children (ages 0-6)
If you are looking for other types of services, please contact me to discuss whether I can be of support to you, or whether I can point you in the direction of another psychotherapist.
Warm, Affirming Psychotherapy for Healing and Growth 