What to Expect
from Online Therapy
“If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” - Unknown
Whether or not you have been to therapy before, there are many different styles and approaches so below is a general idea of what you can expect from meeting with me.
First Session
Prior
​​Schedule an appointment here
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Once I confirm the appointment, you can complete the paperwork in the client portal, which will allow us more time during our first session to start on what you would like to focus on. This includes forms to review as well as questions that help me to understand who you are, your goals, and to get an idea of you as a whole.
Logging On
You will receive a link that will take you into our confidential video session.
Our time together
My goal is that when you spend time in my virtual office you will feel a sense of safety, comfort, and freedom from judgment.
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We’ll get to know one another
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I'll briefly go over some of the policies that you will have seen in the paperwork
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I’ll tell you a little bit more about my counseling style and approaches
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We will discuss what is bringing you- I’ll gain a better understanding of what is going on in your world and what you would like to work on
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We’ll create a plan of what our next steps will be
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With time permitting, I hope to provide you with at least one new coping tool right off the bat
Coping Skills
We will discuss what coping skills tend to already work for you.
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I will teach you some additional skills, specific to you, that will help you in daily life as well as during our sessions when begin working on the tougher stuff.
Pick a Therapy Approach
We will discuss what approach seems like the best fit for you.
My primary modalities are EMDR, ART, and IFS
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Works really great for specific memories ​
Is typically used for things that aren't captured in one single event + for re-wiring thoughts
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IFS
Is very helpful to work with our defense mechanisms/ parts of the brain that may be protecting from thinking about certain memories. It's also great for better understanding ourselves.
Assess Readiness
We will then assess how ready you feel to begin re-processing of the
memories/events that you've come to work on.
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If you're feeling ready, we'll choose which type of 'bi-lateral stimulation'
(back & forth motions) you prefer:
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Eye Movements
Following something back and forth across your computer screen with your eyes
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Tapping
Tapping back and forth on your body or on an object
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Audio/Other
Listening to something play back and forth ear-to-ear
or some other possible options
Reprocess the Tough Stuff
We will then begin working on your trauma, which, in general, involves short moments of bi-lateral stimulation, taking deep breathes, checking in, and resuming the back-and-forth process.
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Eventually, the experience that is causing you distress gets reorganized in your brain reducing its emotional strength.
Thinking about it should no longer produce the response that you're used to, and it will reduce or stop randomly popping in your head and in your nightmares.
Ongoing Customization
more about the differences
* Note: This is an abbreviated explanation so that you can get a general idea of what to expect from the sessions, especially because the process is fairly different than the typical therapy of talking back and forth about a topic. We are truly utilizing what we know about how the brain works.
Let's Do This
(You've got this, I'll guide you the whole way)