If you are coming to see me, you deserve to know what to expect from me, and what I expect from you.
You will have individual sessions of 45 minutes. I expect you to come regularly, at least once a week, same day of the week, same time, same place, for us to talk. I will respectfully listen to you, without judging you, in a context of confidentiality.
You will not have to deal with a receptionist, or any administrative personnel whatsoever, just you and I. There is no front desk, but a comfortable waiting room. However, it’s very unlikely you will have to wait any time.
Once you come in person, we will discuss your problem and assess possible treatment options. We will address whether my therapeutic approach and personal style fits your treatment needs... or not.
My approach is psychoanalytic. That means inviting you to talk openly about anything that comes to your mind.
I will use my evenly suspended attention to catch repetitive patterns in your speech. Sometimes those repetitive patterns may appear in your feelings or in your behavior in session. That’s what we call “transference” and is useful to understand your problems, as well.
People are different and have different needs and expectations.
Some people may feel the need of a strong guidance, orientation, or advice. Others may feel the need to be taught something or trained in some ability they feel they are missing, as in a behaviorally oriented intervention. These expectations imply assigning an active role to the therapist and a receptive role to themselves. It is important to notice that the psychoanalytic approach is non-directive, non-behavioral, and requires your commitment to work in session, in a challenging task.
I invite to revise this section carefully, and reflect on whether your expectations match my approach.
Therefore, if at the starting point of the treatment we realize that my approach does not meet your expectation, then you will be more than welcome to seek services anywhere else you feel you can get what you feel is best for you.