How Our Sessions Work
What can you expect from our work together?
Initial Contact
We may start with a 15 minute “discovery call” (no charge) so we can both get a sense of whether we are a good fit and, if you’re ready, we agree on a first session. (Occasionally that first call becomes the first full session.)
A Session
Each session is generally an hour long. The first session may be a bit longer, so I tend to reserve an hour and a half.
From the start, and with your permission, we will explore what the problem might be, touching only on the details that you’re comfortable sharing. At some point, I will also ask you what your goal would be, in terms of how would you like to feel or what limitations would you like to overcome. This will give us both an initial sense of direction – a sense that will be refined, or even shift, as we go.
Early in the session, it’s likely that we will use some very simple techniques, which I will be happy to guide you with, to assist you in making the changes that you’re after.
I may offer specific interventions or techniques, depending on what appears to be needed. See more details below.
Number of sessions
Some issues might be quick to resolve, sometimes in as short as a single session. This would be the case with some phobias, or needing to unblock a simple communication issue with someone.
The more general case is that a minimum of two or three sessions are needed to achieve your initial goals. (This is entirely your choice, of course.) The second and third sessions build on the progress achieved at the initial one, assessing the improvements, clarifying and fine-tuning.
Sometimes it’s helpful to look at our work together as “chunks of work”. “I would like to sleep better.” “Now that I sleep better, I would like to :do something else:.”
Assessing progress
At the end of each session, and after a short number of them, we will assess the progress made and decide on the next steps.
You may be surprised by how different it all feels even after the first session, as I make it my personal goal to provide something valuable from the start.
In between sessions, you may notice changes, and some people find it useful to send me brief notes, say through email or text, if that helps you. I may be able to respond between sessions or, in any case, in our next session.