Frequently Asked Questions
When starting therapy, it’s very common to feel nervous. It can be hard to talk about feelings out loud. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Taking steps to seek help for the challenges we face is a huge step. It takes courage to realize we can’t face our issues alone.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. Our therapists are committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
We’re here if you want to talk about it.
Call us at 612-470-9297.
It’s natural to not want to share some of the painful or difficult things we’ve been through.
During sessions it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. Your therapist will be there to guide you towards discovering what feels comfortable for you to share. Working at your pace, you can explore the tough stuff when you’re ready.
You are encouraged to share with your therapist if you are feeling nervous or simply don’t want to talk about something. Our therapists are trained in many different skills and therapeutic techniques outside of traditional talk therapy that you may find helpful.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. Our therapists are committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
We’re here if you want to talk about it.
You might be asking about how long therapy will take because therapy is hard to fit into your busy schedule.
If this is true for you, we want you to know that on average, our new clients start seeing improvements after the first few sessions.
By that point, they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenges in their lives a bit better.
The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of our clients find 6-12 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy.
You can work together with your therapist to find the length of time that works for you.
Overall, you can think of the first session as a free-flowing conversation through which you and your therapist can start getting to know each other. Your therapist will invite you to share more about yourself and you can also share what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.
Some questions that your therapist may ask during a first session include:
- What’s present for you in your life right now?
- What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?
- What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?
You can ask your therapist questions as well. You might be curious about the therapist’s experience or how future sessions work.
The most important part of a first session is that you feel that your therapist is a good fit for you. If you feel supported, seen, and at-ease with your therapist, you can discuss if you’d like to meet again.
We highly respect your privacy and value your trust.
You may be concerned that your friends, family, or work colleagues could learn what you have said during therapy. So we want you to know that unless you are in danger or someone else is, your story is confidential and your time in the session is protected.
If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask us any time.
We welcome you to read through our website and bios as a starting point to see if one of our therapists could be a good fit for you.
We are happy to connect via our contact form, email or by phone to discuss your needs, request for a specific provider, or to assist in the matching process.
You will also have the opportunity to share what you are experiencing, your hopes, and any other questions that you may have about our providers or the therapy process.
We like to think of the first few times that you meet with your therapist as a trial run. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with your therapist. Every therapist’s approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to us is that you find the right fit for you. We can explore that together.
If you open up to your therapist, they will not think you are crazy, they will think you are courageous and human. We know this because many of our clients have had the same fear. Working with our clients has shown us that the challenges you are facing are normal and natural.
We believe you. Nothing you can say will cause your therapist to judge you. Nobody is perfect, many of us are overwhelmed, we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
Whatever it is you’re going through, we provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgment.
Working at your pace, you can explore the tough stuff when you’re ready.
You are encouraged to share with your therapist if you are feeling nervous or simply don’t want to talk about something. Our therapists are trained in many different skills and therapeutic techniques outside of traditional talk therapy that you may find helpful.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. Our therapists are committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
We’re here if you want to talk about it.
Email us at hello@lakesc3.com or call us at 612-470-9297 to get started.
Once we connect and understand your needs, we will help you choose the best therapist for you and schedule your first session. Please specify if there is a specific provider with whom you would like to connect.
