FAQs

How do I get my child to come to therapy?

While it it not possible to “force” someone come to therapy, I do believe that the right therapist for your child will make them willing to come.  It depends on the age of the child, but we will discuss the best way to present this on our initial phone call, even before I see your child. Everyone needs help now and then.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) refers to a set of psychological treatments that have been empirically supported and proven to help individuals, families, and groups, who are experiencing psychological challenges. CBT is generally a skills-based and goal-oriented therapy approach that focuses on helping individuals develop skills and strategies to manage and overcome their symptoms.

The term cognitive refers to how we think, while the term behavioral refers to how we act. How we think, behave, & feel are all connected. A core principle in CBT is that by changing how we think and/or behave, we can positively change how we feel. CBT recognizes the mind-body connection such that the physical sensations in our bodies are connected with our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. For example, when we feel anxious we might experience physical sensations such as our heart racing, rapid breathing, excessive sweating, or feeling warm. CBT helps individuals learn strategies to manage and reduce these and other uncomfortable physical sensations.

Between weekly individual sessions, clients often practice skills learned in session through “homework exercises”.  Practicing these skills increases the likelihood that they will generalize to your life outside of therapy and remain useful for you after treatment has ended.

How long will I/My child be in therapy? Is it weekly?

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say how long therapy will last in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you/your child to accomplish your goals depends on a variety of factors.  I start by seeing my clients weekly, to establish a strong therapeutic relationship.