Frequently asked questions
about therapy for anxiety, depression, and life challenges
Taking the first step to find a therapist is a personal and important one, whether you’re a young adult with feelings of anxiety or depression, or an adult or parent feeling overworked and anxious. This page will help some of the questions you might have about what to expect in the first session and beyond. Please contact us with any additional questions or concerns you have.
Below you can access the patient portal where new patients can find initial paperwork.
What exactly happens during therapy?
Most people who have never experienced therapy think it’s a lot like what we see on TV or the movies. The client lays on the couch while the therapist sits in silence listening, occasionally asking “how does that make you feel?” While that might work for certain clients, in reality, each client has their preference for how therapy gets accomplished.
In our office, you can sit wherever you’d like. Most find sitting on the couch most comfortable. Many of our clients choose to bring in coffee, tea, or a water bottle to drink while they’re talking, too.
Our therapists aren’t the type to sit back in silence for an entire session. They’re active and engaging. They can have a sense of humor yet be supportive and understanding during what might be the most vulnerable hour of your week.
You can expect to come into session with at least a topic or two to discuss and the conversation will flow from there. It’s okay if you aren’t sure what to talk about in a session – bring that up to your therapist and start the conversation there.
Towards the end of session, your therapist will wrap things up and/or give you some suggestions for what to think about before the next session.
We pride ourselves on being “on time," so you can expect to be in the office for around 55 minutes.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
The answer to this depends on what you’re coming into therapy for. In life, we can all benefit from having someone neutral to run ideas or problems by, work through stressors, challenging times and transitions, and to offer support in times of need, anxiety or depressive feelings. It might be time to go to therapy when you are wanting to work on self improvement, struggling with a situation at home, work, school or social situation, or are feeling nervous, depressed, or anxious.
The key to succeeding in therapy is to acknowledge that some aspects of change can be uncomfortable. We have to be willing to talk about some things in life that aren’t the easiest. This takes a lot of courage and strength. We also have to understand that some things can get resolved in a short period of time while others might take longer. Therapy is hard work – and we know that! We recognize the strength and resilience in our clients and celebrate the successes every step of the way.
How do I go about finding the best therapist for me?
We pride ourselves on being a good “fit” for our clients. We will talk briefly about what you want to work on in therapy before scheduling the first appointment. Our therapists treat a variety of issues and conditions such as parenting stress, social anxiety, dating worries, couple’s communication and parent, overworked adult, parent or mom, anxiety around career change. If we determine that another colleague or agency might be a better fit for you, we will let you know and provide referrals. It’s our goal to help people find the best therapist to help them.
What do I do if I want to schedule an appointment?
Contact us through this website or call our intake line – (847) 313-8074. It might be helpful to jot down a few notes about what you’re looking for help with. Please note that we will not answer the phone if we are in session with clients. We return all voicemails within 24 hours.
"Rachel has been a tremendous help for me over the past five years. She is knowledgeable of myriad topics/situations and is flexible in terms of her scheduling. Rachel has helped me get through some of the challenging parts of my life. I am grateful to have connected with her."
