Counseling and Psychotherapy
The overall goal of counseling and psychotherapy is to decrease troubling symptoms, to cultivate skills that will help you manage your emotions and relationships more effectively and to increase self-awareness and positive self-regard. The first appointment will be a semi-structured initial consultation for the purpose of assessing your presenting concerns, making a diagnosis of your symptoms and working collaboratively to develop a treatment plan. The assessment and treatment planning process will continue for about 2-4 sessions and will often include your own self-monitoring of symptoms, feelings and thoughts. Once target concerns and appropriate interventions are identified, we can begin working toward treatment goals in a semi-structured way.
The overall goal of counseling and psychotherapy is to decrease troubling symptoms, to cultivate skills that will help you manage your emotions and relationships more effectively and to increase self-awareness and positive self-regard. The first appointment will be a semi-structured initial consultation for the purpose of assessing your presenting concerns, making a diagnosis of your symptoms and working collaboratively to develop a treatment plan. The assessment and treatment planning process will continue for about 2-4 sessions and will often include your own self-monitoring of symptoms, feelings and thoughts. Once target concerns and appropriate interventions are identified, we can begin working toward treatment goals in a semi-structured way.
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Initial therapy goals are often focused on symptom management, which includes learning a variety of techniques specifically targeted to you that can help you respond to and decrease troubling symptoms. Another initial goal of therapy is to increase your self-awareness, including awareness of what’s triggering your symptoms and why, as well as awareness of relationship and behavior patterns that affect your life.
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Underlying issues are often identified and targeted to help you supplement the “first order change” from symptom management techniques with “second order change” from personal growth that makes a deep and long-lasting impact. Other important elements of therapy include increasing your emotional and interpersonal effectiveness as well as developing a healthy relationship with yourself.
You always have the option to select and/or refuse any aspects of treatment based on your own interests and preferences. Dr. Ferguson and her associates encourage open dialogue and active client participation in the formation of treatment goals.
You always have the option to select and/or refuse any aspects of treatment based on your own interests and preferences. Dr. Ferguson and her associates encourage open dialogue and active client participation in the formation of treatment goals.