I provide psychotherapy and psychological testing services to people dealing with a wide variety of difficulties and challenges. If you make an appointment to see me, I’ll ask you to arrive at my office 10-15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork.
The First Meeting
During our initial meeting, I will ask a lot of questions to help me learn more about you. I will also do a lot of listening and will take some notes so I can learn more about why you are coming to see me. For example, if you want help with some sadness or anxiety, I will ask you questions about what exactly has been happening and what may have been causing those feelings. I’ll also ask some more general history questions about your life, including about past difficulties you may have had, your relationships and friendships, and medical and educational history. We’ll also discuss what your goals are for therapy and how we might work together to achieve those. You can also ask any questions you may have about me and the work we’ll be doing together.
Therapy Appointments
When we work together in therapy, we will meet regularly for sessions that last about 45 to 50 minutes. What exactly we do in therapy will vary depending on your goals. In general, I will ask you to talk about whatever is on your mind at the time. There will be times when I will simply listen in order to learn more about you and the situation you’re describing. There will also be times where I talk about specific strategies you might use to help you deal with some pressing difficulty. At other times, I may offer my observations and ideas about what you’re telling me.
Psychological Testing
If we plan to do psychological testing, we will first discuss in detail what your questions or goals are for the testing and which tests we will use. The tests you complete may involve questionnaires that you answer. Some you will complete in my waiting room and others you may take home. There may also be tests where I will ask you questions or solve problems or do different puzzles or tasks.
Next Steps
You will probably have questions at various times while we work together. Please feel free to ask them as they come up and contact me. My door is always open and I am eager to get you the help you need and answers to your concerns as quickly as I can.
Dr. Blaine Carr 