Ten minutes? What can possibly be accomplished with a 10-minute consultation?

That’s the question I hear most from curious couples and individuals about the free 10-minute phone consultation I offer.

The purpose of my free 10-minute phone consultation is twofold:

1. You (and your partner) need to decide if I’m a good fit.
2. I need to understand the challenges you face and to determine if I can help you.

Am I a good fit for you?

Of course, we’re not going to “fix” your relationship in a 10-minute phone consultation. But, that’s not the point of the call. The free consultation is really about how good a fit we are as client and therapist. Here’s the truth about therapy: not all therapists are the right match for all clients.

In fact, finding the right therapist is a lot like finding the right partner. Starting with a short conversation makes sense. Ten minutes isn’t enough to feel totally comfortable with a new person, but it is enough to decide whether you want to meet again.

As humans, we’ve developed a pretty accurate ability to gauge comfort with other people. Ten minutes is plenty of time to get a sense of conversation style. After all, couples therapy involves a lot of talking.

While you’re getting to know me a little during our phone call, you’ll probably want to ask me a few basic questions such as:

• What’s the session rate?
• Do I accept insurance?
• Have I helped someone in the past with your same concern?
• What’s my treatment approach to your particular problem?

These are all great questions and will help you not only hear my voice and gauge my style, but you’ll learn more about the particular treatment approach I will take, as well as the costs and my experience.

By the way, answers to many of your questions can be found on my Frequently Asked Questions page.

At the end of our call, you may not know if I’m the right therapist for you, but you’ll definitely know if I’m the wrong choice. And that’s okay! It’s why I offer this free 10-minute phone consultation.

Can I help you?

I offer a free 10-minute phone consultation to those individuals and couples curious about relationship therapy to help understand your challenges and determine if I can help you.

Of course, there are countless challenges out there and I don’t treat all of them. Sometimes, I pass on a client. Perhaps their issues are outside my area of expertise. Maybe they’re not a good fit – for the same reasons I might not be a good fit for them – communication style, budget…

If I determine that I’m unable to help you, I will try to suggest other therapists with the particular experience to address your problems. Often, that’s the most valuable service any therapist can provide.

I’ll likely ask a series of questions designed to help determine my ability to help:

• What problems do you want to address in therapy?
• Why now? Is there something in particular that prompted you to reach out to a therapist this week? (fight with a partner, affair discovery or disclosure, a really bad sexual experience that feels too difficult to talk through with your partner)
• What have you done to address the problem so far?
• Have you ever engaged in therapy before, either individual, couples, or family therapy?
• If so, how did that therapeutic relationship end?
• What do you hope to get out of therapy?

Your relationship with a therapist is the most important factor for the outcome of your treatment. It makes sense that the openness and comfort you feel with someone you trust to help fix your relationship will determine the pace at which you’ll experience positive results.

Sometimes couples therapy isn’t the answer. That’s okay, too. Because this call is going to help you decide what to do next – whether you’ll make an appointment to see me or another relationship therapist.

Perhaps, couples therapy isn’t the best approach at all. I will listen to your concerns, hear your story and, based on your answers to my questions, make a recommendation.

Often, couples believe their problems are relationship-based when, in reality, there are medical, psychological, or behavioral problems that must be addressed before the relationship can be healed. We call these problems “contraindications to couples therapy.”

Contraindications to Couples Therapy may include:

• One partner is actively in an affair and has no plans to end it.
• One or both partners are struggling with untreated/unaddressed substance abuse or addiction. Substance abuse treatment is the first course of action, and then, once stabilized and treated, the couple can begin relationship therapy.
• One or both partners are struggling with untreated/unaddressed Depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder, or a personality disorder. Couples therapy does not fix a psychiatric problem.
• Intimate partner violence and/or an active protective order in place by the courts.

If contraindications are identified during our 10-minute phone consultation, I will ask that you address the issues and reestablish contact with me when the situation is stable.

If you’re struggling with your relationship and want to explore couples therapy, I offer a free 10-minute phone consultation. Schedule yours now.