Format of Counseling

We at the EMDR and Counseling Center want to get you better as quickly as possible while ensuring you are safe when working through difficult experiences and emotions. Here is what you can expect from your sessions.

First session: The initial session will be primarily to identify your goals for counseling and how we can help you achieve them. We will also go over the various options we have to facilitate your healing.

Second session: If there is nothing else necessary to go over before starting we will jump straight to working on your healing.

Subsequent sessions: What we work on in a session will be agreed upon in a collaborative process. Sessions will primarily focus on resolving emotional triggers through a healing technique, although there may be times when processing difficult emotions or teaching important therapeutic skills will be more appropriate.

Completion of counseling: Counseling will be complete once you have worked through any stressors or triggers that you'd like resolved and you are feeling happy and confident about yourself and your life. That isn't to say that everything will necessarily be perfect, but it will mean you feel confident and capable of handling anything residual. You should experience long-term relief from your symptoms and feel happy in your daily life before the completion of counseling and your individual healing journey.

 

Timeline for Counseling

The timeline for counseling can vary depending on the individual. Most clients are able to work through one or more treatment goals simultaneously in about three to six sessions. People who have experienced a lot of trauma or grief generally take slightly longer than average. 

 

Something else to keep in mind is that things may get worse before they get better. It is uncommon, but not rare, for clients to temporarily worsen in their symptoms after the first session or two. The more a person has repressed their emotions or swept them under the rug, the more likely things will feel worse at first. Feeling worse doesn't mean healing isn't occurring, it actually means the opposite. For people in this category, shining a light on what they've kept in the dark is not a pleasurable experience, but it is necessary one for healing to be possible. Just like a broken bone doesn't get reset without pain, nor does one's mental health. Come into counseling trusting that it will get better, even if it isn't easy.

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Cost

I believe the healing is a human right and should be affordable to everyone. While a counseling session is typically $150 an hour, I am willing to work with you at a price that is affordable to you. 

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How to Prepare for Treatment

Preparing for treatment primarily consists of emotionally committing to self healing. Healing doesn't come from pretending problems don't exist, but by facing your problems head on. As Carl Jung, one of the most famous modern psychologists stated, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." In other words, healing requires facing the darkest parts of yourself and the most important way to prepare for treatment is to prepare to face the aspects of yourself you've been avoiding. ​

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That said, here are a couple more concrete steps you can take to prepare.

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Before The First Session: Create a List of Treatment Goals

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At the EMDR and Counseling Center, we understand you may have many questions when preparing for treatment. Before starting your course of treatment success, it would be helpful to come equipped with a list of pain points or goals you would like to work on during the session. This will help ensure your time in the session is spent productively and you can get the most out of each visit. Treatment goals should include but are not limited to anything that is distressing to you or makes you feel overwhelmed, any negative talk or beliefs, or anything else you are unhappy with or would like to change in your life.

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Allow Time for Emotional Processing After Sessions

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It is also recommended to take some time after your sessions to reflect on how you feel and what was discussed during the session. Doing this will allow you to better process emotions after a session and may lead to further treatment gains. Some people may find it helpful to journal or write down their feelings to help with emotional processing.
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At the EMDR and Counseling Center, we are dedicated to helping our clients feel supported and empowered throughout their treatment journey by providing holistic care tailored to their needs. We look forward to working with you soon!