Individual Counseling
How Do You Know If You Or Someone You Know May Need Some Help?
“I’m having a nervous breakdown”
Hopelessness
Lack of Joy anymore in things you used to do
Motivation problems
Weepiness/Sadness daily over a period of weeks
Problems getting along with spouse, partner, coworkers
Extreme Irritability over little things
Irritability most of the day over a period of weeks
Problems making/keeping friends
Recurring nightmares
Sleep issues when you used to sleep just fine
Flashbacks
Past or current Anxiety Attacks
Past or current Panic Attacks
Job loss creating stress/anxiety/depression
Loss of self worth
Low self confidence
Problems getting out of bed
Sleeping too much
Sleeping too little
Overwhelmed easily
Problems getting or staying organized
Unhappy most of the time
Withdrawn from others
Your Individual Counseling Session:
Sessions are typically 50 minutes in length. Whether you have had counseling before, or not, the first session is an “intake” or “assessment” session where information is gathered about you, your issue(s), and required paperwork is done. After that, our sessions are working sessions to process through and add tools to deal with your needs.
Depending on your level of crisis or needs, you can expect to schedule 1 session per week for the first 4-5 weeks. This allows us to build a strong base and put tools in place to provide help and relief. Consistency is key to your progress. Most people work a long time on inadvertently putting unhealthy practices or tools, in place…thus 2-3 sessions may help but will not produce lasting results.
Think about your time, your budget, how much you value self-care and be realistic about your expectations when entering therapy. My goal is not to keep you in therapy “forever,” however with intense issues time in therapy can range from 6 months to 2 or more years. My goal is to help you to the best of my ability.
I challenge people to look at the amount of money they may spend on food and drinks over a weekend…money spent for immediate gratification that does not last. I recognize therapy needs to be budgeted, however the tools and self-growth that you glean from it can be priceless.
“Doing something over and over again and expecting different results is the meaning of insanity.”
Note About Medications:
Mental health providers cannot prescribe medications, only M.D.s (Medical Doctors) or medical health workers working under an MD, can prescribe.
Mental Health Issues
For example, for mental health issues, consumers may seek the help of a Psychiatrist. A Psychiatrist is a M.D. and typically prescribes medications needed for mental health issues (Severe depression, Bipolar, etc.).
However, psychiatrists typically do not provide individual counseling services. So for consumers (or you) who may elect medications to help with their mental health issues, a medication evaluation and prescription from either a PCP (Primary Care Physician) or a Psychiatrist will be needed, then additional services from a licensed counselor for psychotherapy.
It is interesting to note here that recent studies point to therapy as being more effective than medication for the treatment of some mental health issues, and at the very least, a combination of both therapy and medication create the best results for a person to stabilize or recover.
Medication alone does not resolve a person’s issues and struggles…with mental health distress and issues, a person needs to develop coping mechanisms to deal, and therapy helps develop those coping skills. Otherwise, a person continues to do the same thing over and over again that is not working, i.e. continues to create stress, distress, more issues, etc.