Our counselors provide therapy in Frederick, MD

My go-to approach for helping people in individual therapy is a mixture of cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. I find the best benefit in the mixture of these two approaches because, with motivational interviewing, you can meet a client where they are and help them find their path, and with cognitive behavioral therapy, you can really help a client get in touch with their feelings and see how those feelings impact their thoughts and behaviors.

The tools I teach to a client in individual therapy are very individualized based on the client, but I would say a couple of the most common tools I use in my work with most of my clients are identifying negative self-talk and learning ways to turn negative self-talk more positive. The other most common tool I teach is the strength of breathing exercises and how, if nothing else, just the pause of stopping and taking a breath can be helpful in many situations.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in individual therapy when they keep coming back and want to talk with me about the things that are bothering them. A client being actively engaged tells me that the client and I are on the same page and working towards the same goal.

Clients can supplement their time in individual therapy by doing the “homework” assignments that are given when leaving sessions. Don't worry, there is no test — these are simple thought assignments that give the client time to process the things discussed in therapy and help them be ready to move the discussion further in their next session rather than having to wait till the next session.

To prepare for your first individual therapy session, you should try to have an open mind about what is to come. It can be scary to delve into the things that you may discuss with your therapist, and though your therapist may not have all of your answers, their insight and guidance can help you to better process the things you have experienced and/or are feeling so you can better approach and deal with them.