What to Expect from Counseling, Mental Health, Psychotherapy, and Therapy in Connecticut
Once you’ve determined the type of mental health clinician you want to work with and the type of mental health service you want to receive, another question might be lingering in your mind: “What can I expect from Connecticut therapy, counseling or life coaching?”
In this blog post, I’m going to share with you:
What to expect from your first consultation with a therapist in Connecticut
What to expect in the first session with a therapist in Connecticut
How long someone works with a therapist in Connecticut
What to Expect from Your First Consultation with a Therapist in Connecticut
A therapy consultation is a brief window of time in which you get to know the therapist, the therapist gets to know you, and you determine if you’re a good fit for each other. Consultations are usually 15 - 20 minutes in length, so you want to make the most of the time you have with the therapist so that you can feel confident in your decision.
During your first consultation with a therapist in Connecticut, it is important that you do not treat this as a therapy session but, rather, as an interview. You are both interviewing each other to see if you’d like to hire them and if they feel they can help you with your presenting problem. Share briefly what you want to work on in therapy and what you are looking for in a therapist (if you need help with this, I made a blog post that might be very helpful that you can check out here.) This will allow the Connecticut therapist to assess your needs and determine if they can be helpful to you.
During the consultation, the therapist will likely describe to you how they work, what models, theories, or frameworks they operate from, the therapeutic methods they use, and what happens during a therapy session. The therapist will likely also discuss logistics such as scheduling, session fees, payment options, cancellation policies, and potential insurance coverage. At the end of the consultation, the therapist will likely share their initial impressions and suggest a plan for moving forward. This might include recommending a certain number of sessions, specific therapeutic goals, or additional resources. You get to sit with this information and feel into whether it resonates with you and is a plan that aligns with what you are looking for.
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What to Expect in the First Session with a Therapist in Connecticut
Your first session with a therapist in Connecticut is an opportunity to get to know each other, understand the therapist’s approach, discuss your needs and goals, and establish a plan for your therapy journey. The session is designed to help you feel comfortable and supported, providing a safe space to explore your concerns and begin working towards your goals.
The first session is about building a foundation of trust and good rapport with each other. The therapist will aim to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you feel heard and understood. The first session is the very beginning of your therapy journey, and it's important a foundation of trust and good rapport is built. Together, you and the therapist will discuss your goals for therapy and create a plan for achieving your goals in therapy. This may involve identifying what you want to work on, any changes you hope to make, and what you expect from the therapy process. The therapist may help you refine your goals to ensure they are realistic and achievable.
During your first session with me, we go over in detail something called an Intake Inquiry. This is a list of specific questions that I have thoughtfully and intentionally curated for my clients that I have them fill out prior to our first session so that they can be as crystal clear as possible about what their goals for therapy are. We review their intake inquiry in depth together and co-create an action plan for how I will help them achieve their goals for therapy. This starts us off on a really solid and nourishing foundation.
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How Long Does Someone Work with a Therapist in Connecticut?
In general, there are three categories of therapy: short duration, medium duration, and long duration. Short duration therapy is 6-12 sessions, medium duration therapy is 12-24 sessions, and long duration therapy is several months to years of therapy.
Most of the clients I work with are medium-duration therapy clients. Because I tend to work with a client base that is highly motivated and ambitious, they are truly ready, open, and receptive to change. They show up fully for their healing, do really incredible work, and achieve the results they’ve been looking for. I love going deep with my clients and supporting them to deeply and efficiently heal the underlying issues they come to therapy for.
That being said, healing is not linear and it takes the time it takes, which is different for each person. I have a small handful of clients that are long duration clients, because that is the pace that their soul moves at. I cherish the pace you want to go at! I also have another small handful of clients who will return to therapy with me when they are in a challenging season of their life or are navigating a major life transition and need some extra support.
To sum it up:
A Connecticut therapy consultation is a brief window of time in which you get to know the therapist, the therapist gets to know you, and you determine if you’re a good fit for each other.
Your first session with a therapist in Connecticut is an opportunity to get to know each other, understand the therapist’s approach, discuss your needs and goals, and establish a plan for your therapy journey.
A client can work with a therapist for 6 sessions, 6 months, or 6 separate seasons of their life over a period of time. Healing is not linear and it’s important that you know the kind of pace you’d like to go at so that you can see if the therapist is willing or able to work with you for the length of time that you need.
