General individual psychotherapy is a useful process when a person wants to improve their personal, romantic, sexual and/or professional relationships. Psychotherapy involves meeting with a therapist one-on-one for the purpose of healing past wounds, betrayals and traumas or learning new skills with which to lower anxiety, treat depression, OCD or sleep disorders to list just a few. Single adults come in due to a variety of issues pertaining to dating, their sexual expression, performance, or level of comfort in discussing their erotic desires; all topics that they want to improve with professional talk therapy. Clients who are partnered may choose to enter treatment individually when they are interested in working some issues out in privacy on their own.

Psychotherapy is a personal process of connecting with an empathic, well-trained therapist who will collaborate on ones’ goals, strengths, and decisions on how and when to make changes in their life. As a client becomes more conscious of their specific challenges and strengths, they gain the techniques to better care of themselves physically, emotionally, and professionally. Clients eventually heal from past hurts, learn how to change their own behavior and expectations, and ultimately grow in all areas of their life.

Therapy can help people to resolve barriers that interfere with positive emotions, such as joy, compassion, peace, self-esteem, spiritual connection, and love. Many people enjoy therapy and relish the journey of becoming more conscious about themselves, their inner world, and their relationships. Many people seek therapy on a weekly basis. The length of therapy depends on the goals one sets for themselves and the specific challenges they bring to treatment.

What Comes Next

Email our intake coordinator to set up a day and time you have some privacy to have a brief phone intake call. You will let them know a bit about your problem, your history with past treatment, your budget and the best days and times you can attend therapy sessions. She will email you an informed consent form for you to print out, fill out and bring to your first session.

Fees

Each therapist at Center for Love and Sex has their own fee structure. When you have your initial phone screening with our intake coordinator you will discuss your fee budget and preference for therapist, day, and times you’re able to come in on a weekly basis.

What Can I Expect at My First Therapy Appointment?

Many people have fears, preconceptions, and at times, no idea at all about what therapy will be like the first time they come in for a first session. Hopefully this article can shed some light on what therapy is actually like. And we would also encourage you to reach out and ask your therapist any questions you have about what therapy will be like with them.

There aren’t many universal truths about what you can expect at your first therapy appointment, since each therapist has their own way of approaching their work. But here are some things that may happen in your first session here at Center for Love and Sex:

• When you arrive at your first appointment, have a seat in the waiting room. Your therapist will greet you in the waiting room, ask for your completed intake form and invite you into the therapy room.
• While you wait for your appointment, there’s a large selection of magazines to look through. There’s also a private, non-gendered restroom for your use at the UWS office. If you are coming to the midtown location the keys to separate bathrooms down the hall are on the black key hooks above the magazine rack.
• Your therapist will come out to get you when it’s time, and you’ll walk together to their office and settle in for the session. The office is really just a room with comfortable seating, a desk, and a bookshelf. You can sit however you want to sit.
• Your therapist will likely remind you that what you talk about in session is completely confidential with a few legal and ethical exceptions, which will be explained to you (and which are outlined in our consent to treatment document). If you have any questions about those policies, you’re absolutely encouraged to ask!
• Your therapist might discuss any other policies they have (cancellation, payment, session length, scheduling, or other ‘frequently asked questions’). This all only takes a few minutes.
• Then, depending on the level of crisis that you’re currently experiencing, your therapist might review their particular style of therapy, discuss your intake form with you, begin a more thorough assessment of your history, or just ask you what brings you in at that particular time. From there on, it’s a conversation and there are no right or wrong things for you to say — the only thing you can do ‘wrong’ at that point is to be dishonest, and in doing so you would only impede yourself. If there is something about your therapist that seems like it would get in the way of you feeling comfortable being honest, you can say so, and your therapist may be able to help you feel more comfortable. We want you to feel comfortable and confidant with your therapist. If at any time you don’t, please let them know or let the director know.
• Your therapist may or may not take notes, depending on their treatment style. These notes are also confidential unless you consent to their release, and they are kept under lock and key. (There are separate notes called treatment notes; these are also confidential and under lock and key unless you consent to their release, or unless your therapist is durably court-ordered to release them).
  1. You consent to their release
  2. Your therapist is durably court-ordered to release them.
  3. You are in danger of hurting yourself, someone else or a child
• Your therapist will have tissues if you need them. Therapy is a safe space to show your vulnerability so crying is perfectly acceptable.
• You’ll pay for your session at the end, generally, and you make your personal check out to Sari Eckler Cooper in the amount agreed upon during your intake phone call. We also accept cash or Chase Quick Pay.
• You can discuss a regular meeting time with your therapist so that this time becomes your reserved time.