Yes, therapy can be beneficial to you. Counseling gives you a place where you're not judged, you're not told what to do, and you won't be forced to listen to just one single opinion. We want to give you a place to feel safe to share about yourself. Therapy can take work at times, and unfortunately it can get uncomfortable and messy. However, in our experience those who put in the work leave counseling feeling like their time and energy was well worth it.

There are a few methods to determine if a therapist is a good fit for you. One, is the "you'll know when you know" method. It's important to feel like you connect with someone if they're going to be your counselor.

Another option is to do a some research and see if anyone specializes in the area(s) that are bringing you to therapy. That can be really valuable. Most therapists offer consultations to determine if they will be a good fit for you. This is a service we offer for individuals interested in starting therapy with us.

In the end, it is. your decision and one that you should feel comfortable making. You deserve to make a decision on a therapist that fits your needs and you connect with. For parents seeking a therapist for their child or teen, we have found it to be beneficial to allow your child to give input or feedback in choosing their therapist or making you aware of when they feel both comfortable and uncomfortable.

Therapy is totally dependent on the person seeking it out. Sessions can continue on for a few weeks, a couple months or several years. People are often looking for different things from therapy.

We aim to help you navigate your mental health journey by answering questions or explaining what counseling can offer you. From there it is your decision when to stop or continue your therapy sessions.

This is a common question from parents who are seeking out a therapist for their child or teen.

The answer is yes, you may absolutely be involved. Parent participation can be one of those key factors in teen counseling. We generally like to keep parents in the loop on the issues we're addressing, progress, attendance. As we can imagine, these are a lot of the things you probably want to know. Also, it's important to be able to hear your side of what is going on, since you may have your own unique views regarding your teen's challenges.

This being said, we maintain confidentiality in regard to specific details regarding what was said in counseling, as long as they don't put themself or someone else at risk of harm. If there is specific information that we feel that would benefit your teen for you to know, we will then discuss this with your teen before talking to you. We like to attempt to get their consent and inform you of this information in a way that everyone is comfortable with. If we share an abundance of details with you without their permission, it can damage the counseling relationship and cause them to stop sharing are being open. In fact, it sometimes ruins counseling for them all together and these effects may last a lifetime. We do everything we can to keep parents in the loop, and it is usually not an issue.

We will always take steps to keep your child and others safe when there appears to be an imminent risk of harm.

It is also important for you to know that once your teen turns 18, we then must legally have consent from them in order to communicate with you as a parent. We know that your child will be your child, no matter how old they are. However, we are required to follow HIPAA laws once your teenager turns 18. If you have questions or concerns about this, we are happy to discuss this further with you and with your teen.

At Chatham Counseling + Wellness, we believe that everyone deserves to have an accepting place that will affirm and welcome them regardless of gender identity, sexuality, race, religion, or any of the other differences we have.

Different therapists choose to have different focus areas which are usually based around their own passions and clinical purposes. Providing LGBTQ+ affirming counseling is one thing that we feel very strongly about. Unfortunately, it's not always comfortable or even safe for LGBTQ+ individuals to seek out mental health services. At Chatham Counseling we are working to change that stigma and provide a safe and secure place for everyone.

Anxiety treatment is one of the most commonly discussed topics within therapy. Anxiety treatment is dependent on a few things that we discuss and have you reflect on in therapy. What are your goals? What's going on in your life right now? What has happened in the past that's affecting life right now? These are just a few things that contribute to completing anxiety treatment.

Therapy can last anywhere from a couple months to several years. People are often looking for different things from therapy.

We can provide you with a more solid answer on what counseling can offer you. However it is our recommendation that attending therapy consistently will help you overcome your anxiety. Typically, we recommend weekly sessions, because it allows us to have more continuity on what we're working on from session to session. This will also aid in keeping the momentum going on the things we're working on to help you cope with your anxiety.

Unfortunately, we cannot prescribe medications. Medical Doctors (MD) and Nurse Practitioners are able to prescribe medication. We typically recommend seeing a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner to discuss medication. A psychiatrist is an MD who specializes in psychiatric medication, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner is a nurse practitioner who has the same specialization.

There are various titles of individuals working in mental health, and we know it can get confusing. While we cannot prescribe medications, we would be more than willing to assist you in referring you to an office that can.

Your first initial therapy sessions typically lasts about 90 minutes. This allows us to get to know one another more and discuss what has started your therapy journey.

Most session following the first appointment are 50 minutes.

At Chatham Counseling, we have stood by offering free consultations. This can be done by phone, online, or in person. Generally, consultations last about 15 minutes. It is important for you to feel like you're making the best choice for yourself in finding a counselor. So we are always happy to offer a consultation.

During this time, we will answer any questions you may have, or you can just check out the office to get a feel for the environment. The most important part of this consultation is having enough time to see if you feel like we would be a good fit to work together.

Unfortunately, we currently do not accept insurance. We are a private pay office. If you have questions about our pricing and payment, we will be happy to address your concerns.

Typically, we can schedule someone in within 1-2 weeks, depending on how flexible they are able to be in scheduling. We believer you shouldn’t have to wait months for an appointment. So, if we can't get you in within 2-3 weeks at the most, we would consider our schedule to be full at that point. If that's the case, we will get you in touch with someone who will likely be a good fit for you.

The hours that we see clients are generally between 10am to 4pm on weekdays. Most of our teen clients in the area choose to miss a lunch period, study hall, or a single class per week to come to therapy. Some also choose a different class each week to miss, which amounts to missing that class about once every 2 months. Typically, we can figure out a way for it to work, and we are happy to coordinate with you to make a plan for when you will attend therapy.

To schedule an appointment, you have a couple of different options. First you can always call us to schedule by phone. Secondly you can also schedule by email. Lastly, there is a button on the top of our website that says “BOOK A SESSION” that you can use to schedule an appointment asl well.

Our general office hours, are from 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Thursday. So feel free to reach out at any time. If we do not answer or respond quickly, we will be sure to get back in touch with you within 1-2 business days (although we are usually quicker than that though).

If you have an emergency and we don't immediately answer or it is outside of business hours, please visit your nearest emergency room or call 911. If you have a medical emergency, visit your nearest emergency room. Or call 911 before calling us.

We are capable of providing a note for any missed school or work. Most schools/employers regard attending therapy appointments the same way that they do doctor appointments. We have never had anyone turn down a note from our practice.