Well, every therapist you talk to will have a different answer for this one.  Here is what we think:

Research shows the number one factor in determining a successful outcome is the quality of relationship between the client and therapist.  You should feel comfortable and trust your therapist or it will be hard to develop this relationship.  

Your therapist should be doing their own “work” and have extensive experience in doing their own “work” through self-exploration, therapy, counseling, etc.  Your therapist should continually be learning and seeking supervision and consultation from their peers to be sure they are seeing everything from all angles.  

Your therapist should have extensive training through graduate level course work in a master's or doctoral program, have extensive training in specific treatment modalities and issues, as well as being committed to ongoing professional development to stay current in the field.  This is where all the letters come from, but ultimately they are less important than the level of relationship and trust you feel with your therapist.

It is best if you do your homework and read what others have to say on the topic as well. Here is an unbiased article on this subject that will help you know what to look for: http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-to-find-a-therapist/.  

And here is a longer more comprehensive one: http://www.metanoia.org/choose/index.html.

We work in the present moment using mindfulness based methods.  So on one hand, no, we usually don’t ask questions about your past.  However, everything that we have experienced in the past influences how we view the present.  So, often you will be reminded of things that have happened in your past through exploring how you are experiencing the present.    

It is normal to be slightly nervous or anxious about the first meeting.  For many of us, it is like this for meeting anyone, much less someone we are going to talk about personal things with.  For our work together to be most beneficial, we will need to develop a good relationship.  In the first session, we will want to spend some time looking at a wide variety of things so that I know more about you as a person and you will be able to ask any questions of me that you need to know to feel confident that our work together will be helpful.  Also, we will look at what you hope to accomplish, that way we know when our time together has been successful.

Often people report some initial relief in just a few sessions by just starting to look at things.  However, different people have different things they are working with.  The number of sessions will vary depending on what we are working with.  We will never tell you you need X number of more sessions.  You choose to come if it is helpful to you, and you can stop whenever you feel it is no longer needed.

Most often we see people once per week.  If money or scheduling is an issue, you can choose to come every other week.  In some cases, we may want to meet more frequently, but usually once per week a good amount of time for you to have time to process and practice with the material we worked with in session in between appointments.

In our first session, we will talk about what you hope to accomplish.  You are free to be done at any time you feel you have completed with what you came to work with, you feel confident in a new way of being based on what you have learned, or you feel you are no longer benefiting from our services.

Anyone can benefit from our methods of mindfulness based self exploration.  Regardless of your level of suffering, taking the time to look at yourself openly, honestly, and deeply can help you live more fully and authentically.  Going to therapy takes courage. Courage to be honest with yourself and honest with another human being. Most of us have things we do not like about ourselves, our lives or we have ways that our habitual patterns limit us in our life. Therapy simply helps us understand these things and be able to have more choice over how we show up in the world. I work to help people understand this by partnering with people and letting them be in the driver's seat. I call the work that we do self-exploration, because it is with an open attitude of curiosity that we are able to learn the most of ourselves. Nobody is broken; there is nothing wrong with any of us. And, we can all benefit from good honest self study. Not only do I embody this philosophy in my practice, I don't just sit in the therapist/facilitator seat. I also sit in the client seat. I also have a therapist and participate in several retreats and workshops each year to continue my own growth as a human being.

Our standard rate is $75 per hour.  If you compare our rates to others in the area, you will find that we are very affordable.  However, we understand that many people have financial hardship and we do not want cost to be a barrier.  We also provide pro-bono services through Larimer Connections and offer a sliding scale as needed.  We can also provide a receipt you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.  

You will benefit the most through developing a healthy, open, honest relationship with your therapist. Your have a unique opportunity for a relationship that many people have never had in their lives.  Your therapist has no agenda for you and will be totally open and non-judgemental.  If you come to the session prepared with something to work with, be open and honest with yourself, exploring yourself through mindfulness, and starting to practice new ways of being in the world you will get a lot out of your sessions.

It is our hope that we will be able to develop open and healthy relationship and communication where we can talk about any life concerns including but not at all limited to relationships, embarrassment, family, shame, pregnancy, fears, death, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, GLBTQ issues,  money, incest, sexual assault, drugs, love, neglect,  AIDS, culture, sex, parents, children, heritage, abortion, harassment, depression, divorce, abuse, isolation, suicide, loneliness, eating disorders, and any interpersonal concerns between client and therapist, as well. We hope that you will feel that nothing is off limits to talk about, especially anything occurring in the professional relationship.  If you have any questions or concerns about services, terms, therapist qualifications, methods, or professional relationship, please ask.