BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

I had my first appointment with a clinician today and I think it went well. They said that they want to see me on a weekly basis for therapy. That makes sense, but how long will that go on for? When will I know to stop?

It sounds like you were referred for individual therapy with the clinician who completed your initial assessment at your first appointment. The next time you meet with this person, they will prompt you to discuss your goals and objectives for your treatment. The “goal” of therapy represents what the overall focus will be for your treatment and the method for addressing it. As an example, perhaps you are looking to develop specific communication strategies to reduce tension between you and your teenage child. The “objective” represents the clear marker for knowing when you’re ready to end or shift the focus of your treatment. Playing-off of the previous example, maybe you’ll know that your treatment was successful when you and your child no longer offer daily insults to one another or when you both show a willingness to spend quality time with one another on a weekly basis. Goals and objectives are necessary and helpful because they help both you and the therapist evaluate whether or not therapy is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s not out of the ordinary for the focus of treatment to change. Your therapist will regularly review your progress in therapy and collaborate with you on how to move forward with treatment. PBHS offers Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP), as well a variety of other services which includes individual, couples, and family psychotherapy. If you believe that therapeutic services could be beneficial to you, or if you have any questions about your treatment options, please call us to schedule an appointment within 24 hours of your call. Also, if you are interested in learning more about our clinicians and their training, please feel free to visit the staff section of our website (http:// www.pbhsohio.com/staff).