What can I expect from therapy?

When you’ve made the decision to see a therapist, a lot of thoughts might come up for you. You might feel nervous and unsure about whether you’ve made the right decision. You might think that to seek therapy means there’s something “wrong” with you or that you’ve even hit rock bottom. Many people feel similar things that you might.

Therapy, however, can be very helpful. It’s a shared journey – one that I would be taking with you. You ultimately make the decisions. I may not have all the answers to your concerns, but I can guide you helping up find those answers yourself. At times, I may offer some suggestions, but I won’t give you advice or tell you what to do.

What happens during the first session?

The first time we meet will be a time to begin gathering your story, talk about your goals and what you would like to change. Another important part of our first session is determining whether we are a good fit. Do I seem like someone you can trust? The relationship we begin will become the foundation and the means for our work.

How often will we meet?

I recommend meeting once a week when we first begin. When starting therapy there can be a lot happening in the beginning sessions, and it’s best to gain momentum this way. Once some or all of your goals are met, I would suggest meeting less often.

Can I expect to feel better right away?

It’s possible you might begin to see progress after the first couple of sessions. This might be influenced by many factors but ultimately it would depend upon the work you would be putting in. If you don’t see progress as quickly as you would have liked, then that’s something for us to talk about! Some issues require more time and work, so it would be good for us to take a look at those expectations.

How long do I need to be in therapy?

It’s hard to put a timestamp on this. People who usually attend counseling weekly for at least 3 months are likely to see a substantial amount of progress. What is being done between sessions is also important, and if you commit to putting regular work into your mental health, then you’ll continue to see positive results. I like to do periodic check-ins where we’ll take a look at how the experience has been going so far with you. If you or I think any changes need to be made, including finishing our work together, then we’ll come up with a plan to do so.

Do you prescribe medication?

No, I am not a medical doctor. Many of my clients find medication is helpful, but many of them also progress well in therapy without it. If you want to be evaluated for psychiatric medication, either contact your primary care physician or a psychiatrist. If you are already taking medication, I can coordinate care with your doctor.

Are there any issues or types of clients that you DON’T work with?

I only work with adults aged 18+ (not children or couples). I do not conduct child custody evaluations nor do I provide custody recommendations. I also don’t provide treatment for eating disorders, psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, etc), or personality disorders. Due to state licensing laws, I can only provide therapy and counseling to individuals residing in New Jersey.

What is Ecotherapy/Nature-based therapy?

Eco-therapy, also called nature-based therapy is therapeutic work that involves a three-fold relationship between counselor, client, and nature. We as humans despite our technological advances and urban dwellings are still a part of a larger system that is our natural environment. Nature-based therapy facilitates a nurturing, healing, and growing reconnection between humans and nature.

While nature-based therapy is an emerging field with continued research showing positive results for many mental health issues (see next question), it is more common to find eco-therapists or therapists using nature-based techniques in Europe and the west coast of US.

Nature-based therapy with me may include outdoor sessions, but that’s not always necessary. Research has shown that using natural elements and even being around nature indoors can help.

What kind of things could nature-based therapy help with?

Nature-based therapy can be effective for any of the usual reasons people seek out counseling: grief and loss, depression, anxiety, difficult/complicated life transitions, relationship problems, burn out, feeling a lack of purpose, spirituality issues, and more.

Additionally, nature-based therapy can uniquely help in supporting people experiencing ecological grief/fear/anxiety due to ecological loss from human causes (e.g. oil spills, climate change, pollution, deforestation etc.).

What if I think I might be interested in going outdoors, but I don’t feel fit or adventurous enough?

No worries! Nature-based therapy is focused on your therapeutic needs. Outside sessions will vary and always depend upon what you are comfortable with. Sometimes sessions might include sitting on a park bench or under a tree. Other times it might include a stroll around a park or a light hike on a trail.

Regardless of your comfort level, if you are interested in being outdoors, we’ll work together to figure out what’s best for you. Once we are outdoors, we’ll be taking mindful approaches for what you need in those moments, so a change in activity or location is always possible during our sessions.

Finally, outdoor sessions are offered year-round! Even the winter months and cold have therapeutic benefit and can teach us a lot. As long as you are dressed correctly, we can benefit from nature at any time of the year.

What can tarot do for me?

Tarot can be used as a tool for giving you a better understanding about what is going on in your life. It can give you the opportunity to examine more closely the underlying themes of a situation, and help you consider other aspects of it. If you are unsure about something and looking for a way to help you make the right decision, the tarot can help you. If you are looking to be inspired, the tarot can provide age-old wisdom that will re-ignite creativity and passion. ​

Some common ways I’ve used tarot with clients are:

• sparking creativity

• accessing/developing intuition

• self-development

• goal-planning

• processing/introspection

• meditation

What is tarot unable to do for me?

Tarot sessions or tarot use in therapy are not meant to be substituted for financial, legal, medical or other health information, advice, or guidance, including professional mental health services. Tarot should never replace the advice of a doctor, lawyer, or any other licensed professional. Tarot can't predict the future with 100% certainty. It can't offer any guarantees. Tarot can't predict winning lottery numbers or locate lost items.