What to Expect

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If you're considering therapy, you may be wondering what happens next. Maybe you've never been to therapy before. Maybe you've tried therapy in the past and weren't sure it was the right fit. Or maybe you've been thinking about reaching out for a while but haven't known where to start. Here are some steps that seem to help a lot of people to know what to expect on how start therapy at Riverside Counseling: 

When you're ready, you can call (leave a voicemail if your call isn't answered) or text  218-450-8400 or fill out a contact form. Please leave include your name, DOB, email and phone number to start the intake process. You will receive the intake packet in your email from Soul Work in Champlin MN who handles admin, billing, insurance and manages our clients portals. You don't need to know which type of therapy you need. You don't need to have a diagnosis. You simply need to be willing to start the conversation.

After your paperwork is completed,  I will reach out to your to schedule your intake first. The first appointment involves me to complete your diagnostic assessment. This is called the intake appointment. 

Your first therapy session is an opportunity to talk about what's bringing you to therapy. We'll complete an initial intake and explore:

• What has been happening in your life
• What brought you to therapy now
• Your current concerns and symptoms
• Relevant personal and treatment history
• Your strengths and existing supports
• What you would like to change
• What you hope to get from therapy

You don't have to tell your entire life story on the first day. We'll start where it makes sense for you.

You don't have to walk into Riverside Counseling knowing whether you need EMDR, Brainspotting, somatic therapy, or traditional talk therapy. That's part of my job.

Riverside Counseling uses an integrative approach, which means your therapy can be tailored to your individual needs rather than forcing you into a single treatment model. Depending on your goals and clinical needs, therapy may incorporate approaches such as:

Individual or Family or Couples Therapy
A personalized space and pathway to work through current concerns, patterns, relationships, emotions, and life challenges.

Integrative Depth-Oriented Therapy
Exploring the patterns, beliefs, experiences, and protective responses beneath the surface.

EMDR Therapy
A structured approach that may help process distressing experiences and trauma-related responses when clinically appropriate.

Brainspotting
A focused approach incorporating visual attention and body awareness into therapeutic processing.

Somatic & Nervous-System Approaches
Working with the connection between emotional experiences, physical sensations, and nervous-system responses.  Other evidence-informed approaches may also be incorporated based on what you need. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — An evidence-based therapy approach that helps clients develop psychological flexibility, accept difficult thoughts and emotions, identify personal values, and take purposeful action toward meaningful change. 

Therapy isn't something that happens to you.

We're going to work together. You'll have opportunities to ask questions, share what is and isn't working, and tell us when something doesn't feel right. Some sessions may involve talking and processing. Others may involve learning skills, exploring patterns, working with your body's responses, or using a specific therapeutic intervention. Your treatment can change as you change.

Therapy works best when we know where we're going.

Your goals might be very specific:

"I want to stop having panic attacks."

"I want to process what happened to me."

"I want to stop drinking."

"I want to understand why I keep choosing the same relationships."

"I need to get my emotions under control."

"I want to feel like myself again."

Or your goal may simply be:

"I don't know what's wrong. I just know I can't keep doing this."

That's okay, too.

Together, we'll identify what meaningful progress looks like for you.

Progress isn't always obvious.

Sometimes it looks like feeling less overwhelmed.

Sometimes it looks like responding differently to a trigger.

Sometimes it's setting a boundary you couldn't set before.

Sometimes it's recognizing a pattern for the first time.

Sometimes it's finally being able to talk about something without feeling consumed by it.

We'll check in along the way and adjust your treatment as needed.

Healing can have setbacks, breakthroughs, unexpected turns, and moments when you wonder whether anything is changing. That doesn't mean therapy isn't working. And sometimes it takes time. 

At Riverside Counseling, you won't be judged for the ways you've learned to cope. We understand that many of the patterns you're struggling with developed for a reason. But understanding where a pattern came from doesn't mean you have to remain stuck in it. You can expect a compassionate therapist who will also hold you safely accountable. We'll celebrate your progress, challenge you when needed, and help you turn insight into action.

Riverside Counseling offers therapy in the Brainerd Lakes Area as well as secure telehealth throughout Minnesota, when clinically appropriate. We'll discuss which format makes the most sense for you when you begin.

Not much.

You don't need to prepare a perfect explanation of why you're coming to therapy.

You don't need to know your diagnosis.

You don't need to know which therapy modality you need.

Just bring yourself.

If you have relevant insurance information, previous treatment information, or other documents that may help us understand your care, you can provide those as appropriate.

The rest, we'll figure out together.

You may have been thinking about therapy for days, months, or even years.

You don't have to wait until everything falls apart.

If something in you is saying, "It's time," listen to that.

You can start exactly where you are.

Like a River, Healing Moves Forward.

Brainerd Lakes Area • Minnesota Telehealth

Call or Text: 218-450-8400

What to Expect in Therapy | Riverside Counseling Brainerd, MN Wondering what to expect when starting therapy? Learn what your first session at Riverside Counseling in Brainerd, MN may look like, from intake and treatment planning to ongoing therapy and progress.