What are your hours of operation?
- Monday through Friday: 8:00 am to 6:00 Pm HST
- Saturdays: – 8:00 Am to 12:00 Pm – Office Hours Only (No Sessions)
- Sundays: – Closed
Do you work on weekends?
What should I expect from therapy sessions?
- a) Safe and Confidential Environment: Therapy sessions typically take place in a safe and confidential setting where you can openly discuss your thoughts, feelings, and concerns without fear of judgment or repercussions.
- b) Establishing Goals: At the beginning of therapy, you and your therapist will work together to establish goals for your sessions. These goals will help guide the focus of your therapy and track your progress over time.
- c) Building a Therapeutic Relationship: A strong therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist is essential for successful therapy outcomes. You can expect your therapist to build rapport with you, show empathy, and create a supportive environment where you feel understood and validated.
- e) Learning Coping Skills: Depending on your needs, your therapist may teach you coping skills and techniques to help you manage stress, regulate your emotions, improve communication, or change unhelpful thought patterns.
- f) Processing Emotions: Therapy provides a space for you to express and process difficult emotions in a safe and supportive environment. Your therapist can help you explore and understand your emotions more deeply.
- g) Challenging Negative Patterns: Therapy may involve challenging negative beliefs, behaviors, or patterns of thinking that contribute to your difficulties. Your therapist can help you identify these patterns and work towards changing them.
- h) Homework Assignments: In some cases, your therapist may assign homework or activities to complete between sessions to reinforce what you’re learning in therapy and facilitate progress towards your goals.
- i) Feedback and Collaboration: Therapy is a collaborative process, and your input and feedback are essential. You can expect your therapist to regularly check in with you, solicit feedback about your progress, and adjust the treatment approach as needed.
Overall, therapy sessions are tailored to meet your individual needs and goals, and the experience can vary from person to person. The most important thing is to communicate openly with your therapist and actively engage in the therapeutic process.
How long will therapy take?
What qualifications and experience do you have?
How confidential is therapy?
- I. Legal and Ethical Obligations: Therapists are legally and ethically bound to maintain the confidentiality of their clients. This means that they cannot disclose any information shared by the client during therapy sessions without the client’s consent, except in specific circumstances mandated by law.
- II. Limits to Confidentiality: While therapy is confidential, there are some exceptions where therapists may be required to breach confidentiality. These include situations where there is an imminent risk of harm to the client or others, suspected child or elder abuse, or if a court orders the release of information.
- III. Informed Consent: Therapists typically discuss the limits of confidentiality with their clients during the initial intake process. This includes explaining when and why confidentiality may need to be breached and how information may be shared in certain situations.
- IV. Privacy and Security: Therapists take steps to ensure the privacy and security of client information. This may include keeping session notes and records in secure locations, using encryption for electronic communication, and following guidelines outlined by professional organizations and licensing boards.
- V. Third-Party Disclosure: Therapists do not disclose information about their clients to third parties, including family members, friends, or employers, without the client’s explicit consent. This applies even if the client is a minor, although there may be exceptions depending on local laws and professional guidelines.
- VI. Client’s Rights: Clients have the right to know how their information will be used and shared, to access their own therapy records, and to request amendments to their records if they believe them to be inaccurate or incomplete.
Overall, therapy is highly confidential, and therapists take great care to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their clients. However, it’s important for clients to have an understanding of the limits of confidentiality and to discuss any concerns they may have with their therapist.
What therapeutic approach do you use?
How will you involve me in my own therapy?
What happens if I don’t feel comfortable with you or the therapy?
How much will therapy cost, and do you accept insurance?
Are there any potential side effects or risks of therapy?
- A. Emotional discomfort: Therapy can sometimes bring up difficult emotions or memories that may temporarily increase feelings of distress or discomfort.
- B. Increased awareness: Therapy may lead to increased self-awareness, which can sometimes be challenging to process as individuals confront aspects of themselves or their lives they may have been avoiding.
- C. Relationship changes: Exploring interpersonal issues in therapy can sometimes lead to changes in relationships, which may be positive but can also be challenging to navigate.
- D. Reliving traumatic experiences: For individuals with a history of trauma, therapy may involve revisiting traumatic experiences, which can be emotionally intense and may require careful management by the therapist.
- E. Dependency: In some cases, individuals may develop a dependency on therapy or their therapist, which can potentially hinder progress.
- F. Resistance or lack of progress: Despite the therapist’s best efforts, some individuals may not experience the desired level of progress or may resist certain therapeutic interventions.
- G. Unwanted insights: Therapy may lead to insights or realizations that individuals may find uncomfortable or distressing initially.
- H. Changes in mood: As individuals engage in therapy and process emotions, they may experience fluctuations in mood, including periods of heightened emotional sensitivity or vulnerability.
- I. Stigma: In some cultures or communities, seeking therapy may be stigmatized, leading to potential social or cultural consequences for the individual.
It’s important for individuals considering therapy to discuss any concerns or potential risks with their therapist before beginning treatment. A skilled therapist will work collaboratively with the client to address any challenges that arise and ensure that therapy is as safe and beneficial as possible.
Can I contact you outside of sessions in case of an emergency?
In many cases, therapists will have provisions for handling emergencies outside of regular sessions. Here are some points to consider:
- Ethical guidelines: Ethical guidelines for mental health professionals typically emphasize the importance of ensuring that clients have access to support in case of emergencies. This may include providing contact information for crisis hotlines or outlining procedures for contacting the therapist outside of regular sessions.
- Therapist’s policies: Some therapists may have specific policies regarding communication outside of sessions, including guidelines for when and how clients can contact them in case of emergencies. These policies are often discussed and agreed upon at the beginning of therapy.
- Nature of the emergency: Therapists generally understand that emergencies can arise in the course of therapy, such as a crisis situation or severe emotional distress. In such cases, it may be appropriate for clients to contact their therapist for support or guidance.
- Boundaries: While therapists are committed to providing support to their clients, they also have boundaries to maintain their own well-being and the therapeutic relationship. Therefore, it’s important for clients to use discretion and only contact their therapist outside of sessions when truly necessary.
- Alternate support: In some cases, therapists may provide clients with alternative sources of support for emergencies, such as crisis hotlines or community resources. This ensures that clients have access to help even when their therapist is not available.
Overall, while it is generally ethical for clients to contact their psychologist outside of sessions in case of an emergency, it’s important for clients and therapists to have clear communication and understanding regarding the therapist’s availability and how to handle emergencies.
Are there any homework assignments or exercises between sessions?
- Reinforcing Learning: Homework assignments can reinforce the concepts, skills, or insights discussed in therapy sessions. By practicing these outside of sessions, clients can solidify their understanding and make progress more effectively.
- Generalization: Homework assignments provide opportunities to generalize therapeutic gains to real-life situations. Clients can apply what they’ve learned in therapy to their daily lives and test out new behaviors or coping strategies.
- Skill Building: Many therapy modalities focus on teaching specific skills or techniques to help clients manage their symptoms or improve their functioning. Homework assignments allow clients to practice and refine these skills outside of the therapy room.
- Increasing Awareness: Some homework assignments involve self-monitoring or reflection exercises that help clients become more aware of their thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. This increased awareness can be valuable for the therapeutic process.
- Maintaining Momentum: Engaging in therapeutic work between sessions can help clients maintain momentum and continue making progress even when they’re not in therapy. This can be particularly beneficial for clients who are working on long-term goals or complex issues.
Examples of homework assignments or exercises between therapy sessions might include:
- Keeping a journal to track thoughts, emotions, or behaviors.
- Practicing relaxation techniques or mindfulness exercises.
- Role-playing challenging situations or conversations.
- Trying out new behaviors or coping strategies.
- Completing worksheets or readings related to therapeutic concepts.
- Setting and working towards specific goals outside of therapy sessions.
It’s important for clients to discuss any concerns or difficulties they have with homework assignments with their therapist. Therapists should tailor assignments to each client’s individual needs and preferences, and they should be supportive and encouraging as clients work through them.