The therapy process is personalized and flexible for each person’s goals. However, there is a general structure that typically unfolds in five stages:
Initial contact:
We’ll begin by getting to know you and your story. We’ll explore what feels important to you and what’s bringing you to therapy. You’re welcome to show up as your full, authentic self: thoughtful, emotional, serious, funny, or anywhere in between.
I invite you to share whatever feels comfortable about your personality, experiences, interests, thoughts, and reflections. Nothing is “irrelevant” here. We’re building a foundation of who you are. Everything unfolds at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Goal setting and treatment planning:
We will collaborate to define what you hope to gain from counseling. We can discuss personal goals, emotional goals, and what you want your life to be when you stop therapy.
If you’re interested in a specific approach, we can discuss that (ex: psychodynamic, spiritually integrated, Internal Family Systems-informed, meaning making, attachment, existential, somatic, art-integrated, and others).
Active work phase:
This phase is the core therapeutic work. We explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences with care and curiosity. We examine how past experiences may still affect you today. We pay attention to what happens in the therapy room and create an environment where you feel safe and understood.
I offer thoughtful reflection and questions to help you grow in insight. In sessions, you can create meaning in your own way and at your own pace.
Together, we will get to know the different “parts” of you, such as the part that protects you or the part that carries hurt after the event ended. We meet those parts with full compassion instead of criticism. We seek to understand the purpose they once served you. Then, we reflect on how you can create support in your life so those parts can relax knowing you’re safe now.
You will reflect on how emotions may show up in your body, like tension or restlessness. We will explore how your body adjusts to having more support, as sometimes even positive change can feel unfamiliar. We work on processing emotions so you no longer stay stuck in survival mode, but instead feel safe in the present.
We will pace therapy at a speed that feels most safe for you.
Integration and Growth:
In this stage, you bring what you’ve learned into your everyday life. We notice and explore whatever comes up as you try out these new changes in your life. Therapy becomes a space for gentle reflection and support as you notice and strengthen the changes you’ve made.
Closure and follow up:
This stage is an important part of therapy, helping you feel steady and supported before leaving therapy. This stage is all about feeling grounded and celebrating your progress. We’ll reflect on how things are going, revisit your goals, and put together a simple “game plan” to help you keep your wins going after our regular sessions.