What is therapy?
Therapy broadly refers to treatments that address mental illness and life challenges by communicating with a mental health professional. Therapy helps you better understand emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that you’re struggling with, and work toward changing those behaviors and thought patterns.
Dr. Trivedi takes a highly individualized approach to therapy. No matter the reason you seek therapy, it’s her goal for you to function better, heal from past traumas, and improve your overall well-being.
You may consider therapy if you’re:
- Having difficulty coping with everyday life
- Stressed because of work or relationships
- Dealing with the loss of a loved one
- Recovering from a traumatic experience
- Experiencing changes in your mood, energy level, or interest in activities
Note that while Dr. Trivedi recommends therapy for conditions including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, you don’t need to have a diagnosed mental illness to benefit from therapy.
What can I expect from therapy?
Dr. Trivedi is experienced in a range of therapy approaches and determines which one is best for you. Common elements of therapy include:
- Receiving nonjudgmental support so you can safely explore difficult issues
- Identifying and changing thought and behavioral patterns that may be keeping you stuck
- Learning healthy ways to manage stress
- Tracking your emotional response to different activities and situations
- Working on directly facing your fears and past negative experiences
- Practicing relaxation and mindfulness techniques
Each therapy session lasts about an hour, and most people come to Human Touch Behavioral Health once a week. Dr. Trivedi may recommend short-term or long-term treatment depending on the nature and complexity of the problem you’d like to address. If you’re experiencing a mental health emergency, she’s available to meet for short notice appointments.
What you discuss with Dr. Trivedi in therapy is confidential. However, in some situations, for example, if you intend to harm yourself or others, she’s legally required to take measures to ensure your safety. When this happens, Dr. Trivedi makes every effort to honor your preferences and proceed in a way that you’re comfortable with.
Is therapy a substitute for medication?
Dr. Trivedi recognizes that every person is different, so it’s a matter of what’s best for you, not whether therapy “substitutes” for medication (or vice versa). As a board-certified psychiatrist, she may recommend a combination of therapy and medication. Medication can be especially effective for improving symptoms like anxiety and depression so you can get more out of therapy.
Depending on your condition and situation, Dr. Trivedi may recommend following a structured, short-term course of therapy and eventually transitioning to regular, but less frequent medication management appointments. Whatever form it may take, the right mental health treatment plan is a positive, stabilizing influence in your life.
To schedule your first individualized therapy appointment, call Human Touch Behavioral Health today.
