How You Can Get Started Working With Me
Welcome! Here are some steps to help guide you.
Step 1. Please spend some time with my web site. This will acquaint you with my services and give you sense of how I can help.
Here on my site, you’ll find detailed information about the therapy services I offer. This will help you to determine if the clinical specializations and the types of therapy that I offer align with what you are seeking. My site also contains over 385 articles and videos about mental health topics…I hope you find them helpful.
Step 2. If you wish to schedule the standard initial consultation please use this button to book your appointment.
NEW CLIENT? BOOK YOUR 90-MINUTE INTAKE HERE
My practice tends to be quite full, so if you have any trouble finding an open appointment, don’t hesitiate to reach out to me and I will do my best to help.
Step 3. If you want to speak briefly to decide whether or not to book your appointment let me know. I offer a 15 minute phone consultation. The purpose is to advise you as to whether or not it makes sense to schedule a standard initial consultation appointment. I’ve included instructions below about how to prepare for the phone call.
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How To Prepare For Your 15 Minute Phone Consultation
I’m looking forward to talking with you!
The brief phone consultation is designed for people who have already thoroughly familiarized themselves with the basic details about my services.
After I ask you the following questions, I will advise you as to whether or not I recommend scheduling an initial consultation with me.
We will only have 15 minutes, so please be prepared. In your phone call, I’ll be asking you the following questions:
- What exactly are you looking for?
- What are your current and most troubling symptoms?
- What are your specific treatment goals?
- Why are you interested in becoming a patient in my practice?
- Why now?
- What specific question do you have that makes you wonder whether or not you should schedule an standard initial consultation appointment?
15 minutes goes very quickly. We won’t have time to drift from the above questions so please thoroughly review the following F.A.Q s. before our call.
I also strongly recommend that you spend time with my website. On my site, you’ll find more detailed information about the therapy services I offer. This will help you to determine if the clinical specializations and the types of therapy that I offer align with what you are seeking. My site contains over 385 articles and videos about the mental health issues I treat and the treatments I offer…I hope you find them helpful.
FAQ’s-
Do I have to be a California Resident to work with you?
No, I only provide psychotherapy to California residents. I provide coaching, consultation and educational services to clients globally.
Can you tell me about your fees and insurance options?
My practice is entirely fee for service. Please review current financial information here: https://michaelgquirke.com/my-practice/
What is your address?
Please see below. My office addresses are listed at the bottom of every page.
What are your business hours?
My practice is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
What conditions do you treat?
I specialize in treating clients who have experienced trauma. Therefore, most, but not all of my patients have experienced early trauma and neglect. Many have also experienced major incident trauma. I have extensive experience treating all the major co-occuring conditions and symptoms which are commonly associated with trauma. These include:
- Complex PTSD
- Developmental Trauma
- Dissociative Disorders
- PTSD
- ADD/ADHD
- Depression
- Anxiety Disorders (Including Panic and OCD)
- Sleep Problems
- Emotional regulation problems
- Executive Functioning difficulties
Do you work with couples?
Yes.
What treatment modality would be most effective for me?
Without knowing you, your history or conducting a full intake assessment, I can’t say. After we complete the intake assessment, I would have a better idea.
How long will therapy/coaching or consultation take?
Without knowing you, your history, your goals or conducting a full intake assessment, I can’t say.
What is your treatment philosophy?
People are unique. I work integratively with clients to address all levels of their suffering. Because we are all individuals, I offer a few different effective ways of working. Together, we will customize a treatment plan that is right for you. The truth is that many approaches to therapy work, they just have to be right for you and your situation.
How do EMDR, Neurofeedback, Trauma treatment, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, DBT etc. work?
If we decide to have you become a patient in my practice, I will address all your questions and concerns about treatment. We’ll do this both before we begin and as we go along. For patients who request, I’m happy to provide book recommendations that can further your understanding about any of the treatments I use. Please also consult my website. It contains over 350 articles, many of which discuss treatment modalities.
Can I just meet with you once every few weeks?
No. It’s very rare that any progress in treatment occurs when patients meet less often than weekly. My practice is specifically designed to meet the needs of patients who are seeking intensive and thorough treatment.
I meet with clients a minimum of 1 time per week. Most of my clients attend therapy with me from 1.5- 3 hours per week.
I already have a therapist, can I see you for adjunctive treatment?
Possibly. I do very limited adjunctive work, and do so only very selectively. For many patients, adjunctive work is contraindicated. I can only determine this by conducting my standard intake assessment interview to determine if I recommend this kind of treatment approach for you.
Which modality is best for me? How do you decide what you recommend?
The purpose of the initial consultation assessment is twofold. First, it is meant to determine if you are a good candidate for psychotherapeutic treatment. Second, it is designed to make specific treatment recommendations for you.
When can we meet?
I tend to have openings in my practice approximately every 6 weeks. My online scheduler is updated daily and I maintain an active waiting list. If we decide to meet, I will do my best to make that happen as quickly as possible.