What Happens At A Therapy Appointment?

Your therapist's office will be like a living room.  It may have a
sofa or several comfortable chairs.  Before you go to the therapist's
office, you (or your parents if you're a minor) will be asked to fill
out some papers in the waiting room.

When you go in to the soundproofed office, the therapist will probably
start by asking you how he or she can be helpful to you and maybe
something about  why you've come.  From then on, the therapist will
listen carefully to whatever you say.  He/she will help you to
recognize the emotions you might be feeling.  Perhaps you'll even
figure out together where the emotions come from.

Human beings are made up of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behavior.
Each therapist focuses primarily on one or more of these three.  The
whole idea is that by learning more about your thoughts, feelings and
behavior, you will have more ability to make choices which enrich your
life and stop doing things which make you angry, afraid or sad.

Some of the therapy at New Beginnings is for more than one person.
A couple comes to learn about and improve their relationship.  Whole
families come to therapy, too, so that they can learn to get along
with each other better.

When young children come to New Beginnings for help, they don't always
have the words to tell their therapist what is wrong, so, after
meeting with one or both parents,  the therapist  takes the child to
the playroom where, through expressive play with puppets, art
materials and sand, they can show what is important, and perhaps,
distressing to them.

Sometimes your therapist will recommend that you join a therapy group
of other people with similar problems.  Once in a while, your
therapist will refer you to another who specializes in your particular
issue.

Usually therapy is conducted once a week for about an hour each
session.  There is no way to know how many sessions you will want.
You and your therapist will discuss it and decide when you've
completed your therapy.