Our counselors provide therapy in Columbus, OH

My go-to approach for helping people in individual therapy is making sure therapy goals are personalized. I find the best benefit in building rapport because the therapeutic relationship is one of the most important aspects for effective therapy intervention.

I teach the following tools in individual therapy:

• Relaxation and coping tools for minimizing anxiety and managing stress.
• Distress tolerance skills for managing intense emotions, dealing with fight/flight response, and minimizing panic attacks or other distress.
• Communication tools for minimizing conflict or expressing thoughts and emotions effectively.
• Problem-solving skills for managing symptoms specific to neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, OCD).
• Emotional regulation tools for responding to stress or managing intense emotions.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in individual therapy when they report less severe and less frequent symptoms or challenges from their symptoms over time. For example, when a client continues to report feeling happy or no longer feeling anxious for a month. Other times I might use self-report questionnaires to track progress.

Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy in a variety of ways specific to their needs and therapy goals, which may include writing down significant events/thoughts/emotions, seeking social and emotional support with friends or family, practicing any tools discussed in individual therapy, and engaging in pleasurable activities regularly.

To prepare for your first individual session, you can think through what you would like to improve or work on as part of your goals in therapy, such as “improve my mood and not feel depressed”, “feel less anxious”, or “respond better to stress”. You can also bring with you any questions or concerns you might have and want to address.