The main form of psychotherapy intervention in Dr. Choy’s practice is individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Choy will discuss with you whether this form of therapy may be beneficial for your specific situation. CBT is effective for many problems, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues and other specific problems. CBT is a collaborative process - the more active and involved you are in your therapy, the more benefit you will gain. However, this form of therapy is not guaranteed to work for everyone and can be a large financial commitment as well as requiring a significant amount of time and energy. Psychotherapy may also require exploring unpleasant aspects of your life and can, at times, lead to emotional distress. If there is anything that bothers you in the therapy process or you feel your treatment goals are not being met, please discuss these issues with Dr. Choy. One of the benefits of therapy is the ability to discuss uncomfortable topics with your provider in a safe setting.
The length of psychotherapy is generally short-time for CBT. Psychotherapy sessions are 50 minutes in duration, usually scheduled once a week. You may decide to have therapy sessions every two weeks, but in clinical experience, weekly sessions are more effective during acute symptom presentations. Once your symptoms have alleviated, you may transition to once every two weeks, and then gradually to once a month until there is no further need for sessions. After the end of acute course of treatment, some patients decide to return for a booster session in six months to one year.