We have come to our real work,
And when we no longer know which way to go
We have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.'
– Wendell Berry
'This we have now is not imagination
This is not grief or joy
Not a judging state, or an elation,
Or a sadness.
Those come and go.
This is the Presence that doesn't.'
– Rumi
'. . . I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention,
how to fall down
Into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
How to be idle and blessed, how to stroll
Through the fields,
Which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?'
– Mary Oliver
'Enough.
These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This
opening to the life
we have refused
again and again
until now.
Until
now.'
– David
Whyte
POLICIES
Timing: Sessions are 55 minutes
long, with five minutes’ cushion to ease us in and out of the room on
time. I am aware that psyche does not always conform to 55-minute
slots. Some people find they work best in 90-minute sessions.
Scheduling & Cancellations: We’ll work together to determine a regular weekly meeting time.
My hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9 am - 5 pm and Thursdays 2 - 7 pm. Please give 24 hours notice if you need
to
cancel an appointment. No-shows need to pay for the session in full.
Fees and Payment: I
charge $110 per hour, due at the last session of each month. Please keep track of the number of meetings we've had during the month, and I will do the same. Most people pay by check at the end of the month. You can also pay by credit card via Paypal. At your request, I can provide an end-of the-year invoice for tax purposes.
Insurance: My practice is entirely private pay -- I do not accept insurance. If you wish to be reimbursed by your insurance company, first check that you have mental health benefits that cover treatment by an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). I can fill out a Health Insurance Claim Form for you to send to your company.
Emergencies: I check my
voice mail daily except for weekends and vacations, and will return your call as
soon as possible. If you have a busy schedule, be sure to mention some
good times to reach you! Let me know if you feel a need to stay in
closer contact than this, and we can discuss further options.
E-mail Contact: Feel
free to e-mail me with brief check-ins, simple queries, or just to stay
in touch if we’re not actively working together. My address is
kerrymoran@earthlink.net. If you’ve got a last-minute issue, it’s
best
to leave a message on my voice mail, as I don't have email access at the office.
Telephone Sessions: Phone
sessions can be arranged if you’re traveling or otherwise unable to
make it to the office. I also do distance sessions with individuals outside of Portland -- click here for more info. I especially enjoy working with expatriates and people in multi-cultural situations.
Homework: Often I will
suggest some kind of assignment –a specific meditation or
self-observation, or perhaps some reading – for you to pursue in
the time between sessions. Very often it will be simply just noticing
the feelings that arise when a particular pattern is activated. Bring
in your experiences the following week, and we'll take it from there.
STAGES
OF THERAPY
Beginning
In the first session, we discuss what’s brought you here –
what motivated you to walk through the door, and what you’d like to get
out of our work together. In the next few sessions I’d like to get a
sense of your history in terms of family background, important
relationships, emotional patterns, sexuality, any traumas or health
issues, medications – the underpinnings of who you are today. Often we
can interweave this kind of history-taking with your current concerns.
Middle
Exploring your inner depths is a collaborative process,
but you are the final authority on your experience. I believe in the
integrity of the present moment, and find the best work is often done
by focusing on what’s going on right now, at deeper levels than we are
normally aware.
What to talk about in a session? What’s most important in your life and
in yourself in the moment; what is truly of concern to you right now.
This is not the same as listing your concerns or what’s happened during
the week, though it may require a few minutes of this at the beginning
to set aside the cares of the day. Use the hour to delve into what
really matters to you; to speak from your concern rather than about it.
Therapy provides a most valuable opportunity to focus at a level of
depth that’s often lacking in our lives.
I will sometimes share observations, trusting that you will know what
is true for you, and that you’ll let me know if you find something I do
or say to be off-target. If you’re feeling stuck in therapy for several
sessions in a row, or suspect that we’ve wandered off track, bring up
your concerns and we’ll work to reorient ourselves.
End
How long we work together is your decision; although I
find the most productive work happens in the medium to long-term
context – six months to
several years. Your decision to end therapy can occur at any point.
Ideally it will be a natural result of the work we’ve done together, a
sense of accomplishing the goals you came in with. At whatever point
you decide to terminate, please let me know at least one session in
advance, so that we can work together to create a good ending. In our
final time together we’ll wrap up loose ends, consciously acknowledge
what you’ve integrated, and define your current growing edges and how
you can continue to meet them.
I view therapy as an enhancement to personal growth, a way to deepen
our presence in our own lives, rather than a curative remedy or a
one-shot deal. As such, I find clients naturally weave in and out of
therapy, responding to the rhythms and demands of life – both inner and
outer.
© 2005 Kerry Moran
1308 NW
20th, Suite 7