Jyl Scott-Reagan, LCSW, LMFT, LPC

It takes courage to decide to come to therapy and it may be uncomfortable at first to talk about deeply personal things with someone you have just met. Finding a psychotherapist who is a good fit for you can make the process much more effective. I am a positive, down-to-earth and compassionate therapist with 25 years of experience helping people navigate life's changes. While the work of therapy is respectful and serious, there is room for humor and hopefulness. Many of the people I work with are facing a difficult life situation such as grief or loss. Others find themselves at a crossroads in life, exploring choices in career or relationships. They are often motivated to get back in balance and feel more engaged in life. Most are interested in learning about themselves. They want to feel more energy and more peacefulness. They want deeper connections with loved ones and a sense of meaning to their lives. Couples work is an important part of my practice. Some couples come to me for help getting over a rough patch in a mostly-good relationship, while others come with their marriage on the line. Either way, I can help you to understand what's working and not working in your relationship, to learn new skills for handling problems and to rediscover why you fell in love to begin with. You will find me easy to talk to and fair minded to you both of you. I look forward to hearing from you and starting on a journey of healing.

If you are new to therapy, here are some practical tips that may help. Great therapists come from many professional disciplines. Knowing that the therapist has credentials, training and experience is very important, but just the starting point. Evaluating if a therapist is the right one for you usually starts through a phone call. You should be able to ask the therapist about how therapy works and if they have experience working with your problem or concern. Within two or three sessions you should have a sense of whether this is the right person to help you. While the process of therapy might be uncomfortable, you want to feel a sense of safety and security. The therapist should really listen to you and take time to get to know you. Therapy is about you. A good therapist will not talk a lot about herself. The process should be respectful. The therapist should start and end sessions on time, although occasional (not habitual) scheduling glitches sometimes happen. A therapist who needs to eat lunch while you talk or take non-emergency phone calls during a session is not giving you full attention. A good therapist will not tell you what to do with your life, but will help you discover your own best solutions.