Individual Therapy Q & A

What is individual therapy?

Individual therapy, sometimes called talk or psychotherapy allows you to meet directly one-on-one with a therapist to explore your inner world. This gives you the tools to understand how to make changes for today, and the deeper understanding of why these issues occur in order to create lasting change. Talk therapy provides a non-judgemental, safe space for you to open up and connect with a therapist. Therapy will help you connect with your therapist, yourself and the world. Together, you will work through understanding unhealthy coping patterns, and making changes towards a healthier life.

Why would I need individual therapy?

Seeking individual therapy is a very personal decision. There are many reasons why you may need or want individual therapy and individual therapy can help many different mental health conditions. You may have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, trauma, or ADHD, or you may have recently had a big life change, a break-up, a big move, a change in jobs, all of these challenges experiences can benefit from talking regularly with an individual therapist.

What should I expect during individual therapy?

Individual therapy with Dr. Branda typically involves weekly or twice weekly appointments. During the appointment, initially you will explore your past and help orient yourself and Dr. Branda to what life looked like growing up and what brought you into treatment today. As the sessions progress, you will begin to process challenging current experiences. And through this work you will be provided tools to navigate these current challenges as well as understand the patterns from your past that are impacting your present experiences. Dr. Branda will help guide the session towards greater self-awareness and helping you break negative thought and behavior patterns.

What disorders can individual therapy help with?

Individual therapy is beneficial for most mental or behavioral disorder. Dr. Branda has a background and strong focuses on many disorders, some are listed below:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• ADHD

• Trauma

• Postpartum Depression/Anxiety

You don’t necessarily need a mental health diagnosis to benefit from individual therapy. Individuals who struggle with insomnia, life changes, work challenges,stress, relationship issues, physical health concerns and myriad other issues can benefit from individual therapy.

Will I need individual therapy for the rest of my life?

The quick answer is, probably not. Although there are many factors that go into the length of treatment. Some include, how long you have been suffering from these challenges. The longer you have suffered from something, longer it takes to understand the challenges and make meaningful change in your present life. Other factors that impact the length of the work include the goal(s) you are trying to achieve and where you are in your life to make these changes. Going to individual therapy every week, gives you the tools to begin to understand yourself outside of and in-between sessions.

When do I stop going to individual therapy?

Stopping individual therapy is a discussion you will have with Dr. Branda. Together, you can assess your progress, and whether now is the right time for you to stop. Individual therapy is a continuous process, and you may find yourself coming in and out of treatment depending on what you are navigating in your life at that time.

If you are interested in learning more about individual therapy, contact Dr. Branda. Call the Summit Psychology office or book a free 30-minute consult to learn more.