Usually when you call, you will get my voicemail. Although if I’m not with a client, I will answer the telephone. If you get my voicemail, simply leave your name and a number where I can reach you. I always return my calls within one business day. It’s not necessary to explain any details about your situation. Just the fact that you are seeking help is all I need to know. I will call you back.
No matter whether we will be working together through Westmont Counseling Center or Yoffe Therapy, you will receive an email from Simple Practice (please be sure to check your SPAM) that will contain a link to questionnaires and other documents for you to fill out and sign before our first session.
Quite simply, in therapy, you talk to me about what is troubling you, and together we try to understand why certain things are happening with you and how you can change the direction of your life. When words are not enough, I work with clients to dig deeper using art. I also often integrate somatic and mindfulness practices into sessions, as so much research has shown that “the body keeps the score” when it comes to trauma.
Therapeutic sessions are 50 minutes, and I always begin and end them promptly. In my experience, I’ve found that some of the most important work often occurs in the last few minutes of a session. There are many reasons for this, and we can talk about that when you come in, but doing important work can sometimes make it hard to end a session on time. However, I will gently do so by briefly summarizing what we accomplished that day and setting the stage for our next session.
Depending on your needs, I sometimes give homework assignments for clients to work on between sessions. If not, I may suggest things you might focus on for the coming week, in order to gain better insight into what is happening in your life. Your responsibility is simply to process what we do in session and to be open to the results of that processing the next time we see each other.