Individual Therapy
Individual therapy sessions are available for children ages 5+, young adults and adults. We work to match you with a therapist based on your individual preferences and goals. Sessions are 45 minutes in length and are typically scheduled weekly, though biweekly is also an option. Both telehealth and in-person therapy options are available.
For telehealth services, you must be located in New York State.
For people under the age of 18, parents or guardians will need to consent to therapy. Depending on the age and needs of child or adolescent, parents may be more or less involved in the therapy work. Each therapist will discuss limits of confidentiality and collateral sessions during the initial session.
How to get started
Step 1: Phone Intake
When you reach out to us, we’ll get you set up with a phone intake. Phone intakes typically take 45-60 minutes and consist of demographic questions, questions about what is bringing you to therapy and any prior experiences with therapy, and what you’re looking for in a therapist. We’ll also do three assessments with you during the intake: two related to substance use and one related to suicidal ideation. These assessments help us make sure we are the right setting to support you based on what you are dealing with as we are a small setting without a psychiatrist or substance-use specialist, and to get a sense of what immediate need you may have.
Step 2: Therapist Options
After you finish your intake, we’ll reach out to you to discuss what therapists are available based on the preferences you identified. If there isn’t a therapist who matches your preferences, we’ll talk to you about who is available so that you can make an informed decision. Often people are surprised by how they relate and connect to someone who might be different than who they imagined relating to.
Step 3: Connecting with your Therapist
When there has been an agreement on who you’d like to work with and confirmation that the therapist has availability, you’ll receive an email connecting you to your therapist. This email will outline important policies and procedures. Your therapist will reach out to you to via email to schedule an initial session. You’ll also receive an email with an invitation to set up a Therapy Notes account, Droste’s electronic health record system. The paperwork needed to get onboarded as a client will be shared with you in Therapy Notes.
FAQs
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When starting you should ask questions to see if you and your therapist are a right fit based on their experience, qualifications, therapy structure and expectations. Questions could include:
What is your training and background?
How long have you been working in the field?
Do you have experience working with individuals like me (religion, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.)?
What does a typical session look like?
How frequently will we meet and approximately how long will sessions be?
Can you explain how you approach therapy and the treatment process?
How do you think therapy can help me?
How will I be able to gauge my progress or improvements?
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When you walk in, you’ll find a comfortable waiting area. During normal business hours, you’ll often be greeted by our Business Administrator. Your therapist will come to the waiting room to get you at your scheduled session time. We have water available while you wait and just ask that folks waiting be considerate of those around them and avoid talking on cell phones or eating in the waiting room.
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There is no set treatment length as it can vary depending on your needs and treatment type. This is a very good question to review with your therapist in the first few sessions.
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Therapy is a very personal journey so each person will have different indicators of how therapy may be helping. In the first few sessions, you and your therapist will talk about your goals for therapy. If you aren’t sure if therapy is working, go back to these goals and see if you notice any progress towards those goals. If you aren’t sure if therapy is helping, it is important to talk about this with your therapist. In general, you can also check in with yourself to see if you feel improvements in mood, emotions, and overall functioning. Another way therapy may be helping is if you feel you have a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships with others.
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If you don’t like your therapist, be open and honest with your feelings. You will not hurt your therapist’s feelings. Sometimes therapists may be able to change their approach to help you feel more supported. Otherwise, therapists honestly want to understand what wasn’t a good fit to help you find a better fit! At Droste, we recommend that you start by talking with your therapist about needing a different fit. Your therapist will reach out to the Executive Director who will take that feedback and look to make a match with another available therapist.
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If you are upset by something your therapist says then be honest and express these feelings to them, this will help aid in exploring your own feelings and help your therapist understand you better. It is important to note that you might not agree with everything your therapist says and a part of therapy is working through those disagreements or areas of discomfort. There is a difference between disagreeing with your therapist or being upset because your therapist is challenging you and your therapist saying or doing something unethical. If your therapist is doing or saying something inappropriate, please reach out to the Executive Director immediately.
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If you are in immediate risk and need help and/or emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Aside from immediate danger, if you need to talk to your therapist outside of session times it will depend on your therapist; some will answer occasional calls or texts to help you with an issue you may have, while others may not engage in contact in between sessions. Make sure to ask your therapist what you should expect from them in terms of responding to messages outside of sessions and how you should reach out.
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We have clinicians who specialize in treating a variety of concerns and issues. Our clinicians have specializations that include, but are not limited to:
Adjustment Disorders
Mood Disorders/Depression
Anxiety/Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Personality Disorders
Post-traumatic Stress Disorders
Substance Abuse/Addictive Behaviors
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Childhood and Adolescent Development
Relationship Problems
Educational Anxiety
Employment and Career Issues
Life Transitions
Bereavement Issues
HIV/AIDS Issues
LGBTQIA Issues
Pregnancy and postpartum issues
Spiritual Issues
Eating Disorders
Creative Blocks
Debt & Financial Problems