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Both! Keystone therapists offer a hybrid model for therapy with both in-person and virtual appointments available. Clients are encouraged to discuss their hopes for attending sessions in-person or virtually with their therapist to determine which setting is most appropriate for their treatment in therapy, and what availability the therapist may have in their schedule for either type of therapy.
Most of our therapists offer in-person sessions in our office a couple days per week. If therapist’s are sick, they will provide as much notice as possible to cancel/reschedule the session. If clients get sick or aren’t able to attend their scheduled in-person session, they should notify their therapist as soon as possible to cancel, reschuled to swtich to a virtual session as available.
All therapists continue to offer virtual therapy sessions for increased accessibility to services for clients via HIPAA-compliant video programming. All virtual sessions require synchronous video and audio throughout session. Our therapists have taken every precaution to maintain confidentiality and avoid disruptions to the therapeutic process. *NOTE: All clients must be located in the state of Virginia at the time of their sessions as required by the Virginia Board of Counseling.
Our offices are located in the Growth and Recovery Center in Fairfax City at 10400 Eaton Place, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030. When entering the building’s lobby, take the stairs or elevator up to the second floor. Suite 200 is to the left and around the corner and just down the hall. Push the designated blue light button by your therapist’s name to indicate you have arrived. Have a seat in the lobby and your therapist will meet you at the time of your session to bring you to the office.
There is an open parking lot surrounding the office building. You are welcome to park anywhere in the lot – parking is open availability. There is a bus stop directly outside our building. Electric bikes and scooters are frequently found surrounding our building, and are available for rent via phone app.
Therapy provides a safe space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and challenges. Together with your therapist, you’ll identify goals, develop strategies, and work through issues using techniques tailored to your needs. Over time, therapy helps you gain insights, build resilience, and create positive changes in your life.
When you start meeting with your therapist, the first 2-3 sessions will be considered “intake.” This where the therapist will gather information from you about why you’re seeking therapy, will help identify the symptoms you would like to change/decrease, and will collaborate with you to build a treatment plan. Throughout the therapeutic process, your therapist will work with you to meet your therapeutic goals and improve you daily living!
Typically therapy begins with regular sessions once per week. As the client meets treatment goals, frequency of sessions is lowered to every other week, and even monthly before terminating. The therapist will speak directly with each client to determine the best schedule of sessions for ongoing therapy.
Sometimes when beginning therapy, a client’s symptoms can feel worse before they get better. This is because we are discussing the issues and bringing the client face-to-face with their symptoms. Your therapist will work with you to develop coping strategies to lower the impact of the symptoms. As therapy progresses, symptoms should significantly decrease in frequency and severity.
Give it time. Therapy is not a quick “fix,” but a very personal process that provides space for a client to make long-term changes for the better. Growth takes time, however, if after a couple months of attending therapy you feel you are not receiving what you need out of therapy, discuss it with your therapist. Your therapist may reevaluate your treatment goals, recommend alternate therapeutic strategies, or even recommend another therapist to find the best fit for you.
Medications and therapy have independently been proven to minimize the frequency and severity of symptoms. When used in combination, they prove even more effective. If you are interested in trying medication, discuss it with your therapist to determine if it is a good option for you. Therapists at Keystone are not able to prescribe medications, you should discuss your symptoms and concerns with your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist for a prescription.
Our licenses allow therapists to work with clients in only the states we are licensed in. We provide video or teletherapy sessions. Virtual sessions must include synchronous audio and video throughout the session, and all client(s) attending must be located in Virginia at the time of session. We do not work with young children below 4 years of age or provide custody evaluations. We do not complete psychological assessments, but can provide referrals as needed. We do not appear in court for any reason. As part of our ethical code, therapists do not work with populations or issues which we do not have adequate training or experience with. Should a client request services for areas we are not able to work with, we will provide appropriate referrals as needed.
Yes. As part of our ethical practices we keep records of what we cover in sessions in a secure, HIPAA compliant electronic health records system. This allows therapists to track clients’ progress in therapy, as well as common threads throughout sessions. Our notes are brief and only identify necessary information pertinent to clients’ cases. If you would like to view your record, you may submit a written request directly to your therapist at any time.
While clients’ goals in therapy vary, the ultimate goal of therapy remains the same: to “graduate” from or “terminate” therapy when the client is in a space where they experience minimal distress from their symptoms and feel comfortable and confident in being their true self outside of therapy, or “in the wild.” At the beginning of therapy and throughout the process, therapists will evaluate the client’s progress towards reaching their goals with a treatment plan. Once the treatment plan has been successfully acheived, the client will “graduate” from therapy. Should there be need for a planned pause in treatment, therapists will review the client’s progress and will discuss plans for returning to therapy at a later date.