When you meet with me, you should ask yourself: Is he going to get a sense of what I’m going through? Is he going to understand what I am feeling and how I got to the point to where I am looking for help?
Can I feel comfortable with this person? I’m going to be sharing a lot that’s very personal, sometime things I’ve never told anyone else. Can I trust him?
Is therapy going to work and help me feel better, get clarity, and accomplish my goals?
If after our first meeting you think, "yes, I get the sense that this may work," I would ask you to meet with me for three sessions and together we can determine if this will work for you. Three sessions is the usual time to see if it’s a good fit. If at any time it doesn’t feel right, please let me know and we can explore what seems to be happening that is making you feel unsure. There must be a good fit between therapist and client. If there isn’t, I will help you find someone else who may be more appropriate.
We all need help from time to time, and it’s often hard to ask for help. Sometimes it’s useful to talk with someone who’s not part of your life to get clarity. Therapists are professionally trained to work with you to identify areas in your life that you want to change and support you through the process. Seeking therapy is actually taking charge of your life. It shows that you’re taking responsibility for yourself and that you are motivated to change.
Everyone’s treatment is different. How long psychotherapy lasts depends on many factors. You may have complicated issues, or a relatively straightforward problem that you want to address. Some therapy treatment types are short term, while others may be longer. Practically, you might also be limited by your insurance coverage.
The first psychotherapy session is a chance for us to get to know each other and discuss what you would like to get out of therapy. We’ll look at why you decided that you might want to be in therapy, whether it’s right for you, whether this is a good time to start, and whether it feels right for us to work together. I’ll be asking questions about what’s going on for you right now, your past, and your relationships. And you should feel free to ask me any questions you may have. It’s normal to feel a little nervous, by the way.
That depends in part on what you are coming to work on and what you need at the time. What your goals are and what you are wanting from psychotherapy are always the guide for what we are doing. If you are in great pain over depression, anxiety, or bereavement, for example, we will use methods for rapid limiting of symptoms so you can feel some relief. In most other cases, we will be talking about what is going on in your life, focusing on how you are dealing with life’s challenges, with your relationships, and with issues from the past that are being repeated in the present.
The answer is yes in almost all situations. It is of the utmost importance that you feel safe in our sessions to say whatever you need to without fear that it might be disclosed to someone else. You have the right to absolute confidentiality with several exceptions, the most important of which is that if you tell me you are in imminent danger of seriously harming or killing yourself or someone else or hurting a child or an elderly person, I have a duty under the law to report it to the appropriate authorities. There are also several other exceptions. Complete information is contained in the Privacy Notice which you will be given in our first session. Other than as required by law, I will never without your permission acknowledge to anyone that you are seeing or have seen me as a therapist.
My personal view is that medication can be of great help when indicated but is not the answer to every problem. For many depressed patients, for example, I find that often therapy does not become really effective without medication. On the other hand, medications can be over prescribed and are not a cure-all. If in the course of treatment it appears to me that medication might be helpful, I will suggest to you that you consult a psychiatrist or other physician with psychiatric training to determine if medication would be helpful. If you decide that medication is an option you would like to explore with a psychiatrist or other physician, I will be glad to refer you to a psychiatrist or you may want to go a psychiatrist or other physician of your own choosing. In either case, with your permission I will collaborate with your physician or psychiatrist to make sure you are receiving coordinated care. Please be aware that I am a licensed psychotherapist, but not a physician, and I cannot prescribe medication or determine that medication is indicated.
I am a clinical social worker licensed to practice in Illinois ("LCSW"). Clinical Social Work practice is defined as the "providing of mental health services for the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders in individuals, families and groups." To be a Clinical Social Worker, a professional must have attended an approved graduate school of social work and have had at least 3,000 hours of postgraduate supervised hours.
For more information, please call Richard Gleiner at (773) 281-9500
