what to expect in dbt and mindfulness therapy
You are ready for a change. Let’s look at what to expect in therapy.
You are feeling good about taking the next step, but wonder what this whole therapy process really looks like?
No worries—I’ll walk you through it from start to finish.
The next step is to schedule a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation.
An important part of finding a therapist is seeing if you like their energy. The consultation gives you a chance to do this before making any type of commitment. I’ll ask you some questions about what brought you to therapy, your goals, and we’ll see if we are a good fit. We’ll talk about a good fit considering our schedules and fees.
If we are a good fit, we’ll set our first appointment called the intake.
I’ll send you an email through the Client Portal to complete and sign all the intake paperwork.
During the intake, I will get to know you better and we will outline the work we’ll do together.
In this 90 minute session, we will review paperwork and come up with goals to make sure we are both on the same page. I’ll answer any questions you have, how you feel about it, and if you’d like to meet again.
Therapy Sessions
After the intake, each session is 50 minutes. I’ve found it most effective to meet weekly for 2-3 months to set a good foundation.
If you decide comprehensive DBT is for you then weekly sessions for at least 6 months is best practice.
At first, you will most likely find yourself giving me a lot of information that may seem random and that’s normal! In the early stages, my job is to take in all the information and find connections. Then we can figure out and try different tools and strategies until we find what works for you and helps you move towards your goals.
Once you start feeling better, meeting your goals, and noticing positive changes we can transition to meeting bi-weekly.
We will continue to explore tools, modify them as needed, and make sure the tools are working for you consistently. At that point, we can start meeting monthly.
We can continue to meet to address any issues or concerns you may face until you feel you have met your goals.
Once your goals are met, we stop meeting AND I am still here for you. The relationship we develop in therapy takes time, commitment, and trust. With that foundation of trust and support established, I am here for you through whatever life may bring your way. Months or years down the road if things get tough, I am ready and happy to jump back in with you and see how I can help you.
My Approach
I strive to create a welcoming, warm environment so you can do your best work. Depending on what you and I decide best fits your needs, therapy may range in intensity and duration. I like to incorporate humor, pop culture, books, articles, memes, art, whatever into our sessions so we can really connect and do some great work together.
I want therapy to be something you look forward to, and on the hardest days something that you don’t want to miss—because even though it may be hard, you know you will feel better in the long run. (Hey, I know some days it is hard to go to the gym, school, work, and therapy can be like that too sometimes.)
I do not want therapy to feel stuffy or sterile. You and I are partners, equals in this. So we are going to smile, laugh, joke, and converse like humans, including using language that fits you. So if F bombs are part of your vocab, no worries, let them fly. I got you. I want to help you create a life worth living and loving.
Ready for a change in your life?
I want to help you build a life worth living – a life that you love. Take the next step forward.