1. If you have not already, I encourage you to read through the material on this website to familiarize yourself with my practice and to prepare for our first session.
2. Once you have requested an appointment online , you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your Client Portal, where you can complete your intake paperwork. (Be sure to check junk/spam folders if you don't see it in your inbox.) Please complete the paperwork before we meet for our first session.
3. If you are paying privately, I will charge the credit card you provide in your intake paperwork on the day of our scheduled meeting. If you would like to pay by cash or check, please let me know prior to our meeting and bring your desired form of payment to each appointment. Also, you may prepay here via PayPal. Venmo is accepted as well (@christopherharrislcsw). If using your insurance benefits, please familiar yourself with my office policy regarding insurance prior to our meeting.
4. In our first session, we will discuss the presenting reason(s) for which you have decided to seek therapy. Issues of privacy and confidentiality will be reviewed, and I will answer any questions you might have. We will identify treatment goals and formulate a plan which suits you and your needs, including treatment modalities , frequency of sessions, and homework, if deemed appropriate.
5. Above all else, do your best to relax, as this is a confidential, non-judgmental space in which to unpack all which is troubling you. There is no "right" way to "do" therapy. Oftentimes, it is simply a matter of having truthful and authentic conversation.
"Key to the psychotherapeutic process: two people tell each other the truth--and both listen." - Jordan Peterson, PhD (2018)
Questions about what to expect in therapy? Review the answers to frequently asked questions , or call or write me anytime .
