Veterans
As an officer and clinical psychologist in the United States Navy, I provided mental health services to military members and their families. This occurred in a variety of contexts while on active duty and I also previously served at a Vet Center providing outpatient services to veterans of numerous foreign wars. A deep respect exists for the men and women who have served our nation and I consider it an honor to continue working with them, whether active duty or veteran. While I specialize in working with trauma related to military service, I can also assist with other areas of your life, whether emotional or relational issues.
Overview
There are numerous reasons an individual or couple may seek treatment, each of which can be discussed briefly via email as you consider seeing me and in the first session (s) as well.
5 parts
First appointment (s) / Assessment
Counseling / Treatment
Out of Counseling or in between sessions
Concluding or Continuing
Outcome-Evaluation / Follow-up
Assessment
Usually, the interview/assessment takes a few sessions. Early in the assessment phase, you may be given some written materials to complete. This will help me understand you and what is going on. In the first session we will talk about your history and life experiences, areas of concern, and goals for treatment.
Sometime during the first few sessions, I will share my recommendations and we will work to define mutually agreed upon goals for your counseling.
Counseling or Treatment
Typical sessions are 50 to 55 minutes in length, but longer sessions are appropriate as well. Usually, we will meet once per week, but more or less frequently may be discussed also. The length of counseling will be determined by your specific needs and goals. Together, we will try and consistently evaluate your satisfaction and progress.. Also, I will encourage you to raise any questions or concerns that you have about counseling at any time.
Out of Counseling
I may also give you exercises to practice between sessions or we may interact between sessions. In the later stages of counseling, we may phase out or meet less frequently in order for you to test out new skills and to prepare for the end of counseling or you may choose to continue to meet and we continually discuss new topics and goals.
Concluding or Continuing
If you do decide to end counseling, it is most helpful to have at least one session together to summarize progress, define the work that remains, and say good-bye.
Outcome-evalutation
This is optional if you have ended counseling but we can discuss post-treatment follow-up: after six months, 12 months, 18 months, and two years. These sessions (usually one at each interval) can significantly decrease the chances of relapse into previous, unhelpful patterns. In addition, commitment to providing the best therapy possible requires ongoing evaluation of methods used and client progress. The purpose of these follow-up sessions then will be to fine-tune any of your skills if needed and to evaluate the effectiveness of the counseling received. You may also return at any time based on need or desire.
Love & Respect Counseling accepts direct payment for services and does not bill insurance companies directly or contract with those companies, although you can request payment from your insurance provider with a receipt or invoice. It is a private pay setting, allowing for flexible, responsive, and attentive counseling.
Get in touch
Email is the best way for me to correspond with you regarding all initial and first appointment questions. This also may take the pressure off feeling like you have to commit to counseling if you are on the phone with me, while also allowing me to often respond more promptly and with detailed information. I respond to all emails throughout the week.