My waitlist is open.
If you would like to become a patient/client, first please carefully read PATIENT/CLIENT INFORMATION below to see if it sounds like a good fit for you or not. Then, if it sounds like a good fit, email me at drnhagen5@gmail.com, to tell me the following:
-that you read it and that " it is a good fit"
-if there are appointment times that you do NOT want to be contacted about for the first session. This may delay the onset of your therapy
-your cell number
-whether you might be available on short notice to fill a cancellation
-how you heard about me
Please leave out personal information as email is not secure enough for privacy.
Instead, please -leave me a brief message on my confidential voicemail (403-981-8674) telling me briefly about yourself and why you're interested in therapy, or
-mail me a brief note to: Dr. Nora Hagen
39 W. Terrace Dr.
Cochrane, AB, T4C 1R5
I will then add you to the waitlist, and contact you when there is an opening.
If your situation is urgent, please ask your doctor to call me.
PATIENT/CLIENT INFORMATION
Psychotherapy is a clinical setting for which clear guidelines are helpful to assure the best possible outcome for you.
Unless we plan otherwise, sessions are 50 minutes long for individuals and 80 minutes long for couples or families. It is important that sessions start and end on time. This allows me to be on time for you.
What we cover in our sessions will always be kept strictly confidential, with certain legally defined exceptions that involve safety (yours, another’s, or a child’s). If there is anything you do not wish me to communicate to your family doctor when I write to him or her, please let me know.
There will be no prescriptions phoned in. It is YOUR responsibility to keep track of when you are running low and have no remaining refills so that you can request a prescription in person before you run out. In the rare instance that it is necessary to fax in a prescription, there will be a fee of $20 for this service.
It is very important that you cancel or reschedule appointments at least 48 hours in advance. This allows me to have the chance to book someone else into that spot. Otherwise I need to bill you $180 for an individual session and $270 for a couple or family session. (If this amount is not possible for you, it can be negotiated if necessary but we need to do so ahead of time). If you have a problem with this, please discuss it with me.
Over the first three sessions we will be able to determine how good of a therapeutic match there is between you and me. I will be able to determine whether I think I can help you, and you can see whether you can work well with me and whether you want to continue this type of therapy.
Part of what I do is an assessment regarding medication. I may or may not recommend the use of medication or a change in your medication. If you are currently not on any medication and I recommend you try one, I need you to be open to entertaining the idea, and I can address any concerns you may have. The reason for this is that we want the best possible results, and depending on your case, this may be with the combination of psychotherapy and medication, as research has shown. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of taking medication, you may want to read the article on this topic which you can find on this website (under ARTICLES). For your well-being, I need an agreement in place that we will always make decisions about medication as a team. That means that it is NOT OK to make changes in your medication on your own unless instructed to do so. This is because people routinely make poor decisions based on negative emotions or lack of information. If you have a concern that cannot wait til the next scheduled appointment, you can text me about it.
I do what is categorized as “time-effective body centered” therapy: It’s my plan to EMPOWER you and help you work me out of a job sooner rather than later, and to ensure that worthwhile gains are made at every session.
The main requirements I have so that you can succeed at this kind of therapy are:
you have a high level of motivation to grow,
you have a commitment to the therapy that brings you regularly to each appointment,
you are going to always be COMPLETELY honest with me
you are open to learn about your inner world,
you are able to focus in order to explore your inner world including body sensations
your life is free of addiction to or abuse of substances
there is no major chaos or lack of safety (you are not living on the street; you are not lacking a support system, you don’t have a secret life you plan on hiding from me, and so on).
IN BETWEEN SESSIONS, you need to be:
a) committed
b) able to increase your self-awareness and be engaged in the learning/growth process
c) spend time reflecting on and practicing things learned in sessions
d) using the tools learned in sessions to speed up your transformation and help yourself feel better
If you don’t meet these requirements, you are in need of other forms of support in programs and/or therapy, and I encourage you to seek these.
I provide a safe, nonjudgmental, respectful environment in which we work together. We use a particular state of awareness called mindfulness, in which you take your time to pay attention to your inner world, where you notice things like thoughts, feelings, body sensations, images, memories, and impulses. This is very valuable because many of our deepest beliefs about life remain out of awareness (unconscious), and with mindfulness, they can be brought to light. Together we will work to understand your deep inner beliefs about yourself and the world, and the early experiences that created those beliefs. Once you’re aware of your beliefs and how they show up in various patterns (of action, thought, and posture) in your life, you can explore making preferable choices, choices that are possible now. I use Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Hakomi, narrative therapy, energy psychology and a variety of experiential methods. This healing journey can be challenging, as well as very rewarding. I consider it a privilege to accompany you along part of your journey, and teach you how to continue your healing journey on your own.
We need to be seeing adequate progress towards your goals in order for it to make sense for us to continue. As the sessions are covered by Alberta Health Care, there is a risk for some people to become dependent on therapy. We definitely do NOT want to do you a disservice by allowing this disempowerment to happen.
Though I am very excited about this type of therapy, it is not the type of therapy that everyone is looking for, nor is it the most appropriate type depending on the circumstances. If it doesn’t sound like a good fit for you at this point in time, there is nothing wrong with that, and there are a lot of other approaches to therapy that are readily available.
If you decide to end the therapy sessions, I would request that we meet for a final session for you to review progress to date, plan for your ongoing growth on your own, and so that we can have closure. Also, I need to know whether to continue to provide time for you in my schedule. It is important for you to know that, at the end of therapy, the door is always open should you need to return.
I would be addressing your mental health. You would need to see your family doctor for physical concerns.
Appointments are generally available Mon. to Fri., with the first one at 10:45 AM and the last one at 4 PM.
My office is in my home. For this reason, if there is even any remote risk that safety could be compromised in any way, even if it’s only through someone you used to know, I cannot see you.
Also, for this reason, I request that you refrain from calling between 10 PM and & 7:30 AM unless it is an emergency.
To ensure your privacy, please do NOT send any personal information by email or text. Instead, please leave me a confidential message at 403-981-8674.
Texting to 403-607-5813 is fine for appointments. Please do NOT call the 403-607-5813 number, or text the 403-981-8674 number, which is a landline.
Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the above.
For couples and family relationships (with whom I enjoy working) we will also be exploring the dynamics of the relationship (i.e. how you affect each other) in the same safe, nonjudgmental manner, and finding ways of interacting that promote more closeness and harmony. I will remain objective and compassionate to each of you, and will not take sides with anyone. I will help you see that you are both on the same side against some habitual patterns that are working against your relationship. Whereas it is preferable for couples to remain together if possible, and I will work to support that goal, ultimately I support the growth of each of the individuals, and what is most appropriate given the circumstances as things change over time. If a couple decides to separate, I will assist them in having mutual respect and peace with it.
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