How can therapy help me?
Therapy provides the space and time to focus on yourself and what you need in order to be happy, healthy and to thrive, not just survive. A caring, empathetic therapist can provide the objectivity that can be sometimes hard to find in the midst of a raging storm when you are lost without a map. A therapist can help you learn to read the map and find your way to a safe harbor. Therapists can provide a wide range of support, problem-solving and communication skills, coping skills to manage anxiety, depression, stress, and intense emotions. Therapists can also help someone address issues such as grief, body image, unresolved childhood issues, or self-esteem. Sometimes people need a new perspective on personal growth, family concerns, or how to manage the stress of raising children or caring for aging loved ones.
No matter the issue you seek to address, therapy is always a collaborative process, and the benefit you gain from therapy will depend on how well you participate and put the skills and techniques you learn in the session into practice outside the sessions. Some benefits from therapy include:
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Harmony Psychotherapy
501 Church Street NE Suite 208 Vienna, VA 22180 Phone: (703) 592-4243 |
Do I really need therapy?
Many people often ask themselves this question. Everyone faces stressful, challenging situations in life where they feel at a loss as to how to handle them. If situations you have previously encountered and managed are feeling more and more difficult, or you are noticing that you are more easily irritable, have less interest in things than you used to, or have other changes in your mood or behavior that don’t improve over a few weeks, this may be a good indication you might benefit from seeking professional help.
It takes a great deal of courage and self-awareness to recognize when you might need some extra support. Therapy is intended to provide you with new ways of communicating and relating to others, learning from your past to change thoughts, beliefs and behaviors, and moving forward with more compassion for yourself and others.
It takes a great deal of courage and self-awareness to recognize when you might need some extra support. Therapy is intended to provide you with new ways of communicating and relating to others, learning from your past to change thoughts, beliefs and behaviors, and moving forward with more compassion for yourself and others.
What are the first few sessions like?
Just as each person is unique, the therapeutic process for each person will be unique to them and their journey. Generally, you can expect that during your first therapy session you will do most of the talking, with your therapist asking some helpful questions along the way to gain a deeper understanding of the issues you are facing. In the first session, the therapist should spend some time orienting you to his or her way of practicing, how to cancel a session, discuss confidentiality, how to reach him or her in the event of an emergency, etc. Time may also be spent filling out paperwork, but this can often be done in advance. A therapist should also provide time for you to ask questions of them, about how they provide treatment, how they understand your problems, etc.
Within the first two to three sessions, the therapist should be willing to explain if the symptoms you are experiencing meet the criteria for a diagnosis. The therapist should also engage you in a discussion around what it is you hope to accomplish in therapy and how you will collaborate in achieving those goals. Therapy may be short-term (three to four months) or long term (six months to a year or more) depending on your difficulties. The therapist should collaborate with you about the time frame, with the understanding that it may be flexible depending on other issues that develop as therapy progresses.
Within the first two to three sessions, the therapist should be willing to explain if the symptoms you are experiencing meet the criteria for a diagnosis. The therapist should also engage you in a discussion around what it is you hope to accomplish in therapy and how you will collaborate in achieving those goals. Therapy may be short-term (three to four months) or long term (six months to a year or more) depending on your difficulties. The therapist should collaborate with you about the time frame, with the understanding that it may be flexible depending on other issues that develop as therapy progresses.
I take medication, isn’t that enough for me to feel better
It is widely understood that medication alone is not enough to treat symptoms associated with mental health disorders. Medication may be advisable, but it something that is best discussed with a psychiatrist, as well as the therapist. There are many other means to achieving similar benefits that medication provides, such as regular exercise, meditation, and dietary changes.
Therapy seeks to address the cause of the distress that drives the symptoms: the thoughts, the ingrained beliefs, and behavior patterns that medication cannot alter. No system operates in isolation. Emotions and thoughts (cognitions) exist within our bodies, which then react in ways we cannot immediately detect. Through therapy, we can examine these subtle nuances and how they manifest themselves in our lives. Medication may be necessary to support this process, so it is important to inform your therapist if you are taking medication, and similarly to inform your doctor if you are in therapy so each provider can support your wellbeing.
Therapy seeks to address the cause of the distress that drives the symptoms: the thoughts, the ingrained beliefs, and behavior patterns that medication cannot alter. No system operates in isolation. Emotions and thoughts (cognitions) exist within our bodies, which then react in ways we cannot immediately detect. Through therapy, we can examine these subtle nuances and how they manifest themselves in our lives. Medication may be necessary to support this process, so it is important to inform your therapist if you are taking medication, and similarly to inform your doctor if you are in therapy so each provider can support your wellbeing.
Does what we talk about remain confidential?
Confidentiality is an essential ingredient in the therapeutic process. Clients should feel they can trust their therapist with issues they may not tell anyone else, even their spouse or other loved ones. It is this trust that sets the stage for effective treatment. This confidentiality is so valuable, it is protected by law, with few exceptions. A therapist should provide every client with their confidentiality policy, which details the parameters of confidentiality.
There may be times when you want your therapist to communicate with another healthcare provider, such as your general practitioner, a psychiatrist, etc. Your therapist should always ask you to sign a form specific to each provider about what information should be exchanged.
The limited exceptions to confidentiality, as outlined by federal and state law, as well as the Code of Ethics state that therapists must notify the appropriate authorities when:
For more information of Brittany’s confidentiality section, click here.
There may be times when you want your therapist to communicate with another healthcare provider, such as your general practitioner, a psychiatrist, etc. Your therapist should always ask you to sign a form specific to each provider about what information should be exchanged.
The limited exceptions to confidentiality, as outlined by federal and state law, as well as the Code of Ethics state that therapists must notify the appropriate authorities when:
- The therapist has reason to suspect abuse or neglect of a child, senior citizen, or person with a disability.
- The therapist has reason believe the client is a danger to themselves or another person.
For more information of Brittany’s confidentiality section, click here.