Therapy can be a confusing to navigate and you may feel unsure how to get started. Below are some steps you can expect in the process:
We offer free 15 minute consultations to get more of a sense of what you're looking for and answer any questions you may have. Consults are important to make sure you and the clinician are a good fit to move forward.
Once you have decided to move forward in working with a therapist, you will meet for intake sessions. Intakes are generally between 1-3 sessions long and can feel pretty hefty. They are meant to help your therapist get to know you more and what brings you to therapy, as well as for you to continue getting to know your therapist and their individual style. These sessions can cover a lot of background from different parts of your life as well as looking into your goals for therapy.
This can be done during an intake or your first official therapy session. A treatment plan is a collaborative place for you and your clinician to hone in on your goals for your time in therapy. Identifying goals can be challenging, so even if it's "I want to feel better", your therapist can help you identify personal ways to get there.
Regular sessions can be dynamic based on each client and therapist, and generally are up to 55 minutes in length. Frequency of sessions can be weekly, every other week, or even monthly. Clients can bring up a range of topics they would like to discuss or can ask the therapist for a prompt as well. Your therapist can help you unpack these topics, explore stressors together, and so on. They can also teach you different coping skills for overwhelming emotions, practice communication strategies, and more. "Homework" can be assigned after session if desired. Water Lily Counseling believes in personalized care for each individual. Standards in care will always include nonjudgmental, compassionate, and culturally informed practices.
Your therapy journey can look however you would like it to look, from short term, long term, or episodic. Short term care is typically centered around set goals and has an end date of around 12 sessions. Long term care does not have an end date and can be centered around changing stressors or multiple topics. Episodic care is when folks meet during moments of their life when they would like more support, and may pause during other moments that they feel equipped to navigate things on their own. You do not need to know the type of therapy you are interested in to begin services.
If you are interested in services, send Sabiha an inquiry here on her psychologytoday page.
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