Questions You May Have About Counseling
How long will this take?
How much time do you have? What’s your goal? Am I always going to answer your questions with a question? Nope, promise! I wish I could give you an approximation on how long it will take for you to feel relief, growth, clarity or movement, but it will depend on so many factors, some of which may be out of our control. If you have a fixed budget for mental health services, let myself or your clinician know so brief solution-focused therapy limited to a certain number of sessions can be planned for.
Is this thing I do “weird”?
Nope. Most of the quirky things about us are due to our conditioning, genetics, experiences and environment, not some inflexible personality flaw incapable of change. If something’s not working for you, get support on how to turn things around. It’s human to need others.
Is it depressing hearing people’s problems all the time?
No way! This field keeps my hope in humanity alive. I have an abundance of tools for staying grounded, creating a safe holding environment for you and instilling hope while remaining (mostly) objective. It's a privilege being able to witness human resilience in this way.
Can I really speak freely?
Yes, you have permission to curse. Profanity can help with emotional processing and expression so by all means! I probably will too if you’re cool with it. As for the content, there's no such thing as TMI in session, everything is relevant.
In terms of confidentiality, the only content I am legally responsible to report is danger to self and others. That being said, I understand that suicidal thoughts can be chronic intrusive thoughts for some, with no plan or intention of self-harm, and thus not a medical emergency. Please know you wont be sent to the hospital for getting deep, real or “dark” with how you’ve really been feeling. You’re not alone! People in all stages of life experience escape fantasies during heightened stress and the last two years absolutely fall into that category. You don’t have to keep struggling in isolation. ❤️
