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What is the therapy process?

Finding a therapist and starting therapy can be a scary experience. It is a huge first step to identify that something is off, and I want to take a second to give you praise for making it this far. It is not easy to put yourself out there. With that, I find a lot of people have an interest in therapy but are not quite sure what it is and what it might be like for them. 

I am hoping I can give you some information on this to help you in this process as it can be confusing and overwhelming!

Many therapists will say this, myself included, that they are collaborative. To me this simply means that I will work with you in a way where we are goal setting together. When therapy first starts, you will fill out some consents and complete intake paperwork. This gives me valuable information such as what brings you to therapy, when did the presenting problem start, relevant family and health history, and ultimately what you would like to achieve. By completing the intake paperwork prior, I am able to jump right in with you, start to get to know you, and offer some insights and tools.

In my experience, when a client starts therapy, they have been suffering for quite some time, so I am always happy to get started quickly. 

In general, the first two sessions are building the therapeutic relationship and taking the information and getting clarity and coming up with some short terms goals together. This helps keep me honest and us on track. This does not mean we cannot delve into other topics that might arise but it helps me to construct interventions specific to the goal and the issue. 

I also want to clearly convey that the therapeutic relationship is very important to me and the success of the therapy. In research, it has been a consistent predictor of positive treatment outcomes and so it will be a large and ongoing focus of therapy. The therapeutic relationship is essentially built on trust. In other words, do you feel safe enough to be your most vulnerable
and trust that you will be met with compassion and care?

The intervention and the modality I use will be based on my assessment and the goals we create together. You will be part of this process every step of the way and when I am using or pull from a particular model, I will let you know so that you can be aware of how we are approaching the presenting problem. As we go through therapy, we will measure how you are progressing towards goals through my professional observations as well as your self-report. 

When you achieve goals and/or you report clarity, improvement, relief, or a general sense of well being for example, (my clients have reported all of these to me), we will decide together the next steps. Are you ready to graduate? Do we decrease frequency of sessions? Do we set new goals? Do we continue to ensure the accessibility to weekly therapy so that I can continue to be of support, and we can make sure to maintain the gains in therapy? 

This is a brief summary, but I am more than happy to answer any questions. Feel free to call or email me. 

What kind of therapy do you use?

This is a really good question. So any therapist you choose will have at least a masters degree which means they will already have a variety of modalities and interventions available to offer. Therapists are also required to have continuing education so that we may remain relevant to the field and current research. Continuing education is also a great way to adopt a personal culture of learning. Some therapist decide to go very niche where they specialize in a certain population and treatment. Others may operate from their theoretical foundation in the treatment of many presenting problems as this is what our masters prepares us for. I reside in the happy medium. I rely on my roots of systems theory to explore with my clients the relationship and sense of belonging to one self as well as with others whether their partner or their family. Here are a list of models and theories in which I am familiar and pull from in my practice.
 

​The Gottman Method  -  Internal Family Systems (IFS) - Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) - Solution Focused Brief Therapy - Bowenian Family Therapy - Structural Family Therapy - Psychodynamic - Adlerian Psychology - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for individuals and couples - Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) - Narrative Therapy - Parent Child Interactional Therapy (PCIT) - Virginia Satir's Process of Change - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Attachment Theory - Positive Discipline - Stages of Change Model

 
When you are searching for a therapist, you will see LMFT (this is my license), LPC, and LCSW. This is respectively a Marriage and Family Therapist, Professional Counselor, and Clinical Social Worker. According to my professional organization, The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT):

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  • MFTs are unique because they are trained in both psychotherapy and family systems, which allows them to focus on understanding client symptoms in the context of the relational interactions that influence behavior. The problem does not define the client but rather is a symptom of his or her system.

  • MFTs work with individuals, couples and families. Whoever the client, MFTs view problems from a relationship perspective.


I believe that having training in both psychotherapy and family systems is a clear advantage. I would say even in my individual work, it is fairly common that presenting problems also include relational distress. I cannot express enough how beneficial it is to have everyone in the room. Even with my individuals, I will at times do a couples or family session to teach skills on communication for example. These are often more psycho-education as the individual is the client, but it is often very helpful. Same goes for my couples in that sometimes an individual session is recommended to explore history and how it affects the relationship. I believe this sets me apart from other therapists. 

If what I am sharing makes sense to you or sparks curiousity, I would love to talk with you more. Feel free to call or email me. 
 

Do you offer reduced rates?

The world would be a better place if every human had to opportunity to talk with a therapist when they needed to. If you would like to work with me and have a limited budget, I offer a 'pay what you can' option that I hope adds to the opportunity of mental healthcare.  
 

  • I reserve a few spaces on my calendar for the 'pay what you can' option. If this interests you, please reach out, and if they are filled, I can absolutely add you to my waitlist.

What is the In Person Hybrid Model?

I am now engaging in an experiment of going back to in person one day a week. Diana Snyder Therapy started as a virtual only practice. Recently, I had the pleasure to do an in person session and instantly remembered the unique experience of sitting in the same room. Two days after, I decided to sublet an office in Chestnut Hill, and give it a go. I became driven by an ardent belief that in person and online therapy have differences.

This is the fundamental reason why I chose to offer an in person hybrid model at an enhanced rate vs. a blanket rate increase across my entire practice. In person is certainly not indicated or preferred for everyone and so I wanted people to have options.

Online therapy is effective and offers connection with convenience; however, I believe in person therapy offers benefits that enhance the therapeutic experience such as the ability to detect minute changes in body language, co-regulation, the opportunity to use bio-feedback to help regulate the nervous system, and the undeniable power of physically leaning in, eye contact, and holding shared space. 

During our consultation, I am more than happy to collaborate on how to best meet your needs and expectations for the therapeutic experience. 

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A Bit of History
 
The pandemic transformed the mental health field as it made necessary the access the teleheath i.e. online therapy. Prior to 2020, I did not know of any therapist who offered an online or virtual option. It is possible there were some out there, but it certainly was not the norm. Therapy was beholden to location and the client encountered numerous barriers to care such as transportation, childcare, and limited scheduling due to rigid work schedule.

The pandemic changed everything. Being with another human in a small room suddenly became dangerous and we as a collective turned towards survival and stayed home. We knew people still needed mental healthcare, more so! As a field, we responded and in what seemed overnight, we were up and running. We had HIPAA compliant video platforms, updated telehealth consents, and refreshingly quick legislation authorizing reimbursement for telehealth services. As much as I would describe this as miraculous, this was by far not the biggest surprise.

The biggest surprise was the insistence and the persistence of human's ability and desire to MAKE CONNECTION. Despite.

We observed that online therapy was effective. Not only that, it broke down barriers! For the client, they could remain in the comfort of their own home. They no longer had to travel back and forth, perhaps braving unkind weather. Let's not mention SEPTA. Parents could put their children in bed and hop onto a couples session. You could schedule your therapy during your work lunch break. Therapy became more accessible. 

The pendulum swung. Many therapists, including myself switched to a completely online therapy practice. Despite these field changes, I believe that in person therapy is reclaiming its significance and redefining itself as a distinct therapeutic experience. 

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There is an undeniable benefit to being in the same room with another human. The In Person Hybrid Model offers this benefit with the  flexibility of the online option as needed or recommended. I believe as a culture we are remembering what was lost during the pandemic and we are in a corrective movement. My hope is to be part of this damping of the pendulum.

We as a species now have the ability to connect with anyone in the world through a screen. That is wild when you really think about it. Perhaps now that in person is now not the only option, that we now have more choices, that we can truly appreciate and notice the subtleties of a shared experience in a grounded and shared place on Earth.

Currently, the In Person Hybrid Model is only offered on Tuesday morning and early afternoon. If for any reason such as marked progress, change in availability, or preference, you can decide to switch to the virtual option and you be scheduled on another day as your standing appointment depending on my availability.

Thanks so much for reading!

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