Hi there! Welcome to the virtual home of Create for Growth. If you haven’t read the story that brought me to this place, you can find it here. Check it out, and then come on back!
I wanted to use this space to give you a little insight into how our first session will go. This first session is called an intake. It is the first step in building our therapeutic relationship. After we have this session scheduled, I will send you some paperwork to fill out. Please print this paperwork out and have it completed before your intake session. (This saves so much of your time and mine during the hour). Because, yes, you have 1 clinical hour, which basically equates to around 50 minutes.
When you get to Strides, the home-base for my private practice, you will see a barn. Fear not! This is correct. Strides to Success is an equine assisted learning and mental health facility. They do a ton more than that, but to make it simple, there you go. (You can find more information about them here: Strides to Success). You will park, take a deep breath, and head inside the main front door. I know how scary/overwhelming/anxious/uncomfortable this first session can be for you. I will make it as easy as possible. Take a seat in the waiting room and I’ll come out to get you! (If you don’t see me right on time, don’t worry, sometimes my sessions will run over if they have been very intense. Please just try to be patient with me.)
When I come out to get you, I’ll ask for your paperwork first. (Fingers-crossed that you remember it). If you don’t have it, not the end of the world. I am flexible.
If you are at our intake session for your child, I will meet with just the adults and we will chat about what brought you to this point. I like to get a history of the child before meeting them so that I have a better understanding of their needs. Please do not bring your kiddo to this appointment. At Strides we try not to leave children unsupervised in the waiting room and our session can take quite a while. I will then meet with your child at the second session. You are welcome to join them in this session if they feel scared or uncomfortable.
If you are at our intake session for yourself, we will meet one-on-one in my office to go over your life (in brief). I will not ask you to go in depth during this session, I just want to get to know you and your needs. We will talk about goals and hopes for therapy. We might even get into some art! At this time we will decide how often you will come to see me. Frequency varies depending on needs and what you might be experiencing in your life.
Why do I like to give you an idea of what the first session will be like? Well, because I would want to know too. It helps to have a general idea of something before you experience it. This is why nurses will tell you exactly what to expect when they are giving you a shot or checking your blood pressure.
So there you go!! If you have any other questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please reach out to me via my contact page or email me at eileen@createforgrowth.com .