Q: OK, I've decided I'd like to try therapy. What do I do first? A: Feel free to establish contact by sending me an email and/or giving me a call. I check my messages frequently, and will return your inquiry promptly. We will have a phone conversation and, if you feel comfortable moving forward, I will offer you an appointment time to come in so that we can get to know one another. My schedule is fairly flexible and I am usually able to offer a time-slot that is within 48 hours of our initial conversation. Q: What happens in my consultation with you? A:  The consultation session is when you and I will begin getting to know one another. This is a chance for you to ask me questions that will help you decide if I am the therapist that you can feel comfortable working with. Of course, I will ask you what brought you to seek therapy, and what you are hoping to gain from our sessions together. By the end of the first hour, I should be able to offer you an outline of what the course of therapy can be expected to look like. I usually begin therapy by setting weekly appointments, but given certain circumstances, I am willing to work with other time arrangements as well. Q: What happens in my therapy sessions? A: Each session is different, often dependent upon the goals that you and I are working toward. I work with a variety of clients and focus on helping you with your goals, therefore, this question becomes difficult to answer in absolutes -or without using too much psychobabble, something I try and keep a lid on! Most people feel that I am an easy person to talk to, that being said, most sessions begin with a bit of a check-in, and then clients quickly move to what it is that they are struggling with, or currently working toward. Q: Do you set goals for therapy, and how do you monitor progress? A: I will help you set goals, or I will get on board with the goals that you already have. Unless something seems dangerous or really "off" about your own goals, I think that it would be disrespectful of me to suggest my own agenda. We will work together if you are wondering about setting goals or the direction you would like to head in the near future. As for monitoring progress and how that relates to goals: Absolutely we will monitor your progress. If you do not feel like you are making progress working with me, we need to figure out what is happening and figure out if therapy is working, or how we can adjust what we are doing so that we can make progress. This (therapy) is an investment of your time and money. If I am not helping you meet your goals, I am not doing my job. Q: What if I start to feel worse before I feel better? A: Sometimes people feel worse before they feel better, specially if there is a lot of hurt and pain that is uncovered during the initial stages of our work together. This is a sign that therapy is working, and I encourage you to not shy away from this. Instead, talk with me about it. Most people start to feel better soon after beginning therapy, so this does not apply to everyone. Q: How's the parking situation at your office? A: I work from three different locations and the parking situation varies from day-to-day and location-to-location. My Hermosa Beach office has an off-street parking lot, and plenty of additional parking along P.C.H. In Beverly Hills, there is metered parking all along S. Beverly, one or two hour parking in the residential streets, a two-hour free lot between Gregory and Wilshire and I have also heard that people park in the Pavillion's lot (and nobody has been towed that I know of). The Family Resource Counseling Center has metered parking surrounding the building, and free parking on Colby, north of Olympic. Q: Do you have colleagues? A: I am a private practice therapist but have several therapists that I consult with on occasion. This helps me stay up to date with current topics, and provides a level of quality assurance that directly benefits the clients that I work with. In addition, my work at the Family Resource Counseling Center includes group supervision and direct contact with intern therapists whose work I am responsible for supervising. Q: You look younger than a lot of other therapists, are you sure you're qualified to provide these services? A: I get this question from time-to-time and can respect the fact that clients are concerned about the amount of experience I may or may not have. Ask me this question in fifteen years and you will make my day! Seriously, I have been working directly with clients for seven years now, and feel that with my youth comes enthusiasm and vibrancy. I also understand that there are times where my age is a factor that can be problematic for some clients. If you feel this is a concern, I will be happy to discuss it with you and to help you find a therapist that you feel comfortable working with. I am always happy to answer any questions that you may have about my education and life-experience. Q: What happens if we decide that I might benefit from medication? A: I have a working relationship with several psychiatrists and can provide you with their contact information. While many instances do not require medication, there are circumstances when medication can alleviate unnecessary symptoms and suffering. I rarely recommend medication as an initial course of treatment, but will help you make that decision. That being said, if medication seems called for, I will not hesitate to make that suggestion as something for you to consider. Q: Do you like being a therapist; doesn't it get you down listening to people's problems? A: I love what I do for a living. Truth be told, I never feel like I am "at work". I take what I do seriously, and will work hard to help you accomplish what you have set out to do, but you need to know that I completely enjoy this process. I feel a deep sense of respect for the trust that my clients instill in me when they come into my office. The fact that I get to spend my days getting to know people like you is a great reward. The "problems" don't get me down because there is always the upside to what you have come in with. I also get to see people accomplish those goals we have set out to reach. That day, those moments, when those goals come in to sight...always wins out over the problematic times. Q: Tell me something interesting about you!