I believe therapy works best when it is a collaborative effort between the client and therapist.  Together we will discuss your goals for treatment and create a treatment plan. Periodically we will discuss your progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan as appropriate.  Clients in therapy often find that they feel worse before they begin to improve. This is normal and nothing to worry about, but is worth discussing. If you find this happening to you, please bring it up during our session.  Therapy deals with relationships. If I am doing something that is bothering you, please bring it to my attention so that we can examine the interactions between us. It is not unusual for clients to feel angry or disappointed in their therapist at times and working through these issues will most likely improve your relationships with the important people in your life.

My approach to treatment is based on the assumption that thoughts, feelings and behaviors are interconnected.  Change can occur by an intervention in one or more of these areas. Therefore, we will discuss how you approach problems and how you feel about the situations in your life.  I will also recommend homework assignments for you to work on between sessions. There is often a tendency for clients to attempt to avoid thinking about painful issues between sessions, but your treatment will progress much more quickly if you work hard both during and between sessions.