Initial Consultation
Asking for help is never easy.
Only the bravest knowhow to reach out with an open heart and open hands.
That’s why I’ve made sure that our initial consultation is a positive experience, one that will leave you feeling safe and appreciated.
When you CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT, I will give you a few simple instructions to download a packet of forms that you’ll bring to my office at the time of our session. During that session, you’ll have my full attention to ask any questions about my background, my practice, or the Sandplay therapy process.
There are many things I want to show you in my clinical practice,
like how I work, what my space looks and feels like, and the way I listen. This is your time to get
comfortable, to ask questions, and to begin making a plan for your one-on-one therapeutic work with me.
The goal of our initial consultation is to dip our toes into the deep waters of self-exploration together.
My initial consultations are no-pressure. After our session, you may make a decision to schedule a follow-up appointment, or let us know if you’d like to try working together at a later time.
Parents
Being a parent spreads us extraordinarily thin. I know, as the mother of two myself, how hard it can be to have a support system of family and friends when our children are undergoing emotional and developmental distress. What’s more, I know how hard it can be to feel helpless as we watch our children struggle mentally and emotionally.
Bravely scheduling your first appointment is the first step toward the type of support you’ve been craving.
As a “river guide”, my role is not to push, prod or force. Instead, my goal is to be present for you, assessing how I can guide you and your child toward recovery.
When I work with children and pre-teens,
the first meeting is solely with parents. When I work with teenagers, our first meeting together is solely with the teen, and then with parents at the last half of the session. During our time together, I’ll show you the playroom and explain the wonders of direct and indirect methods of working through Sandplay therapy. You’ll be welcome to explore and ask any questions as you go. By the end of our session, we will explore an explanation for why the family is visiting my office, so that we are all in agreement about what your child will be told when meeting me.
When you’re ready to, we’ll schedule a second consultation with you and your child together.
At that time, I’ll ask the child or teen about why they think they are visiting my office, and ask the same of you. I’ll explain the rules of privacy for each session, and invite you to share your desires for your child. During these sessions, it’s my goal to be inclusive of your child, so that they feel comfortable chiming in and giving feedback.
At the end of our session together, I’ll explain that it’s up to you and your family to decide whether you’d like to visit me again.
You can decide together then, or through a follow-up call to my office. No matter your decision, my goal is to make you feel comfortable about which steps you choose to pursue, and make your child feel empowered to make this session their own.
