FAQ
Everyone has questions when they start with a new therapist, so I will try to answer some of them ahead of time. If you do not see the answer to your questions here, please use the contact form at the bottom of the page to send me your question directly.
Therapy will be different for every person who chooses this journey. For the most part the first couple session will be about getting to know you and making sure you feel comfortable working with me. It is important that you feel like we 'click'. After that, where the journey leads is up to you.
To schedule an appointment you contact me by email or phone, or you can talk to the staff at the Mindful Therapy Group. Once you let one of us know that you would like an appointment we will check for availibility and do a short introduction call.
In general, you don't need to bring anything but yourself to a session. I will have things like water and tissues in the office. There may be times that I ask you to keep a journal or a log that you will want to bring in to session. Sometimes people will bring their phones or tablets to a session for an exercise or to show me something important to their therapy work, but I ask that devices are stowed and silenced for the rest of the session time.
In order for everyone to get started on the right foot, I need you to fill out some paperwork that will let me know more about you and let you know more about me. It may feel like a drag, but it really is an important part of getting the work started. All of the forms will need to be complete by the end of our first session, but it is best if you can get them submitted before hand. We will take time during our first meeting to address any questions or concerns that may have come up for you while reading the forms.
Good news! I can do either an in-person visit or a telehealth call. My office space is easy to get to in Vancouver and it is where I meet with all of my clients whether they are on the couch or on my computer screen. Because consistency is so important to therapy outcomes, I ask that clients choose to either be and in-person or a telehealth client. Switching back and forth is just too hard on both of us.
I feel that weekly meeting are the best for achieving your therapy goals. When you choose a day and time for your first session, try to choose one that will be convenient for you going forward. Consistency is key to good therapy so I schedule me clients for the same day and time each week. It also makes it easier to remember when your appointment is if it always stays the same.
Sometimes things come up. It is part of life. Just let me know as soon as possible that you will not be able to make it to a session so we can reschedule. If you cancel a session with less than 24 hours notice or decide not to come without notifying me, there will be a $100 cancelation fee.
It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes client and therapist meet out in the wild. If this happens to us, I will not wave, say high, or acknowledge you in anyway unless you approach me first. This seems a bit rude at first, but it is the best way for me to protect you confidentiality as a client. However, if you choose to say hello first, I will definitely say hello back.