What's the Process of Going Through Therapy Like at GWTC?
Starting therapy can be nerve-wracking, especially if it’s not something you have ever done before. But we are here to support you through the process as best we can. Here’s an idea of what a typical therapy process looks like.
1. CONTACTING US
The first step is deciding to reach out, which can sometimes feel like the hardest step! There are two ways you can do this: 1) you can visit Our Team to learn about each therapist, and reach out to them directly or through their link on Jane to set up a consultation, or 2) you can contact our admin team and have a brief intake assessment of your needs completed by phone or email, and we can match you to a therapist on our team. If you choose to reach out to us to do an intake assessment we’ll ask you about things like what skills you want your therapist to have, if you have any financial or accessibility needs, and what your typical availability for sessions looks like.
2. CONSULTATION
Once you’ve decided who you want to meet with, an Initial Consultation (or multiple Initial Consultations, if you’re interested in meeting with a few therapists!) is scheduled. This is a free 15 - 30 minute appointment where you and the clinician can talk about what you’re looking for, any accommodations you might need (sliding scale, home visits, etc.), what they can offer, and generally get a feel for each other. Depending on the clinician, this may be done by phone, video or in-office. At the end of this consultation you can choose to book a full appointment with the clinician. We highly recommend this step, as you can choose to take some time to think about things, or you can choose to ask for a referral to do a consultation with a different clinician. It’s totally up to you.
3. INTAKE AND ASSESSMENT
Usually once you have booked a full appointment, the next step will be do complete an intake and assessment with your therapist of choice. The therapist will ask you to complete a Consent Form and Intake Form in preparation for the appointment, and will follow up around it with you over the first few sessions. For some clinicians this will mean going in-depth through your history, experiences, beliefs and goals. They may also complete some standard progress measurement tools with you to get an idea for where you are at at the beginning of therapy.
4. THERAPY
After the intake and assessment are done you and the clinician will engage in the therapy process, which will look different depending on your goals and their approach. This process could take anywhere from a couple months to a couple of years, depending on your needs. Therapy can be done weekly, biweekly, monthly or on an as-needed basis.
5. CHECK INS
At some point your clinician will check in with you to see how you feel things are going. This may be done on a regular basis or after a set period of time has gone by (for example monthly). If you did any progress measurement tools during your assessment is likely your clinician will re-do them to see what kind of progress you have made. After this point it is up to you and your clinician to decide if you want to continue working together on the path you’re on, if changes need to be made, or if you feel like you’ve reached your goals and want to move on to termination.
6. TERMINATION
Termination is the word we use to describe ending therapy. When you and/or your therapist feel like you’ve reached the end of your journey together, it might be time to explore termination. The termination process can be done in one session or over a few sessions, depending on what kind of transition period you feel comfortable with. Usually it will be time for you and the clinician to talk about the progress you’ve made, to plan for future set-backs, and to discuss what your next steps might be.
7. POST THERAPY CHECK IN
Some clinicians also do a check in three or six months after termination. This may be by email or phone, just to see how you are doing and to problem solve any issues that may have come up for you. If done by phone, this check in may be anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.
8. COMING BACK
A lot of clients wonder if they can come back to therapy after they have terminated and the answer is: absolutely! Life changes and new issues come up over time, and if you feel you want to come back to meet with your previous therapist again (or even start with someone new) that is completely fine. We are here to support you even if it’s been years since you’ve come in.