How does therapy work?

Step 1: Phone Consult

The first step is a complimentary 20 minute phone consult where you will briefly share why you are seeking counseling and I'll tell you more about myself and my practice. If we mutually agree that it's a good fit, we schedule our first session session. If not - no harm, no foul. I will do my best to refer you to someone who suits your needs.

Step 2: Intro Session(s)

For the first session or two, we gather your history - including your health and family history. The structured approach of these early sessions allows us to gradually build trust and rapport - which provide the foundation for the therapeutic relationship. We will also discuss your goals for therapy in these early sessions.

Step 3: Working Phase

One size does not fit all!

No two people are the same, therefore, the work will look different for each client as will the interventions and/or perspectives I provide.

Ideally, I'd like to have weekly sessions with my clients - at least for the first 6-8 weeks. However, I know that there may be schedule and/or budget constraints - so we discuss what will work best for your situation.

Step 4: Conclusion

There is no set time frame - we might work together for of weeks, months or years. We'll have periodic conversations to see if your goals are being met, if our sessions feel productive and supportive for you, and if it feels like your needs are being met. You might decide to take a break and return at a future time.

Hey Gen X - here's why you might feel hesitant about therapy:

“Gen Xers’ mental and emotional needs were often deferred in childhood, then deprioritized in adulthood. Many were kids at a time when adults and parents were the top focus of families. Once Gen Xers became parents themselves, culture shifted to focus on children instead.

For Gen X, discussions about mental health were often reserved for people who’d undergone what psychologists today call big “T” traumas—extreme experiences most people already view as traumatic, like serving in a war or surviving an assault. Seeing a therapist for little “t” traumas like divorce, job transitions, or bullying may not have occurred to Gen Xers."

therapist.com. (2023). Gen X and mental health. therapist.com. https://therapist.com/generations/gen-x/

How do I know if I "need" therapy?

You don't need a "reason" to seek therapy, it might just be a vague feeling that something in your life isn't working. That alone is something that can be explored.

Here's list of some reasons that women might come to therapy:

ALLLL the changes that accompany perimenopause and menopause
Continuing impacts of motherhood
Reckoning with the finality of being childless by choice or circumstance
Aging parents
Empty next phase
Personal relationship changes
Career pivots
Physical/health changes and challenges in self and/or partner
Perception of self/feelings about aging
Society’s perception of women in midlife
Sandwich generation – juggling multiple roles
Impact of social issues including reproductive rights, racial inequality, gender issues, etc.
General life overwhelm

As we explore those issues, we may discover underlying themes of anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, and/or grief that can be addressed and supported.

PLOT TWIST COUNSELING pllc