Frequently Asked Questions

The unexamined life is not worth living.
- Socrates

In this modern era, it is through psychotherapy/counseling that the most thorough examination of one’s life is achieved.

Psychotherapy or counseling, sometimes referred to as “talk therapy,” is a process in which an individual, couple, or family collaborate with a trained professional to create a private and non-Judgmental environment for the purpose of discussing and resolving personal, relationship, or family problems with absolute confidentiality.

While the terms psychotherapy and counseling are sometimes used interchangeably, psychotherapy typically indicates a more in-depth analysis of the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors involved, and is the more accurate description of Dr. Evans’ work. This kind of consultation with a trained professional has been shown to drastically increase objectivity, clarification, and insight into most problems an individual, couple, or family might experience. With Dr. Evans, this process furthers the self-understanding, self-awareness, self-control, and the acceptance of self and others, by allowing for the expression of ideas, opinions, and emotions with a feeling of safety that might not exist in any other situation. Dr. Evans believes greater self-control is the natural - and inevitable - result of greater self-awareness - the holy grail of personal change.

The result is a new perspective based on new information, a better understanding of self, others, the issues involved, and an enhanced ability to make more rational and reliable life choices. Psychotherapy allows an individual to become the CEO of his/her life, and is a process from which everyone can benefit from time to time.

Psychotherapy is a proven technique for resolving various issues, including chronic problems which may have festered for years. Do you worry about issues that are affecting your happiness, relationships with family or friends, your job, your physical or mental health, etc.? Are you sleeping too much or too little? Are you eating too much or too little? Are you feeling stuck in life, or are you experiencing some paralysis because of limits you unconsciously place on decisions and life choices? Are you so uncomfortable alone that you accept one dysfunctional relationship after another?

From time to time, everyone experiences such difficulties in life and can benefit from the help and assistance available through psychotherapy, or, “talk therapy.” Therapy offers the client the opportunity to examine, confront, clarify and reassess their understanding of themselves and their situation. Psychotherapy can be extremely effective in helping people with problems as diverse as mild or major depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, parent-child-adolescent conflict, spouse and/or child abuse, parenting skills, marital strife, separation / divorce transition, problems with extended family, loss of a loved one, sexual issues, alcohol or drug issues, self-esteem issues, career issues, stress management, etc.

Personality or mood problems may also contribute to life problems, and are usually outside of the individual’s awareness. Increased self-knowledge and self-awareness inevitably gives more control over their thoughts, emotions, behavior, and life choices, setting the stage for personal improvement and growth.

Seeking help with troubling issues is a sign of maturity and strength, and results in not only an increased understanding of oneself, but a greater understanding of others and life circumstances. Individuals who have not experienced therapy before may feel some apprehension about the process. This is actually very common and quite understandable. Some clarification and understanding of the professional confidentiality that is an essential part of the therapeutic process usually resolves these concerns. Keep in mind there may be confidentiality issues when insurance companies are involved.

Therapy sometimes requires the sharing of highly personal, painful, or embarrassing information with the therapist. Discussions of a very personal nature may involve some anxiety in the beginning, but once the client understands the professional confidentiality and non-judgmental attitude offered by Dr. Evans, fears along these lines are usually resolved. Of course, the main goal of offering strict lifetime confidentiality is to create an environment in which the client feels totally free to discuss any event, behavior, emotion, opinion, etc., that they are experiencing or have experienced in the past.

Dr. Evans believes that the vulnerability and trust involved must be a 2-way street, and Dr. Evans may discuss his own life experiences when doing so may shed light on the client’s situation. With the more objective self-observations and insight that occur with Dr. Evans approach to therapy, clients frequently gain more control over their thoughts, emotions, and behavior through increased self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Your attitude towards your therapy and your willingness to be open with your therapist are most important in determining the outcome. A willingness to work at therapy, and a commitment to the therapeutic process for a period of time, will greatly increase the likelihood of success in achieving the designated goals. Clients who are willing to work in close partnership with Dr. Evans usually experience more productive and fulfilling lives.

Different therapists may view various problems as stemming from different sources, such as faulty thinking patterns, emotional over-reactions, peer pressure, cultural dynamics, etc. Dr. Evans looks at all of this within a framework of having each client become an expert about himself/herself via a fascinating process of self-discovery. With couples, their interactions are also a part of the discovery process. In most cases, Dr. Evans will also help individuals develop some understanding of their background and childhood history, and the role their parents may have played in the development and/or maintenance of current problems. Some understanding of the grandparents’ style of parenting may also play a role. Some circles need to be broken.

Within this framework, Dr. Evans uses an eclectic approach designed to meet the needs of each specific client/couple/family. Taking each client’s unique history and personality into consideration, an eclectic approach may involve the use of several theories and techniques to approach a particular problem, relationship, or family situation.

In all cases, Dr. Evans views problem analysis and the search for answers to be a collaboration between himself and the client(s). Most clients begin to feel better and more in control very soon after therapy begins, and continued progress during therapy is usually quite obvious to the client.

Dr. Evans almost always asks clients to complete homework assignments between sessions. These assignments usually involve some reading as part of a self-discovery exercise to help the client(s) better understand himself/herself, as well as relationship and/or family issues. The goal is to reach a more comprehensive resolution in the context of brief, time-limited therapy.

Therapy with Dr. Evans may involve some “philosophical counseling.” This may help address some broader life issues that may be having quiet or hidden effects on the client’s life.

With an effective partnership between client and therapist, psychotherapy can be very successful at helping individuals, couples, and/or families function more effectively and get more out of life. Psychotherapy typically ranges from a few weeks to a few months, although for most clients, it is just a few weekly sessions. Dr. Evans’ goal is to help clients achieve the results they desire as quickly as possible. To further this end, Dr. Evans may suggest that other family members or significant others join the counseling process.

Psychotherapy typically ranges from a few weeks to a few months, although for most clients, it is just a few weekly sessions. Dr. Evans’ goal is to help clients achieve the results they desire as quickly as possible. Dr. Evans does not try to keep clients coming back longer than necessary to fatten his bank account. Dr. Evans has had many clients tell him that a previous therapist told them during their very first session that they would need to be in therapy for a year or more. This is a money grab by therapists whose crystal balls are fake. How long therapy takes involves too many variables for valid predictions. But most clients who see Dr. Evans, and are willing to work at it, make relatively rapid progress.

The medications available today are true miracle drugs, which have helped millions of people lead relatively normal lives, sometimes after years of suffering. Anyone can develop a mental disorder just as anyone can develop a physical illness or disability. Both mild and more serious mental disorders may respond very well to modern psychotropic medications. In many cases, effective medications increase the likelihood of successful treatment in psychotherapy or “talk” therapy. For example, an individual who is experiencing some level of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc., may find that an effective medication allows them to be more rational and involved in talk therapy and better able to collaborate with the therapist in developing new responses to problematic situations.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that, in some cases, the best results are obtained with a combination of psychotherapy in conjunction with modern medications leading to a renewed sense of self and a new enthusiasm for life.

Therapy may require the sharing of personal or embarrassing information with Dr. Evans. With some exceptions (i.e., insurance companies, court testimony, etc.), Dr. Evans’ professional licensure mandates absolute lifetime confidentiality. Not only will all conversations with Dr. Evans remain private forever, the fact that you were his client will remain confidential – forever.

Once you understand the professional confidentiality and non-judgmental attitude offered by Dr. Evans, fears along these lines should not be a problem. Dr. Evans’ goal is to help you resolve issues and problems while experiencing a wonderful process of self-discovery. Dr. Evans understands that it is these very strict rules of confidentiality that create a climate in which his clients feel comfortable discussing any subject whatsoever.

If you will need a diagnosis or signed statement from your therapist for your insurance company, employer, etc., Dr. Evans encourages you to obtain in-person counseling with another therapist and/or obtain a psychiatric evaluation from a psychiatrist.

Of course, there are some situations in which the law requires Dr. Evans to break the rules of confidentiality. These situations include the potential for a client to harm himself/herself or harm others, litigation involving children, elderly, or handicapped, or litigation against Dr. Evans. Be aware that your insurance company may require you to sign a release before they offer you coverage and, in fact, you may already have signed such a release. You may want to consider paying for therapy yourself to avoid the loss of confidentiality that is a part of most insurance plans.