ROBIN BACK THERAPY
Complimentary Consultation:
I offer (and recommend) a 15-minute complimentary consultation, before you have your first session. We can chat over the phone or through secure video chat. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other better and see if we might be a good therapeutic fit.
We will talk about the problems you're experiencing that may be related to anxiety, as well as how therapy could be helpful for you. You can ask any questions that you might have and we can decide together if moving forward with an initial session is the best plan of action. And if it turns out that I am not the right fit for you, then I will help you find the person who is.
When we chat, you may be at a point where you're still not sure if therapy is the right choice for you - and that's okay! We can spend our time exploring what options are available to you.
First Session:
All sessions are 50-minutes, at a rate of $170 per session. Prior to your first session, I will ask that you complete an intake form online, as well as a consent to treatment form.
The first session has a couple of purposes. Firstly, it is when we start to establish a working relationship with each other, a very important part of the therapeutic process. How we work together has a significant impact on therapeutic outcomes.
The second purpose of the initial session is for me to start getting to know you and the challenges that have brought you in a bit better. I will be assessing and taking a history of current problem(s), determine your needs, establish goals and develop the best course of action for reaching these goals. We will revisit your goals throughout our work together, as I find these often change over time.
If you feel a little nervous before your first session, that is completely normal. Therapy can be new and vulnerable, so it's natural to be nervous. I strive to create a safe and compassionate environment where you feel comfortable to speak openly about your thoughts, feelings, and concerns. I'm here to help put you at ease. Ultimately, my greatest hope is that our first session will provide you with a sense of relief.
Course of Therapy:
Following the initial session, we will meet for a number of 50-minute follow up appointments. Therapy typically requires 6-20 sessions. However, this is approximate; some clients need more sessions, others need less, depending on their reason(s) for seeking therapy. Throughout our work together, we will keep an open and collaborative dialogue going about how many sessions are right for you.
Sessions typically occur on a weekly basis, although depending on the nature and severity of your problem(s), they may be more or less frequent. Weekly sessions help to develop a strong therapeutic relationship and establish momentum toward your treatment goals. We will discuss what frequency makes the most sense for you during our initial session.
Throughout the course of our work, my goal is to provide you with the tools and strategies that will help you overcome your anxiety and get you to a point where you no longer require treatment. During the active phase of therapy, you're likely to experience an increased sense of relief and hope. We will work together to explore the causes of your distress and get a more detailed idea of how anxiety affects your life. We will also work on developing important skills to manage your anxiety, changing behaviours that maintain your anxiety and also increasing behaviours that give you a sense of joy and fulfillment. This work happens both during session and in between meetings (practicing and integrating what we are working on together in your day to day life is key to seeing changes).
Session frequency may be tapered as you progress and become more comfortable applying what you have learned in therapy. Once we both agree that your goals for treatment have been met, we will determine an appropriate timeframe for ending our work together. Many clients prefer to do this slowly by reducing the number of sessions. Although we work toward you no longer requiring therapy, some clients do return periodically during stressful times later in life. Please know that the termination process will be very transparent and we will work together to determine what is best for you.
With that said, some people prefer to continue seeking therapy on a consistent basis, as they enjoy having the support and benefit from ongoing work together.
There is no right or wrong, only what works best for you.
Contact me today to book your free consultation and learn more about how I can help you.