Understand yourself. Find your way forward.

The first appointment is an initial assessment: a chance to get to know you, understand your concerns, and explore what you’d like help with. We’ll talk about what’s been difficult, your strengths, and what you hope will change. I’ll also explain how therapy works, including privacy, and make space for your questions. Sometimes, at least 2–3 sessions are needed to develop a solid treatment plan to help you achieve your goals.

For children under 13, I usually meet with parents or caregivers first, although sometimes we meet together with the child. For teens, we can start with a parent meeting, a joint appointment, or the teen on their own. We’ll discuss which option makes sense for your family before the first appointment.

That’s completely okay. The first session can help you get a sense of what therapy is like and whether it feels comfortable. I’ll always be transparent about whether I think I can help, and if not, I’ll do my best to connect you with other options.

Please don’t worry about hurting my feelings if it’s not a good fit. I genuinely want you to find the support you need.

Parents and caregivers are an important part of therapy with children. Depending on your child’s age and needs, we may meet separately, spend time together in sessions, or discuss ways to support progress at home.

As children get older, we make more room for privacy and independence while keeping parents meaningfully involved. With teens, we’ll work together to decide what that involvement looks like. Early on, we’ll discuss what stays private, what can be shared, and when I may need to share information for safety.

It’s understandable to feel unsure about meeting someone new or talking about personal things. Your child or teen doesn’t need to arrive ready to share everything. We’ll take time to get comfortable, build trust, and explore what might make therapy useful to them. They’ll have a say in what we work on and how we approach it.

Sometimes, not knowing what to expect adds to the worry. I’m happy to share photos of the office and answer questions beforehand so the space feels more familiar when they arrive.

If your child or teen doesn’t want to attend, we can start with parent support. You can talk through your concerns, explore ways to support them, and consider possible next steps without requiring them to participate right away.

How often we meet and how long therapy lasts depend on what’s bringing you in, your goals, and the support you need. After the initial assessment, we’ll discuss a recommended schedule and make a plan together.

Some concerns benefit from a shorter, focused course of therapy; others need more time. We’ll check in regularly about what’s helping and adjust the frequency or focus as needed.

There’s no set number of sessions that guarantees results. The timeline depends on what you’d like help with, how long it’s been affecting you, your needs and goals, session consistency, and commitment to practice outside of sessions.

Some treatments offer a helpful starting point for planning. For example, CBT for social anxiety in children and teens commonly involves 8–12 sessions, while Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD typically involves 12–20 sessions for mild to moderate cases.

Progress isn’t always steady. We’ll check in regularly about changes in everyday life, what’s helping, and whether we need to adjust our approach. Practising skills between appointments is also an important part of many treatments.

As your concerns become more manageable and you feel confident using skills independently, we can space out appointments or bring therapy to a close. You can also return for support if new challenges arise.

No, you don’t need a diagnosis or referral to book an appointment. You can reach out because something feels difficult, you’re concerned about your child, or you’d like support making a change. You don’t need to know exactly what’s going on before we meet.

We’ll identify what you’d like to change and check in regularly about how things are going.

Meaningful change can look small and still have a big impact: delaying a ritual by a minute, facing a fear even while feeling anxious, starting a conversation with someone new, or remembering one part of a new routine most days of the week. Progress is about changes that matter in your daily life, rather than getting everything right or never feeling uncomfortable.

Your feedback matters. If you’re not noticing useful changes, or something about therapy isn’t working for you, I want to hear about it. We can revisit our goals and adjust the approach together.

It depends on what you’re hoping to understand or change.

Therapy may be a good starting point if you’re looking for help with emotions, coping, relationships, or everyday challenges. You don’t need a diagnosis or a formal assessment before starting.

A formal assessment may be more helpful if you have questions about learning, attention, or development and want a clearer understanding of your or your child’s strengths and needs. It can also help clarify a diagnosis and guide recommendations for school, work, or treatment.

The initial assessment we do in therapy helps us plan our work together; it isn’t the same as a comprehensive psychological assessment.

Some clients may benefit from a medical or psychiatric referral, school supports, or more intensive services before starting private individual therapy.

If you’re unsure, a free 15-minute consultation can help us talk through your questions and consider where to start.