Beginning Therapy
The first step to scheduling an appointment is getting in touch. Call me at 972-800-9540 and leave a voicemail or send an email to Cassandra.Adams.PhD@gmail.com with your name, contact number, and good times to get in touch with you. I'll return your message as soon as I am able. We'll talk briefly about what services you're looking for and how I might be of help. If you don't hear back from me, please assume I'm unable to accept new clients.
Once we've scheduled your first appointment, you'll receive an email with a link to my client portal. Through the portal, you'll input your contact information, communication preferences, and other basic information. You will also be prompted to complete initial consent forms and an intake questionnaire. I encourage you to review your consent forms carefully and contact me with any questions or concerns.
Before beginning treatment, I'll answer any additional questions you may have. Our first few sessions will focus on getting to know one another, establishing expectations, and identifying therapeutic goals (i.e. what you would like to be different when you end therapy). I will most likely take notes during our initial sessions. However, I don't usually take notes during sessions.
Session Frequency
I typically see clients once a week. However, at times it may be appropriate to increase sessions to twice a week during periods of increased stress. On the other hand, clients sometimes prefer to transition to meeting every other week, such when as they move toward ending therapy or during times of increased stability.
The Typical Session
Therapy sessions are 45-50 minutes long. I tend to start sessions by checking in with how you are doing overall and whether you have any specific topics you'd like to discuss. This helps me allocate time to touch on each topic if you'd like to address more than one concern. If you aren't sure what to discuss, I may either suggest we sit for a moment to see if anything comes to mind or I may ask what has been weighing on your heart or mind. Although I seldom give "homework," at the end of our session I may encourage you to reflect on topics we discussed and/or observe patterns in how you relate to yourself or others.
Ending Therapy
Two of the most common questions about therapy are "How long will it take?" and "How do I know when to end?" The duration of treatment is individual to each client and will be influenced by factors like your presenting concerns, personal preference, and potential financial limitations. You may want to work on a specific issue and end therapy after addressing that issue. However, you may choose to refocus our work to explore new areas after addressing the concerns that brought you to therapy initially. Ultimately, you choose when your therapy ends.