Frequently Asked Questions

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 While many people begin therapy when their struggles feel overwhelming, start affecting daily life, or they feel like they've reached the end of their rope, therapy can also be valuable before things get to that point. Much like routine medical care, therapy can serve as a proactive way to check in with yourself, navigate life transitions, strengthen coping skills, and support personal growth. It can also provide guidance and healing during difficult experiences. For more complex concerns—such as trauma, diagnosed mental health conditions, or long-standing emotional challenges—a more intensive course of therapy may be recommended to provide the level of support needed.  

The length of therapy varies depending on several factors, including the reason you're seeking therapy, the level of care needed, and your personal goals. Some concerns, such as adjusting to a life transition, may be resolved in a relatively short period of time. More complex concerns, such as complex PTSD or long-standing mental health challenges, often benefit from longer-term therapy. Throughout the process, treatment is tailored to your individual needs, and your progress and goals are reviewed regularly. 

You don't need to be experiencing a major crisis or significant mental health concern to benefit from therapy. While many people seek therapy during particularly difficult times, it's also a valuable space for personal growth, self-discovery, and support through everyday challenges. Therapy can help you navigate life transitions, explore important decisions, better understand yourself, strengthen relationships, develop coping skills, or simply provide a dedicated space to reflect and process your experiences. Whatever brings you to therapy, your goals and needs will help guide the process. 

 Many couples wait to seek therapy until their relationship feels like it's at a breaking point. While couples therapy can be incredibly valuable during times of crisis, it doesn't have to be a last resort. Seeking support earlier can help strengthen your relationship, deepen emotional connection, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of resolving conflict before patterns become more entrenched.

As an EFT-trained therapist, Heart Mind and Soul Therapy helps couples identify the negative cycles that keep them feeling disconnected. Together, we explore the underlying emotions and attachment needs driving conflict, allowing partners to better understand one another, rebuild trust, and create more secure, fulfilling relationships.

 EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy approach designed to help people process and heal from traumatic experiences, distressing memories, and the negative beliefs that can develop as a result of those experiences. Trauma can become stored in the brain, body, and nervous system, contributing to emotional distress, unhelpful beliefs about oneself, and, for some individuals, physical symptoms or chronic tension.

While EMDR is best known for treating trauma and PTSD, research also supports its effectiveness for a variety of other concerns, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), addictions, and some eating disorders.

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR combines EMDR therapy with ketamine treatment provided by a licensed medical professional. In this approach, EMDR sessions are typically scheduled within 24–72 hours after a ketamine treatment to help integrate insights and process traumatic memories during a period when the brain may be more receptive to therapeutic change. For some individuals, this integrated approach may enhance the healing process, although outcomes vary and ongoing research continues to examine its effectiveness.

 Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of many industries and can be a valuable tool in a variety of settings, including mental health. While AI may enhance certain aspects of therapy, it cannot replace the healing power of genuine human connection.

At Heart Mind and Soul Therapy, we believe that meaningful change happens within a safe, authentic, and trusting therapeutic relationship. We value each client's unique experiences, emotions, and story, and we take a person-centered approach that honors the individual behind the challenges they face. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is a cornerstone of the healing process, providing a space where clients feel seen, understood, and supported as they work toward lasting growth and change.

 The frequency and duration of therapy sessions can vary based on your individual needs, goals, and level of support needed. For individuals experiencing a crisis or significant distress, sessions may occur more frequently, such as twice per week, until greater stability is achieved. Most clients attend weekly or bi-weekly sessions lasting approximately 50–53 minutes until goals are reached.

For Couples Therapy or EMDR Intensive sessions, extended appointments are available upon request to allow additional time for deeper exploration and therapeutic work. Your treatment schedule will be collaboratively determined to best support your healing and progress.

 In general, information shared during therapy remains confidential between the client and therapist. If a client would like their information shared with another individual or organization, they must provide written consent by completing a Release of Information (ROI) form. This form allows the client to specify what information may be shared and who is authorized to receive it.

There are specific exceptions to confidentiality that your therapist will review with you before beginning therapy. Common exceptions include situations involving mandated reporting requirements, a valid court order, or insurance-related audits and reviews. Protecting your privacy and maintaining trust are important parts of the therapeutic relationship.

 Finding the right therapist can feel a lot like finding the right relationship—sometimes the connection feels natural right away, and other times it may not feel like the right fit, even if you can't fully explain why. Every therapeutic relationship is unique, and finding someone you feel comfortable with, understood by, and connected to is an important part of the healing process.

At Heart Mind and Soul Therapy, we believe the therapeutic relationship is one of the most valuable components of effective therapy. If you feel your therapist is not the right match for you, that is completely okay. We will support you in exploring other options and help you find a therapist who better aligns with your needs and goals. There are no hard feelings—the most important part of your therapy journey is finding the right support and the right fit for you.

 The first therapy session is typically considered an intake session. During this appointment, your therapist will review important policies, confidentiality, and required paperwork, discuss what brings you to therapy, gather relevant personal and mental health history, and begin collaboratively identifying your therapy goals.

Because this session includes information gathering and assessment, it may feel a bit more structured or formal than future sessions. It is also an opportunity for you to meet your therapist, ask questions, and begin determining whether the therapeutic relationship feels like the right fit for your needs.

 At Heart Mind and Soul Therapy, we believe therapy is centered around you—your experiences, values, beliefs, and goals. The therapist’s role is to meet you where you are, provide support and guidance, and help you explore what feels meaningful and right for your life.

Therapy is not about the therapist imposing personal beliefs, values, or opinions. Instead, your therapist will create a safe, respectful, and nonjudgmental space where you can better understand yourself, explore your options, and make decisions that align with your own values and needs.

 Sometimes we may not know exactly what feels wrong—we may simply know that something doesn’t feel right. This can show up through emotions, thoughts, behaviors, relationships, or other aspects of our human experience. Therapy provides a space to explore what you are experiencing, better understand yourself, and make meaning from your experiences.

As therapists, we look beyond the surface to explore deeper patterns, the impact of past and present experiences, and the connections between what has happened in your life and how it may be affecting you today. You do not need to have everything figured out before beginning therapy. Part of the therapeutic process is working together to explore, understand, and navigate what you are experiencing.