As Of March 21st, We Have Relocated To: 2254 San Diego Ave. San Diego, CA 92110
As Of March 21st, We Have Relocated To: 2254 San Diego Ave. San Diego, CA 92110
The first session of therapy is really about your therapist getting to know you, your concerns and your goals for therapy. The therapist will review the informed consent, discuss the practice policies and provide information on how the process will work. They will then review your intake and find out from you what has brought you to therapy now. This is a chance for your therapist to really understand the issues you are dealing with. This is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about any of your concerns or worries about the therapy process.
The first session will also help to give a good indication of whether you feel comfortable with the therapist you are working with. It’s important to feel like you can trust your therapist in order to openly share your concerns. This relationship building can take a few sessions to establish. The session will end with the therapist telling you the next course of action and asking you if you would like to move forward with them in the process.
We do not provide consults for new clients prior to booking. Instead we ask that clients go to the “Meet the Team” page of our website to get a better sense of each of the therapists’ specialties, their approach to therapy and personality. This will give you an idea of how each therapist works. You can also reach out to us and our Client Care Coordinator will help you find a good fit based on what you are looking to achieve. If you do happen to find that the therapist you are working with is not the best fit for you just give us a call to let us know and we are happy to help you connect with one of our other wonderful therapists!
It can be quite confusing trying to figure out what the difference is between all of these acronyms! The main piece to know is that all of these allow an individual to practice psychotherapy (i.e. counseling). An LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. This means the individual obtained a Masters Degree in Social Work. They then completed 3,000 hours of training, took two licensing exams, passed and are now able to practice therapy independently.
A Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) follows along the same path as an LCSW, however, MFTs specialization is in working with couples, the family system and the individual through a relational lens. A Psychologist is an individual who has completed a doctoral degree in psychology, a one-year internship in the field, and 3,000 hours of supervised training prior to sitting for their two licensing exams. Many psychologists also elect to complete a postdoctoral fellowship to obtain additional training in their areas of specialty. Psychologists can have the designation of PhD or PsyD based on their clinical track.
What is an Associate? You might have heard that term a lot lately in trying to find a therapist and may have become confused. Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFT) and Associate Social Workers (ASW) have their Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or Social Work, along with clinical hours already under their belt, they are just waiting to complete 3,000 clinical hours and pass the licensing exam before they can drop “Associate” from their title.
Some great benefits of seeing an associate are:
Some additional information about Associates:
Associates are required to have a minimum of 500-700 clinical counseling hours before they even graduate from college, and many AMFTs and ASWs have a couple thousand hours already when starting at a private practice! Associate’s need 3000+ hours before they can apply for licensure, either as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
An Associate must be approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences to provide therapy and are required to have weekly supervision meetings. During the supervision training, they will review each case with their supervisor (either verbally or by showing video/audio of therapy sessions), gain education and training from their supervisor, and discuss the ethics and legal issues of being a therapist. Not only do Associates have weekly supervision meetings, they also are attending trainings and learning new techniques and modalities while they work. The great thing about working with an Associate is that you not only get help from that therapist, but your case is reviewed by their supervisor, essentially meaning that you are getting TWO great minds at the cost of one therapist. Leah Mitchell, LCSW is the supervisor here at Freedom Within Center.
Telehealth is the wave of the future! We know it’s not for everyone, however it has allowed us to provide counseling to individuals and couples who would not have been able to engage in treatment in person. It has also proven to be a great way to engage in therapy amidst a pandemic! Telehealth also allows clients who may not live locally, or those who do not want to leave their house, the means to still access quality care.
A telehealth session typically consists of the client logging into a portal that is HIPAA compliant. The therapist will also meet in this portal and the session with be conducted through a live video call over the computer screen. It can sometimes take a few sessions to get used to the different format, but often times after those initial sessions it begins to feel more comfortable. In order to get the most out of your telehealth sessions you will want to make sure you have privacy, a good internet connection and test your equipment ahead of time.
Telehealth can also be a great option if you have difficulty leaving your job during the day – a lunch break session can be a nice way to fit therapy in. Additionally, if you have medical issues that make it difficult to get places or even if you are sick and still want to see your therapist, telehealth provides a safe option for everyone.
Dietitians specialize in food, nutrients and how they interact with the body. A dietitian can also help in identifying food that may be impacting your mental health. The foods we eat play a huge part on how we are feeling overall. It’s not uncommon for symptoms of depression and anxiety to diminish when eating the right combination of healthy foods. We have an experienced dietitian who contracts with us, Vanessa Imus, who can work with you to figure out a plan of healthy foods to help improve you mental health.
To get more information on these therapy FAQs, or for any other questions about therapy, contact us today!
