How It Works
Whether this is your first tentative exploration of the therapy process, or you are looking to resume the therapeutic experience with someone new, therapy is a unique and life changing experience. Sometimes a client is unsure of what to expect.
During our first session, you will likely need a lot of time to tell me about yourself. Sometimes that will include unhappiness with one or more of your significant relationships, even a relationship from the past, such as with a deceased parent. Therapy is a collaborative process where we work together to establish goals for change — specifically, how you would like your life to be different when therapy is completed.
My role as a professional in family therapy, marriage counseling, and treatment of depression or anxiety is to help you look at how your belief systems, style of communication, and interaction are affecting your life, to examine what works and what does not, and to assist you in changing in ways that feel consistent with both the person you are and the person you want to become.
My Campbell marriage counseling and psychotherapy services include relationship, parenting, depression, and couples counseling. My CA service area includes Campbell, Los Gatos, Willow Glen and San Jose.
Our beliefs about the world begin to be formed when we are children. We try to figure out what the adults in our lives want and need from us. Children have to make sense of the environment they are growing up in, and to understand how to fit in as best they can. If our adult role models are mentally and emotionally healthy, we develop beliefs that contribute to our own well being, such as “I am a valuable person who is worth being listened to” or “The world is a safe and interesting place, and I can explore without too much fear”. If those adults were themselves unhappy and unhealthy, they are likely to have passed on beliefs, and modeled behaviors that will make us try to adapt to the negative ways they see life.
It is important that you feel comfortable with me, or with any other therapist you choose, and I welcome your feedback. I want you to feel safe, respected, supported – and I want you to feel that progress is being made. Periodically, I will ask that we reassess your goals to assure we are proceeding in a direction that works for you.
I will probably want to see you weekly at the beginning. I will be on time, and will ask you to do the same. As you progress, we can decrease the session frequency as you wish.
Call me at (408) 566-3119 or email me at JM@judithmcfarland.com to talk about your therapy needs or to schedule an appointment.
Campbell Marriage Counseling and Family Therapy
My services include counseling and therapy for anxiety and depression, as well as relationship counseling, including marriage counseling for couples and family therapy for teenagers and parents. My service area for marriage counseling and family therapy includes San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos, Cupertino, Mountain View, Scotts Valley, Campbell, Willow Glen and Milpitas CA.
