Your First Session . . .   Think of your first session as exploratory.  You want to leave there feeling like you've been heard, feeling hopeful, and feeling like you have learned something new.  Most of all, you want to feel like you have the basics of establishing a good working relationship with your therapist.  Make sure you read about the confidentiality and counseling process so you can adjust your expectations.  You can find this elsewhere on the website.

Helpful Hints for Your First Session: 

[ ] Fill out the questionnaire available on my website or print out and bring to the office.   

[ ] Leave early enough to allow time to find the building, get parked, and find my office.  We make the questionnaire available so you can have everything completed when you arrive.  If you leave late or have difficulty finding the office, then your stress level just increases.

[ ] Dr. Haddock no longer accepts insurance.  This means you come prepared to pay for each appointment.  However, you may want to check with your insurance company to get make sure you have an open provider plan, get authorization, and/or gather details of benefits.  

[ ] Have a mental or written list of ideas you want to talk about.  

[ ] Don't be afraid to ask me questions.   

[ ] If feelings come up, stay with them and express them. 

[ ] Consider your first session as a consultation to see if we have a good match and if we can establish a good working relationship.     

[ ] You are interviewing me when I am interviewing you.   

[ ] When the session is over, you should feel you were heard and that we can work well together.   

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 Growing up in a dysfunctional family can be the cause of many of today's problems. This is because:   

what you experienced

growing up 

is what you learned; 

what you learned shaped your behaviors; 

your behaviors have 

outcomes and 

consequences.

A dysfunctional family is one where one or more of these conditions were present:

[ ] Alcohol Addiction [ ] Drug Addiction [ ] Food Addiction [ ] Gambling Addiction [ ] Religious Addiction [ ] Work Addiction  [ ] Emotional Abuse [ ] Mental Abuse [ ] Physical Abuse [ ] Sexual Abuse

If you are coming for counseling because of an abusive or addictive relationship you have just left, or if you are in an abusive or addictive situation, or you are afraid you are abusive or addicted, help is possible and counseling can be effective.