Do I have to know I need EMDR to reach out to Seen Therapy?

No. Many clients come in not specifically seeking EMDR. The free consultation call is the right place to figure out what kind of care makes sense for your situation.

What should I expect in the first therapy session at Seen Therapy?

The first session is a deeper conversation building on the consultation call — understanding what's going on, what's worked in the past, your history, and your supports. It is not the beginning of EMDR processing. It's the beginning of the clinical relationship.

Therapy in Springfield, MO: What to Expect from Your First Call to Your First Session

Therapy

Jul 21

Written By Cassandra Minnick

podcast

This blog is adapted from one of our recent podcast episodes. You can take a listen at the button above.

You've been thinking about going to therapy. Maybe a friend mentioned it. Maybe you've been listening to our podcast. Maybe you've Googled it at midnight and closed the tab three times.

The thing that stops most people isn't the idea of therapy… it's not knowing what's actually going to happen when they reach out. You know what it looks like to go to the dentist. You know what it looks like to get a physical. But therapy? That process is a lot less clear for most people.

Today, we are walking through exactly what it looks like to get started at Seen Therapy Services in Springfield, Missouri from the moment you find the website to what happens in that first 50-minute session.

Key Takeaways

In this blog post, you'll learn:

What happens when you call or visit the Seen Therapy website
What the free 15-minute consultation call actually involves
How scheduling works, including recurring appointments, cancellation lists, and intensives
What self-pay rates look like and how to submit to insurance independently
What to expect in your first session
How long therapy typically takes and the factors that determine it
When Seen Therapy might refer you elsewhere (and why that's a good thing)

Every Path Leads to a Free Consultation

Whether you find Seen Therapy through a friend's recommendation, a Google search, or this blog post, the first step is the same: a free 15-minute consultation call.

Every button on the Seen Therapy website leads to the free consultation scheduling page. Whether it says "Book Now," "Get Started Today," or something else - it goes to the same place. If you call the office and no one answers, you'll receive an automatic text response with a link to schedule that same call. If someone does answer, they'll either offer a consultation call on the spot or help you schedule one.

All roads lead to the same place: a free 15 minutes with Cassandra.

Schedule your free consultation →

What Happens During the Free Consultation Call

The consultation call serves one primary purpose: figuring out whether Seen Therapy is the right fit for you before anyone pays for a full session.

I open by asking a big, general question: "Tell me a little bit about what's going on." I acknowledge that's an unfairly large question, but you don't have to go into detail you're not ready to share. If all you can do is give it a title ("I've been dealing with a big increase in anxiety over the past couple of months"), that's enough. You're in control of how much you share.

The call has two parts:

Part 1 (5–10 minutes): You share what's bringing you in, as much or as little as feels right.

Part 2 (5–10 minutes): I walk you through the practice - what Seen Therapy is, how scheduling works, rates, and whether this is likely to be a good fit based on what you've shared.

If scheduling doesn't happen on the call itself, you'll receive a text from the office within about an hour with scheduling options.

What I Cover About the Practice

Here's the rundown you'd hear on a consultation call shared here so you can come in already informed.

Seen Therapy Is an EMDR Specialty Practice

Because EMDR is the specialty, several practical details flow from that. EMDR works best when it isn't interrupted. Starting to open up trauma and then not having an appointment for three months isn't good clinical practice. That's why Seen Therapy prioritizes consistency.

In-Person Is Preferred

Telehealth is available and utilized, but in-person sessions are strongly preferred whenever possible. The therapeutic relationship and the EMDR process both benefit from being in the room together.

Recurring Appointments

Seen Therapy schedules recurring appointments whenever possible. That means you have a set time (every Tuesday at 8:00 AM, for example) that's yours until you no longer need it as frequently. This isn't how most therapy practices operate, and it's intentional. Consistency matters for this kind of work.

If a recurring appointment isn't available or doesn't fit your situation, there's a cancellation list. You'll receive a weekly text with any available openings that week. If something works, you respond and get scheduled. No hunting for availability yourself.

Intensives

For those who want to do a significant amount of work in a concentrated period, intensive sessions are available. This is a different scheduling structure (a longer, more immersive experience) and may be the right fit depending on your goals and timeline.

Self-Pay Rates

Seen Therapy does not bill insurance directly. Clients pay out of pocket and can submit to their own insurance using a superbill that the practice provides. Detailed instructions for doing this are available on the website, and the office can provide ongoing support with questions, though we don't take those steps on your behalf.

Current rates (as of July 2026) range from $120 to $200 per 50-minute session. Rates typically increase once per year.

What Seen Therapy Does and Doesn't Do Well

Every practice has a lane, and staying in it is part of good care. Seen Therapy specializes in trauma and EMDR. It does not specialize in active addiction treatment or active eating disorders as primary presenting concerns. If those are your primary concerns, I will refer you to providers who specialize in those areas specifically.

That said, trauma is behind an enormous number of mental health concerns, even when it doesn't feel like "trauma." Depression, anxiety, relationship patterns, OCD - trauma often underlies or significantly exacerbates these presentations. Most people who come in not specifically seeking EMDR will find that trauma work is still relevant to what they're experiencing.

Book your free consultation with Cassandra →

What If I'm Not Sure I Need EMDR?

You don't have to come in knowing you need EMDR. Most people don't.

If you come in describing grief, I will explore whether trauma is part of that picture - it often is, especially when grief involves loss. If you come in with OCD symptoms as your primary concern, EMDR may be part of the picture, but you may also need a referral to a specialist in OCD care. If you come in with anxiety, EMDR is often highly relevant even when the anxiety doesn't feel "trauma-based."

The consultation call is exactly the right place to explore what you're experiencing and figure out what kind of care makes the most sense. If Seen Therapy isn't the right fit, Cassandra will provide three referral options - that's the standard of good care, and it's what the practice does consistently.

What Happens After You Schedule

Once your first appointment is set, here's what to expect:

Welcome email — You'll receive an email that recaps everything covered on the consultation call and includes a link to the client portal to complete paperwork.

Directions text — A couple of hours before your appointment, you'll receive a detailed directions text - not just to the building, but to the actual office. The office is on the second floor of the building.

Waiting — You'll wait briefly for your therapist, then come back into the office.

What Happens in the First Session

The first 50-minute session is not the beginning of EMDR processing. It's a second layer of getting to know each other and beginning to conceptualize what's going on.

What a good first session is working toward:

What's actually bringing you in, in more depth than the consultation call allowed
What has worked for you in the past, in therapy or otherwise
What barriers exist to using the skills or supports you have
What your life history has looked like and how it connects to where you are now
What your support system looks like and how to build on it

Something people considering EMDR sometimes fear: that they're going to walk into an intense, activating experience from the very first minute. That's not what the first session is. It is two people sitting together, beginning to build trust and understand what's going on. That's it.

After the first session, in an ideal scenario, your recurring appointment time is already set and you know exactly when you're coming back.

How Long Does Therapy Take?

This is one of the most common questions on consultation calls, and the honest answer is: it depends. But here are the factors that determine it most.

Attachment history — The quality of your early attachments is one of the strongest predictors of treatment length. Someone who grew up with reasonably healthy, present caregivers and formed secure attachments has a different starting point than someone who didn't.

Current supports — A strong support system in adulthood is a clinical asset. It means there are resources available between sessions and a foundation to build on.

Scope of treatment — Are you coming in to address one specific, contained thing? Or are you coming in to do more comprehensive developmental work? Both are valid. The scope significantly affects the timeline.

Here's the spectrum, using real examples:

Shorter end: Someone who had secure attachments in childhood, has solid support in adulthood, is in their mid-twenties, and comes in after a car accident to address that specific trauma. Three to four hours of processing time may be sufficient.

Longer end: Someone who did not have consistent healthy attachment figures in childhood, has limited support in adulthood, is coming in later in life, and wants to address the full developmental picture. Two solid years of work is a realistic expectation.

Most people fall somewhere between those extremes and the timeline is always something you have input on. You can come in with three months of budget and time and address specific things within that window. You're in control of what the treatment looks like.

Cancellation Policy

Life happens. If you need to cancel a recurring appointment, text the office line. The current policy requires 24-hour notice to avoid a late cancellation fee.

An updated policy is being implemented for my caseload: by 5:00 PM on Friday, you'll receive a reminder text about your upcoming appointment that week. Cancellations need to be made by that same Friday at 5:00 PM, or a half-fee applies until the 24-hour mark. This is in place to give cancellation list clients as much notice as possible so they can fill open slots.

Seen Therapy Services — Springfield, MO

📍 2148 West Chesterfield Blvd, Suite E205, Springfield, MO 65807 📞 417-708-7909 🌐 seentherapy.org 📅 Schedule a free consultation →

Seen Therapy Services offers EMDR therapy, EMDR intensives, and couples counseling in Springfield, Missouri. In-person sessions are available at the Chesterfield location, and telehealth is available throughout the state of Missouri.

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting Therapy in Springfield, MO

How do I get started with therapy at Seen Therapy Services?

Every path (calling the office, visiting the website, or clicking any button on the site) leads to scheduling a free 15-minute consultation call with Cassandra. That call is the starting point for everyone.

What happens on the free consultation call?

The call has two parts. In the first half, you share a little about what's bringing you in, as much or as little as feels comfortable. In the second half, I walk you through the practice: scheduling options, rates, what Seen Therapy specializes in, and whether it seems like a good fit. If you're not a fit, she provides referrals.

Does Seen Therapy accept insurance?

Seen Therapy does not bill insurance directly. It is self-pay only. Clients can submit to their insurance independently using a superbill provided by the practice. Current rates range from $120 to $200 per 50-minute session (as of July 2026).

Do I have to know I need EMDR to reach out?

No. Many clients come in not specifically seeking EMDR. They're coming in because something isn't working in their life and they want support. The consultation call is exactly the right place to figure out what kind of care makes sense.

What is a recurring appointment?

A recurring appointment means you have a set time each week that's reserved for you (for example, every Wednesday at 10:00 AM) until you no longer need that frequency. This is different from many therapy practices that require you to schedule one session at a time.

What if I can't get a recurring appointment right away?

You can get on the cancellation list. You'll receive a weekly text with any available openings for the coming week. If something works, you respond and get scheduled.

What should I expect in the first therapy session?

The first session is a deeper conversation - building on the consultation call to understand what's going on, what's worked in the past, what your history looks like, and what your supports are. It is not the beginning of EMDR processing. It's the beginning of the relationship and the clinical picture.

How long will I need to be in therapy?

It varies significantly based on your attachment history, current support system, and the scope of what you want to address. The spectrum ranges from a few hours of processing for a single acute event to two or more years for comprehensive developmental trauma work. You're always in control of how you approach it.

Related Resources

Hello. Hello. Hello, friends, welcome to the podcast where we simplify everything about mental health. Just kidding. But here's what we are gonna do. We're gonna sit down together a licensed mental health professional, that's me and a regular old Joe as my husband Garth would describe himself. We're gonna talk about the nitty gritty of EMDR, some nervous system mapping, how couples can help each other heal. What's healthy parenting actually look like? Maybe a little bit of good old banter mixed in. All with the goal of making mental health a little bit simpler for you. Quick note, because my lawyer says that I have to, I'm a therapist, but not your therapist. Unless I am. Even if I am. This is still just a podcast. Okay, now have a good listen. Hello, friends. This is Cassandra, and I am once again joined by Garth. Hello, everyone. I'm happy to be here. Guys, today we are going to talk therapy in Springfield, so this is for folks that would potentially be coming to see us. What can you actually expect? I think that, you know, we've really we've dived into EMDR. That's been our focus in a lot of episodes over the last 10 months as we've- I- all of them, I think ... putting out episodes. A good majority, yeah. Yeah. You know, since September, we've been dropping weekly episodes, and I'd say probably 98% of them are EMDR-focused. Mm-hmm. Today, we're really just going to get into what does it look like to come see us for therapy, and I really wanna talk nitty-gritty, like what can you even anticipate before you walk through the door? Because I think that sometimes people are so hesitant to come to therapy, not just with us, but in general- Mm-hmm ... because they don't know what the process is actually gonna look like. You have a general idea of what it's gonna look like to go get a physical- Yeah ... or to go get your teeth cleaned. Yep. But what does it actually look like to get started with therapy? Mm-hmm. And I think oftentimes that's an unknown for folks, and unknowns are often scary. So we're gonna get into that today. Before we do, can you give us a short vamp? Oh my gosh. Favorite tree Favorite tree. I think we maybe actually have done this one already, but that's okay. I think we'll probably start recycling bants. Right now, my favorite tree is this guy right here- Mm ... which is a red- Maple ... maple. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Hoping that he gives us a couple more summers. Mm ... he's an old guy- Mm-hmm ... but is the last standing tree in our backyard. When we- Mm-hmm ... moved in we had three and we are down to hi- him. We've planted other trees, but he is- Mm-hmm ... the last big guy. Yep. So. And they, all the trees have been in our home for 25 years at this, thir- 35 years at this point. Yes. So yeah. Yep. How about you? Now that you're asking me, I, we've, we've done this bant before- Yeah ... 'cause it's an oak tree. Yeah. Yeah, I just like how long-lived they are and- That's why I- how sturdy they are, and- That's why I was confident that we'd done it- ... already 'cause I was like I knew your answer. That's okay. All right. We've done a lot of episodes now. It's okay to recycle bants. I'm gonna have to keep a list. I don't have any illusion that everyone's going, or anyone is going to, like, listen to every single one of these so. That's fair. If you have I think that I gave a different answer. In fact, I'm sure I did. Mm. So, comment and tell us what my two favorite kinds of trees are. Okay. All right. And we'll comment back a new bant question. There you go. Yeah. So we are talking what does it actually look like to get started with therapy? Mm-hmm. So often people will be told by a friend, "Hey, you should go see Cassandra," or, "You should go do EMDR." Mm-hmm. Right? And they will give our office a call. Okay. Or they will check out our website. Yeah. So, a- and again, I'm gonna get into, like, what's the nitty-gritty, what to expect here. If you get on our website- Mm-hmm and you click any button on our website, you are going to be taken to a scheduling, Well, not any button ... calendar. Any button that says free consultation. Nope, any button. Okay. All of our buttons now lead to a free consultation. Okay, that's news to me. Yep. Cool. Every single button, free consultation page. Nice. So if you click a button on our website, you are going to a free consultation. Now, the buttons may say different things. Mm-hmm. They may say book now or- Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Gotcha ... you know, get started today, but they are all taking you to a- Wow ... free free consultation page. Impressive. And on that free consultation page, at least today at this time of recording, you are scheduling a phone call with me. Sweet. So in the future m- you may be scheduling it with someone else because I don't know that I will take free consultation calls forever. Mm-hmm. But at this point July of 2026, if you schedule a free 15-minute consultation call, you're scheduling it with Cassandra. So you may get on the website and you may- Mm-hmm schedule a free consultation call. You may give us a call, and if we miss your call, you're gonna get an automatic text reminder response that says, "Hey, sorry we missed you." Mm-hmm. "Would you like to book a free consultation call with Cassandra?" It's gonna take you to the same page. Yeah. Okay? If we answer your call, we're gonna say, "Hi." It's either gonna be me and I'm gonna say, "I have time for a consultation call." Mm-hmm. "Do you?" Yeah. Or we're gonna say, "Would you like to schedule a free consultation call?" Mm-hmm. So all roads initially lead to a free consultation call. Hey. Free 15 minutes, baby. Free 15 minutes. Okay, so what are we doing in that free 15 minutes? Initially, I tell people that get on the consultation call, "I'm gonna ask you questions that are way too general." And way too big to really be fair. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna ask you things like, "Tell me a little bit about what's going on." That is a big question. Sure. That is a general question. And then I'm gonna do more work, but initially I'm gonna ask you to do a little bit of work. And I tell people, "You don't have to get into what's going on any more than you want to on the consultation call." Mm-hmm. Yeah. So if you're like, "You know what? Today's a day where all I can do is title it. I'm having a big surge in anxiety- Mm-hmm ... right now. I've dealt with anxiety for a lot of my life, but it is really increasing- Mm-hmm over the past two months," great. That's enough. If you don't wanna go any, into any further detail, totally fine. So we chat about what's going on with you for maybe five to 10 minutes. Mm-hmm. And then the other five to 10 minutes I'm talking about the practice. Yeah. So I'm going over details of the practice, that I'll just go ahead and share my spiel right here- Mm-hmm if that's okay. Yeah. So I won't I'll sh- share our, our current rates, but I will say we do increase our rates typically once a year. And so, again, this is July of '26. Mm-hmm. But I will tell folks we are an EMDR specialty practice. Mm-hmm. And because we are an EMDR specialty fl- practice, a lot of details flow out of that. Yeah. The first thing is we really wanna see you in person if we can. We offer telehealth, we utilize telehealth- Mm-hmm ... but as often as we can see you in person, we want to see you in person. Yeah. We really like to see folks on a recurring basis if we can. What that means is we see you every Tuesday at 8:00 AM. Mm-hmm. That's your spot until you don't need it as often anymore. Okay. However- Can I jump in here? Yeah. That is not typical of most counseling practices just in general, right? The reoccurring spot- Yeah ... is kind of a- As we have scheduled- Mm-hmm ... for our family- Yeah ... or as our family members have gone to therapy, we have noticed that. Yeah. And it has been a pain point for our family. Mm-hmm. Yeah, 'cause we like a schedule. Yes. And, yeah. So that is part of why we have recurring appointments. Mm-hmm. But the reason that it flows out of being an EMDR specialty practice is I don't want to see you and start to really open up, Mm-hmm ... some trauma- Yeah and then not know that I can get you on the calendar for another three months. Right. Right? So we like to see you on a recurring basis. There is an exception to that. If you're in a pretty stable spot but you're just wanting to move towards you know, some things improving in life, get on our cancellation list. Mm-hmm. Our cancellation list is exactly what it sounds like. Mm-hmm. And that is that you receive a text- Mm-hmm ... usually once weekly that says, "Hey, these are Cassandra's openings for the week. If any of them work for you, respond, and we'll get you scheduled." Yeah. So rather than you having to go and, and look for what you can sign up for, you have that reminder. So yeah, we have recurring appointments. We have the cancellation list. We also have intensives, so if you wanna come in and do a large amount of work at one time, we have that scheduling option as well. So I go over scheduling options with folks. I also explain that we do not bill insurance directly. Mm-hmm. That clients can get on our website and look at our-- We've tried to list out really specific directions on how to submit to insurance for themselves- Mm-hmm ... utilizing a super bill that we provide but that we do not submit to insurance ourselves. And so if there's any questions on that during the consult call, I do my best to answer those questions- Mm-hmm uh, and let folks know that we can provide ongoing support there, even though we are not the ones that are taking those steps for them. So we like r- in-person appointments, recurring appointments if possible or intensives where we're doing a lot of work at one time, and we don't submit to insurance. We do self-pay only, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's what it means to not submit to insurance. And our self-pay rates right now, like I said, July 26 range from $120 to $200- Mm-hmm ... per 50 minutes. And I tell folks that you know, we really work to be experienced EMDR providers. Yeah. I am an EMDR consultant. I've been doing EMDR for over a decade now. And though not everyone in the practice has that level of experience, we are not getting EMDR trained and then stopping. Yeah. Everyone is pursuing continuing education, both with me and outside the practice- Mm-hmm ... after doing their EMDR basic training. Yeah. And we don't do everything well. We do what we do as a practice and as individuals well. We're, we're focused on that. You know, for-- I give the example often for folks that are coming, you know, and they're in active addiction, and that's their primary concern. Mm-hmm. We are not the best practice to treat that. Yeah. That is not what we do the best. There are other providers that do that the best. Mm-hmm. If you are in an active eating disorder and that is your primary concern, we are not the best providers for that. Mm-hmm. There are other providers we can refer to that, that do that really well. So I go over that kind of whole description of the practice with folks when they call in for the free consultation that they have with me. Any questions? 'Cause that's the next thing that I ask people on the consult call now that I've- hmm ... gone through the, the quick bullet points. Let's think here. Yeah. So what happens if I don't feel like I need EMDR What, in what cases would I be a good fit for your practice if I... Maybe I don't know what EMDR is, and maybe I'm not sure how that fits in. Let's say I'm coming in and I'm dealing with grief Yeah And how What, what would you respond there? Would you say, "Oh, I actually know someone that's great with grief"? Or would you say... What would you, what would you say? Yeah. So oftentimes alongside grief is trauma. Mm-hmm. And not always but you know, if we're talking grief associated with death- Mm-hmm um, death oftentimes comes with trauma. Mm-hmm. And so for that individual, I would say let's address the trauma associated with this, and then we do have great referrals for... You know, I actually just met with a clinician two weeks ago. Mm-hmm. All, all of what she does is grief. Yeah. It is her primary focus. Mm-hmm. You know, and so, for me, I'm really moving towards a lot of intensives in the- Mm-hmm ... the practice. So if she were he or she, if the client were seeing me specifically- Mm-hmm ... probably work through the trauma of that loss and then refer them on to- Mm-hmm. A grief count, the specific- Yeah, yeah ... yeah, referral for grief, yeah. You know, trauma is behind so many mental health concerns even when we don't realize it. Mm-hmm, yeah. It is at the root of so many folks that are presenting with depression is- concerns. Mm-hmm. Anxiety concerns. Mm-hmm. Some people do come describing what they're experiencing as trauma concerns. There are some conditions where OCD is another example. Mm-hmm. If your primary concern really is OCD symptoms- Yeah ... and you're describing those to me in a consultation call it's not that EMDR won't be helpful for you because- Right ... even when trauma isn't the root cause, trauma exacerbates symptoms. Mm-hmm. So even when trauma isn't the root cause, trauma makes symptoms worse- Yeah ... for folks. Yeah. Right? So if you have OCD, and then you layer trauma on top of that- Mm-hmm ... addressing the trauma is going to reduce your symptoms. However, if you're presenting with significant OCD symptoms, do you need to see me first? Mm-hmm. Or do I need to refer you to a provider who really specializes in OCD care? Right. 'Cause that's not our practice. Mm-hmm. But I know providers- Yeah ... in the area who do specialize in that specifically. Yeah. So if somebody comes to me, and they're not looking for EMDR specifically, that's fine. Mm-hmm. That doesn't mean that we can't help. It d- I- it just needs some more exploring. Yeah. Well, and I'm partial- probably a little biased here, but I've seen you grow your network of other clinicians here in Springfield. You've got someone for everything almost at this point who, like, specializes- I, I try. Yeah ... well, and, and you're actively working to fill those areas where you feel like you don't have a good referral source to. And I also don't know if that's typical of most practices who you would call in, and they would say, "We're probably not the best fit, but I know who is." I think that's neat, and I'm just saying that. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. I appreciate that. A good standard of care is that we provide three referral sources for somebody. So if we're not the best option for you, that we do our due diligence to provide you three options that could be good options. Mm-hmm. And you know, and sometimes people are reaching out, and it's just not feasible financially for them- Yeah to see us. It's not that we wouldn't be a good fit based on their symptomology and their- Mm-hmm ... presenting concerns. We're just you know, they're in a season where financially it's not the, the best option. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And even sometimes I'm, I'm talking to somebody who maybe is two weeks postpartum- Mm-hmm and we want to provide some supportive care for them. And I also want them working alongside their OB. Yeah, yeah. Like, I'm hearing some, some symptoms that I'm concerned about there. So sometimes it's not even just providing other therapist referrals- Mm-hmm ... but providing other, Resources ... other resources as well. Mm-hmm. Thank you. Yeah. So all of that to say you're, you're funneling into a free consultation call. Mm-hmm. Whether you're calling us, whether you're going to our website, whether you get my name from a friend and you're googling us- Mm-hmm ... you're funneling into a free consultation call. In that consultation call my goal is that if I don't provide scheduling options for you on the phone- Mm-hmm that pretty quickly within an hour of getting off the call, I have texted over from our office line, I have texted over some scheduling options to you. Mm-hmm. And then from there you're receiving a welcome email that goes over all the information that we just went over on the phone call. Yeah. And you're also receiving an email with a link to our portal to complete paperwork. Yeah. So you're getting on our portal, you're completing paperwork. You have your appointment scheduled, again, ideally a recurring appointment. Mm-hmm. A couple of hours before your appointment you'll receive a, what I call the directions text- Mm-hmm ... which is really specific directions for how to not just get to our office building, but get to our office. Mm-hmm. So couple hours before you receive the directions text follow that sucker and you'll, you'll find your way. Yeah. You hang out and wait for your therapist. You're coming back into our office, which I'm biased, but I think is a, a lovely space- Mm-hmm ... where it's, you know, it's quiet. We're on a, a second- Yeah floor of our building. And really, whether or not you're coming whether or not you've sought us out specifically for EMDR or not, that initial session is really just two humans sitting together- Mm-hmm ... ultimately assessing like is this going to- Right ... be a good fit. Yeah. And, For the clinician, it's assessing you know, if, if it's me and I've done the consultation call was I accurate in assessing initially in the consult call- Mm-hmm kinda what the presenting concerns are here? Yeah. Or if it's another clinician, them assessing, was Cassandra accurate in Yeah, right ... in determining what the presenting concerns are? So in that first session, we aren't going to figure out all of the root causes- Mm-hmm ... of why someone's presenting, but we're starting to hopefully get a good picture of what's going on for this person. What's the word you use for that? Case- Case conceptualization. Yes, that's it, yeah. Yeah. We're trying to conceptualize the case. Mm-hmm, yeah. So, you know, what do we actually have in front of us? Mm-hmm. What has worked well for this person in the past? What if they've attended therapy before, even if they haven't- Mm-hmm attended therapy before what has worked well for them in the past? What are the barriers for them to, you know, utilize some of the skills that they have- Mm-hmm ... utilized in the past? What pieces of their life experience have led them to you know, sitting in front of me- Yeah ... today? What supports do they have? How can we utilize those supports? And so really that first session, you know, I think sometimes especially people seeking out EMDR- Mm-hmm ... they're a little anxious that they're going to walk into something that's gonna be very intense right off- Right ... you know, the get-go. Mm-hmm. And in that first hour, we really are just trying to get a larger picture of what's going on for this client. Yeah. And so then after you have your, your first session, again, h- in an ideal situation, you have recurring appointments. And so- Yep ... you already have that same time set up for you. If that's not the case, then you'll receive a cancellation text the next week. Mm-hmm. Or if you're coming in for an intensive, that is a different experience. It doesn't, you know, you're having that initial hour, but then you are getting into a lot of work that day. Yeah. And in the case of an intensive, you may not be back. You may be going back to a therapist that you have weekly appointments with- Right ... somewhere else. And that's okay too. So, okay, that's a really quick summary- Mm-hmm of what to expect. What questions can I answer? What's- Always asking me questions ... beep up and around in your- What am I thinking? Well, that's your, that's your job. Ugh. Yeah, it is. Okay. That's your podcast job. It is my podcast duty. Let's see. I guess- How long does therapy take? Mm. I love that question. I don't know. People do ask that often on the consultation call. Th- Think, think we'll get this bad boy knocked out in four or five sessions? Right. Things that dictate that the most- Mm-hmm ... one, how solid were your attachments in childhood? Mm-hmm. And two, how healthy were your attachment figures- Mm-hmm ... in childhood? Three, are you coming in to get the whole, what's that saying? Experience? Shoulder- Shebang? Yeah. Shebang That's not what it is. Yeah. But you're yeah. Spiel? Are you coming in to get everything done? Yeah. Or are you coming in to take an acute approach and just focus on one thing? Mm-hmm. Okay. So person that's gonna be in therapy the longest is gonna be somebody who did not have people in their childhood that they could develop healthy attachments with because either they were not present or they were present but not healthy enough themselves. Mm-hmm. And they are coming in later in adulthood so not early adulthood. They have limited support still. Mm-hmm. And they are not wanting to take a, an acute approach. They're wanting to take a developmental approach where they address everything. Yeah. We're looking at, you know, two solid years of work. Yeah. Like solid, solid work. All the way down to somebody had healthy attachment figures in childhood. They had two parents who were reasonably healthy- Mm-hmm ... that they were able to form healthy attachments with. And then fast-forward, they are 25. They have a good support system in adulthood. Mm-hmm. They have a car accident, and they come to me to work through that car accident. They're not able to get in their car and drive. Mm-hmm. Three to four hours. Yeah. So huge- Yeah ... spectrum. Right. But I mean- Yeah ... you know, there's, but those are some of the factors that determine- Mm-hmm ... how long you're going to, to be in care. Okay. Yeah. And ultimately, we've talked about this in previous episodes before, but I like people to keep in mind, experienced EMDR clinicians can contain certain things that you want to address. Mm-hmm. And so if you are the person who did not have people that you could form healthy attachments with in childhood- Mm-hmm and you have some support now in adulthood, you wouldn't say that you are overflowing with current supports. Mm-hmm. That does not mean that you have to come in for two years. Right. Yeah. You can say, you can come in and say, "I have three months to budget time and money- Mm-hmm ... to address this." Yeah. "These are the specific things I'd like to address." Yeah. I like to remind clients, you are in control- Right ... of, of what this looks like. Yeah. And so don't think, "Well, I don't have the two years of finances- Mm-hmm ... or emotional energy or time- Mm-hmm ... to devote to this. I'm just not gonna do it." Yeah. You don't have to. Right. I'm saying you could- Mm-hmm ... spend two years on really- Right addressing everything. And that's, that was also kind of an extreme example. Mm-hmm. But it's a good... Examples are good in the extreme. Yeah. But- Yeah. Okay. I've got- So on both ends of the spectrum are- Mm-hmm ... like the, the individual who comes in with a really super solid childhood- Yeah ... really s- super solid supports in adulthood, but has had the car accident. Mm-hmm. That's the extreme. And then- Mm-hmm ... yeah, both, both ends, Yeah ... are the extreme. What's your other question? Okay. Last, last question that I can think of. Yeah. So I'm a client, I've got a reoccurring appointment. Okay. What if something comes up? How do I cancel? Yeah. You just text the office line. We do ask that you follow our 24-hour cancellation policy so that you cancel prior to 24 hours. Mm-hmm. And then by the time this podcast episode comes out I am working on, at least for my caseload I will be implementing a Friday afternoon cancellation policy. Mm-hmm. So by 5:00 PM on Friday, you'll receive a reminder text on Friday that you have an appointment- Mm-hmm ... the upcoming week. Yeah. And then by 5:00 PM on Friday I need you to respond if you need to cancel that. Yeah. Or there will be a half fee- Yeah ... until the 24 hours. And the reason for that being that folks on my cancellation list are having a little bit of trouble getting in. Mm-hmm. And I wanna make sure that at the end of the day on Friday, when my cancellation texts go out- Mm-hmm ... that they are getting as many options as possible. Yeah. That I'm not sending my cancellation texts out Friday afternoon- Mm-hmm ... and then Monday morning- Right ... more openings are popping up. Right. So yeah, i- if you need to cancel your recurring, excuse me, you can absolutely do that. We just need it right now 24 hours in advance. Mm-hmm. And then eventually, if you can look at your calendar, The, a week ahead. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Okay. That's all I have. Look at you. Well, guys, thank you so much. This is a little bit more of a, a basic, like, unconventional episode for us, but I do think that even though I love EMDR and love the EMDR talk, you know, I want to make sure that we're also acknowledging just kinda some of the basics of, of therapy. Mm-hmm. And so I wanted to do that in an episode today, and I think that we're gonna see that theme pop up more as well. So today's episode, how does actually getting started with therapy look with us specifically, and if I can summarize it, any of the outlets that you're gonna take to reach us are going to lead you to a schedule a free consultation. Mm-hmm. And then I went over what the content of that free consultation is, but essentially we're trying to determine without having you pay for an initial session- Mm-hmm ... are we a good fit for you? Yeah. Are you a good fit for us? If not, we are more than happy always- Mm-hmm ... a- and I, I say this genuinely, I'm happy to find you, Yeah a referral. And then whenever you actually come into session, that looks like, again, just a, a second layer in that first 50 minutes- Mm-hmm ... of case conceptu- case conceptualization, what's actually going on here. Yeah. Again, a second safety net of are we gonna be a good fit? Mm-hmm. It is not very often, and I am, I am proud of this, most of the people I am able to screen in that initial consult call and get them to the right folks. Yeah. It's not very often you're gonna come to a first 50 minutes with us and we're gonna refer you out. I think we've maybe done that three times in the last two years. Yeah. But that does happen. We're, we're still conceptualizing the case- Mm-hmm ... and sending that on to a clinician that is a better fit. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Thanks so much. Have a good one. Bye. Well, that's all folks. Please see our show notes for ways to connect with us or go give us a follow on Instagram. You can find us at Simply Mental. If this episode resonated with you, send it over to a friend. Give us a five star rating. Subscribe. Download all the things the cool kids are doing these days. Thanks for having to listen.