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Balanced Beings Counseling
Child, Adolescent & Family Counseling
Nurture. Balance. Growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How may therapy help me?
Participating in therapy can result in a number of benefits to you, including a better understanding of your personal goals and values, improved interpersonal relationships, and resolution of the specific concerns that led you to seek therapy.
What are the limitations and risks to therapy?
There are many potential benefits to therapy. Working toward these benefits, however, requires effort on your part and may result in your experiencing considerable discomfort. Therapy, like most endeavors in the helping professions, is not an exact science. While the ultimate purpose of counseling is to reduce your distress through a process of personal change, there are no guarantees that the treatment provided will be effective or useful. Change will sometimes be easy and swift, but more often it will be slow and frustrating. Remembering unpleasant events and resolving them through therapy can bring up strong feelings of anger, depression, fear, etc. Psychotherapy may result in decisions about changing behaviors, employment, substance use, schooling, housing, relationships, or virtually any other aspect of your life. Attempting to resolve issues between marital partners, family members, and other individuals can also lead to discomfort and may result in changes that were not originally intended. Sometimes a decision that is positive for one family member is viewed quiet negatively by another family member. Of course, the potential for a divorce is always a risk in marital counseling. When working with children, behavioral symptoms often increase before positive changes occur.
Can you tell me a little more about what to expect with the treatment process?
Your therapy will begin with one or more sessions devoted to an initial assessment so that I can get a good understanding of the issues, your background, and any other factors that may be relevant. When the initial assessment process is complete, we will discuss ways to treat the issue(s) that have brought you into counseling and develop a treatment plan. You have the right and obligation to participate in treatment decisions and in the development and periodic review and revision of your treatment plan. You also have the right to refuse any recommended treatment or to withdraw consent to treat and be advised of the consequences of such refusal or withdrawal. I may use several techniques including but not limited to talk therapy, art, play, sandplay, suggestions for reading, and homework assignments.
How long does the therapy session last?
The standard session is 50 minutes. Longer sessions can be arranged upon request, or I might suggest longer session for certain clinical issues. Family or couples’ therapy often works best with longer sessions. The fee will be adjusted accordingly.
How long is the course of treatment?
Clients often wonder how long the course of therapy should be. The length of time is variable, based on your goals and mutual agreement.