Therapy in General

Not at all. Everyone goes through challenges in their life, and while you may have used your strengths to navigate other difficulties you’ve faced, sometimes we may struggle to access those same strengths in new and different situations. It takes courage to recognize you feel overwhelmed and may benefit from a little extra support or even a fresh perspective. In fact, those that seek therapy have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you’re at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking a professional.

Research actually shows that working with a therapist provides long-lasting benefits by giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, heal damaging patterns and behaviors, and overcome whatever challenges you face. We all have strengths that we may not be utilizing to our fullest potential, so our clinicians will help you identify what those strengths are and how to implement them again in what you’re currently going through so you can get those long-lasting changes you’re seeking.

Family and friends are sometimes biased and are not always the most beneficial when we need real guidance and support. This could be for a number of reasons; because they love us and don’t want to hurt our feelings, family and friends may take our side or defend our actions even when we haven’t made the best decisions. Often times our loved ones get tired of trying to offer support or new ideas, or, because they want the best for us, they will just try to tell you what to do to fix the problem. And frankly, sometimes our friends and family may be part of the problem that brought us to therapy in the first place!

With all that said, a qualified mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way: teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. A therapist’s job is not to tell you what to do; rather, it’s to help you learn more about yourself and your needs so you can make the best decisions for yourself.

Therapy is completely confidential. You won’t have to worry about others “knowing your business.” If your situation provokes a great deal of negative emotion, if you’ve been confiding in a friend or family member, there is the risk that once you are feeling better you could start avoiding that person so you aren’t reminded of this difficult time in your life.

Medication alone cannot solve all issues. What medication does is treat the symptoms. Our work together is designed to explore the root of the issue, dig deep into your old patterns and behaviors, and teach strategies that can help you accomplish your personal and/or relational goals. Medication can be effective and is sometimes needed in conjunction with therapy, but if this is a concern of yours we can discuss this more in our work together.

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place. Generally speaking, those that attend therapy regularly are motivated to make lasting changes, and those that follow through with what they learn in our sessions will progress the quickest.

When you work with a therapist you feel connected with, it gives you the opportunity to talk through and address your frustrations and emotions in a supportive, empathic, and caring environment. Therapists provide support, problem-solving skills, and improved coping strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship troubles, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management, body image issues and creative blocks. Counselors can be a tremendous asset in helping you achieve personal growth, more satisfying interpersonal relationships, address family concerns, work through marriage issues, and cope with the problems of daily life. Additionally, they are helpful in providing their clients with new perspectives on their problems and experiences, and also can guide you towards a solution or some type of needed closure. The benefits you will obtain from therapy depend on your motivation and commitment level; it’s just like anything else in life, the more you put into it and practice the skills you learn, the more successful you will be in reaching your goals. To sum it up, some of the benefits you may attain from therapy include:

  • Reaching a better understanding of yourself, your goals, and values
  • Developing skills for making your relationships more fulfilling
  • Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek therapy
  • Learning new ways to cope with stress and anxiety
  • Managing anger, grief, depression, and other intense emotional concerns
  • Improving communication skills and learning how to establish better interpersonal boundaries
  • Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
  • Discovering new ways to solve problems in your family or marriage
  • Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
  • Ameliorating physical symptoms of stress (i.e., headaches, stomach aches, sleeping problems, ulcers).

It is important to understand that you will get the best results from therapy if you are proactive in the process and willing to do the work. Our clinicians cannot guarantee success by you simply showing up to your sessions. We are your guide and teachers in this process, and we will work together as a team to address what you feel is important and relevant, but you will need to make the link between what you learn in our sessions and your everyday life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in therapy sessions, we may suggest some things you can do outside of therapy to bolster your progress – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting and or practicing particular behaviors, or taking actionable steps towards your goals.

Generally, the clients that fare the best are those that are ready to make positive changes in their lives by gaining new perspectives, taking responsibility for their lives, and consistently attending therapy sessions and applying what they learn. We are here to support you through the entire process, so we will regularly check in with you about how you feel like you are progressing and what we might need to tweak or adjust so you are reaching your goals.

Resilience Counseling and Wellness therapy office in Houston, TX
Resilience Counseling & Wellness therapy office in Texas

What to Expect

The first session is an essential step in setting yourself up for success. If you’ve never attended counseling before, there are many areas the therapist legally needs to cover with you before you can start to process what brought you to therapy. We understand that can be difficult when even coming to the first session can be the hardest step.

Here is what your therapist will cover with you:

  1. Confidentiality
  2. Practice policies, like what to do in an emergency, the best way to contact your therapist, financial agreements, the cancellation policy, and how to make appointments.
  3. The forms we sent and you completed. Please make sure to complete all of your forms ahead of your first session. This is important for legal reasons and to help the therapist have an idea of the best way to support you.
  4. Your expectations for therapy and what you can expect from your therapist. It is important to make sure that expectations are very clear on both sides, so that your work can be successful.  We want all of our clients have a great experience when seeking support, but if the therapist doesn’t know what you’re expecting and if they can meet those expectations that can cause conflict down the road.
  5. What you want for yourself. This is a difficult question and it is absolutely okay to not know immediately what that is. We don’t expect you to, which is part of our work together. We want to help you learn, grow, and fully realize your authentic self and what that means for you.

The relationship you have with your therapist is priority. It creates trust, positive communication, and the ability to do deeper work, which is why you came to us. You might notice in those first few sessions, your therapist may not have any initial recommendations because they are taking time to get to know you and build trust and connection.

We feel it is incredibly important to take time to connect with our clients in the beginning, rather than throwing out interventions that may or may not be helpful for you, which can often lead to frustration. We cater our work to each client and their individual needs, rather than treating someone as a diagnosis or forcing a specific therapeutic model onto them. You are a person, not a diagnosis.

We encourage collaboration with our clients, so please do not hesitate to let your clinician know if something they are doing isn’t working for you or if it is not what you are wanting. Our focus is to help you discover what it is that you really want for yourself in your life and help you find a way to get there.

However, we also understand that not every therapist is going to be the best fit for every client, as much as we might want that to be the case. Please speak to your therapist if there are concerns or changes that need to be made. If we are unable to accommodate you, we are happy to give referrals to someone who will meet your needs. Our priority is that you get the care you need, even if that is not with us.

Logistics

Our building has 2 garages, one on either side, East and West. The garage closest to 610 is the East garage and the one furthest from 610 is the West garage. There are also 3 lobbies, each with a set of elevators. We recommend parking in the East garage. It is the easiest garage to turn into and leave from, especially during times of traffic.

There are restrooms located on each floor behind or across from the elevators. Take the first set of elevators you see to the 4th floor, turn left at the hallway, and walk until you see 435W on your left. We’re closer to the middle of the building so it may feel like a long walk. We have a sign with our logo next to the door as well as a logo film on the door to the waiting room.

When you arrive, please come in, tap on the screen of the tablet on the wall, tap on your clinician’s name, type in your initials, then tap notify. Your therapist will receive a text letting them know you have arrived and will come get you. Please keep in mind that sessions can run over at times, but your therapist should get you within about 5 minutes of the start of your session. We encourage you to take a moment to settle, enjoy the soothing music, and help yourself to a mint or lifesaver.

We do have a water and hot tea station further inside the suite, so please do not hesitate to let your therapist know you would like some refreshment. We have 8 kinds of tea with raw sugar, stevia, and honey spoons available to adapt to your taste.

Resilience Counseling and Wellness therapy waiting room in Houston

What People Are Saying

Kristen is amazing. Very present and I love what she said in our first session—that her goal is to learn what it’s like to be me and to walk alongside me. I feel a difference since working with her and am so grateful to have found your practice and Kristen!

K.H.

Things are going really well with Katie (Osgood). My daughter really likes going to see her and it’s great to see her high comfort level with an adult. Katie is wonderful.

A Client

I have been seeing Ashlie for almost a year and a half.  She almost feels like a friend that I can talk to but one that offers good advice.  I like having her to bounce my feelings off of and having her guidance to navigate personal and business situations. I’m feeling pretty good about things in my life right now, but I look forward to our 2x per month sessions and being able to talk things out with her.

S.W.

Ashlie is amazing 💙 I find myself referencing things she’s said to me, and she’s opened my mind to a lot of belief patterns I had that I wasn’t aware of. She’s also very open-minded to recommending or referring you to any other therapy methods she thinks might benefit you. I think my favorite thing about her though is she’s honest and direct, yet very in tune to take things at my pace, and never pressures me to do any type of therapy or have any type of conversation I’m not ready for. 💙

N.W.

I have been seeing Kristen Gallien for a few months and she is wonderful!  She makes me feel heard and understood and has been a wonderful support!  I’m so grateful I found her!

E.G.

Absolutely life-changing! Katie (Osgood) is amazing and I’m so happy to be working with her! I’ve told all my friends about her!

A Client

I’ve been with Ashlie for at least 3 years, (If not more?) I’ve made great strides in my therapy! I’m a childhood trauma survivor. I spent most of my life simply surviving. After another traumatic event, I finally sought help.

Ashlie helped me understand my trauma. She explained the reasons for my inner turmoil. She was patient and supportive. I felt accepted and safe. I have said many times that Ashlie saved my life and I’m grateful for the tools she provided me. I was very lost for very long and Ashlie led me through the darkness.

I have more work ahead of me and I know I can count on Ashlie to see me through the rest of my journey. “Thank you” doesn’t encapsulate the gratitude I feel for you. You helped me find true happiness!

K.C.

Thank god Kristen recommended EMDR to me. Before it, I genuinely didn’t think I was going to ever feel better, but after only about 2ish months I’m functional again. Also, I like that she said “We’re not trying to make you see your trauma in a positive light, we’re just trying to turn it into a memory that doesn’t hurt you anymore” because I was worried I’d have to act happy by the end of EMDR therapy. But no, the memory still sucks but it really doesn’t hurt anymore!

A Client

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Contact Us

Do you have questions about getting started? Need to speak with someone now? We are always happy to hear from you. Give us a call or send us a text! We know that starting something new can be a little intimidating, but we’re here to help make it easy and stress-free. So don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Schedule Your Free Consultation with our Practice Manager

Can’t reach out today? Need more guidance on which clinician to work with or the right therapy for you? Fill out our contact form and book your free 15-minute consultation call with our Practice Manager. She will guide you through the process and schedule you with the Therapist who is the perfect match for your unique therapy journey.

Book Your First Session Now

If you’ve decided on a therapist and are ready to get started, click the button above to access our online booking page. We’ll get to work using our comprehensive, holistic approach to healing so you can start moving forward in your life with confidence.