Overview of therapy

The first few sessions will entail an assessment of your presenting problem, a review of your life history, exploration of symptoms, along with a conversation about past and current diagnosis(es) and/or medication. We will discuss short and long-term therapeutic goals, clinical interventions, define potential obstacles, and develop a thorough treatment plan that leads to the resolution of your current issue(s).

Psychotherapy sessions are typically once-a-week. If there is a significant crisis, we can schedule sessions for a limited period to be twice a week. Course of treatment is based upon subjective pacing and progress. Over time, we will eventually wind down to meeting every other week or once a month until termination.

Roadblocks

After the first couple of sessions, John will assess as to whether psychotherapy has been a benefit to you. If there is any possible reason that he believes that he is unable to support your needs or is not effective in helping you reach your therapeutic goals, then he will revise treatment protocols or provide you with a list of other therapists who can help you. You have the right to terminate therapy at any time. If you choose to do so, John will provide you with names of other qualified professionals whose services you might prefer and can help facilitate the transition to a new therapist.

Milestones

Throughout treatment, John will discuss with you any observations in improvement, healing, or growth. This means that you have accomplished the short and/or long-term goals originally identified at the beginning of treatment. Upon meeting these milestone markers, we will pause to explore if any changes in the pacing of our therapeutic work. Sometimes, reducing a client from weekly sessions can be accomplished by spacing out the frequency of meetings. We can discuss the frequency of scheduled sessions from once-a-week to every other week or once-a-month. However, if you believe that you have accomplished your therapeutic goals, then we can assess what transitioning out of therapy will look like and the nature of our relationship upon termination.