New Clients. Getting Started in Therapy.
Initial Phone Consultation
Please call us at (408) 796-3906. If you know which clinician you would like to schedule an appointment with, please press the number of that therapist’s extension. If you are not sure which clinician you would like to meet with, please feel free to contact any clinician and we will talk with you to see which therapist might be a good fit. If we are unable to answer, please leave your name, phone number, some good times to reach you, and whether you give her permission to leave a voicemail. When we talk, you can give the therapist a general idea of the problems you are seeking help for, and you will be welcome to ask her questions about how therapy might be if you choose to work together. At that time, we can decide whether to schedule an appointment at the office to further discuss your goals and to develop a strategy to meet your needs.
The First Meeting: Individual Clients
It isn’t always easy to tell someone your story. For many people, it’s a new experience to discuss difficult or personal matters with a therapist. At Weir Psychological Services, we hope to make your first contact as welcoming and collaborative as possible.
A first appointment tends to be somewhat different from subsequent sessions because it’s really an initial evaluation of your situation, rather than a “therapy” session. In a first appointment, our aim is to understand your problems, from your perspective, as best as possible. For most people, the issues that bring them to therapy rarely occur in isolation. Rather, clients are affected by the people in their lives, their surroundings, and their past. We’ll ask about what brings you to therapy, and also about other areas of your life, such as your relationships, medical history, past counseling experiences, family history, and spiritual or religious beliefs. This assessment process is important because it allows us to develop a comprehensive understanding of the factors in your life that relate to your problem. This understanding is the basis for an individualized treatment plan that takes into consideration your problem, related challenges, your strengths, and the factors that motivate you. By the end of our first meeting, we should have a shared understanding of your goals as well as potential ways to achieve them. If you decide you want to continue to work with your therapist, then we can schedule your next appointment. If either one of us feels it is not a good match, then we can provide you with names of other therapists who might be helpful to you.
Weir Psychological Services, Inc.
Learn, Heal, Grow.
Weir Psychological Services, Inc.
Based in Silicon Valley, California ● Offering Teletherapy to California Residents during COVID-19 Pandemic
(408) 659-6354 ● Dr.SusanneWeir@gmail.com