# Welcome Hello there! This page exists to give you some important information without taking up our in-session time and so you’ve got it on hand. If you have any questions about any of it, feel free to reach out. ###### The Developmental Container For most people, especially if you have a particular goal in mind and plan to meet regularly, I suggest creating a [[💡 Developmental Container|Developmental Container]], which we can do together. ###### Session Frequency and Scheduling In my experience it's beneficial to have regular sessions, typically every week or every other week to both keep momentum and allow time for integration between sessions. Some people come in when they can, when they feel like it, when they want some extra support. Ultimately it's your choice. Please self-schedule your sessions via [Calendly](https://calendly.com/integralguide). You should get an email with a Zoom link and the ability to reschedule or [[Welcome#Cancellations|cancel if needed]]. If you’d like to have a consistent time-slot, let me know and I’ll block out the time for you. ###### Preparing for a Session It can be helpful to check in with yourself before our session and notice what's at the forefront of your mind around your topic or intention. If we were in the middle of a particular topic in our last session, I might mention that to see if you'd like to pick up where we left off. Sometimes life happens and something that seems totally disconnected from our last session or your intention for the practice, and that's okay. Your goals give focus to our work overall, but we are not limited by it. Sometimes you might have no idea how you want to spend our time, which is also okay. I may have some suggestions or we can just explore what's happening in the present moment and go from there – I've noticed these kinds of sessions are often the most fruitful as this practice is more than worth doing for its own sake. I'm a 'come as you are' kind of person. Show up however you like, in your PJs or in a hammock or on the couch – it's all welcome. ###### During Sessions Some people (myself included) like to have a notebook or document handy to jot a few things down, especially around [[🛠 Integration Experiments]] I might suggest. It can also be helpful to record any significant insights or reflections, as it could make integration easier.   Some things to keep in mind: - My role is to meet you where you’re at. At no point are you ”doing it wrong” or wasting time. Don’t worry about getting it right, just be as authentic as you feel safe to be and the rest will take care of itself. There are no wrong answers to anything. - Don’t make nice. If I say something that feels silly to you, say so. If I get something wrong or miss the mark, correct me. If I use language that doesn’t resonate or make sense, tell me. If I go too fast or too slow, tell me. - Ah-ha moments sometimes happen during a session, but they can also happen between sessions as your bodymind integrates what happened during. I'll keep track of our time, so you can stay immersed in the practice, and will start to bring us to a close around 5-10 minutes before time is up so we can pause and discuss what was helpful and what we may want to amend. If it feels like we're at the edge of something powerful and time allows, I may check in to see if you have a little extra time for us to see it through. I will do everything I can to ensure we don't end abruptly. ###### Post-Session This practice is powerful and sets the conditions to allow incremental, meaningful changes to unfold, which can snowball with time. Both of us may come away feeling more in touch with ourselves and the feeling of being "elsewhere" for a while.  Recent research in neuroscience shows that when we have these experiences, we open a five-hour "[[💡 Memory Reconsolidation|Memory Reconsolidation Window]]," which is a powerful time in which to soak in this new sense of ourselves in a lasting way. It is a good idea to take some time to incorporate a few [[🛠 Integration Experiments]] into those hours, and I'll likely suggest something to try.   There are more rigorous practices which can be done daily or several times a week. Those can be useful, but also hard for most folks to incorporate into their lives, and when we don't do them it can stoke [[💡 Polarization|polarizations]] and upset our [[🛡️ Criticizing|criticizing]] parts. I find that these micro-practices, especially if done within the window, are much easier and more effective in supporting us. ###### Payment I'll send you an invoice via Stripe or Venmo shortly after you schedule a call with me, even if you schedule weeks ahead. It's perfectly okay to wait to pay it until the day of our session, I just send them promptly so I don't forget later. If you'd like to pay for multiple sessions at once to get it out of the way, I'm open to that too.  Life happens, forgetfulness happens, that’s okay. Though session B can’t happen until session A has been paid for. ###### Confidentiality Any information that you share with me is confidential. That said, please know that I could be forced to disclose information under subpoena as I am neither a legal nor medical professional. ###### Cancellations I request 24 hour notice for cancellations and will do my best do the same for you. I know life happens, and I'm a pretty reasonable person about this, though if the cancelation is short notice I may still require payment. Short notice cancelations are unlikely to be filled, which can easily put me in an economically vulnerable and precarious situation. ###### Discontinuation There may come a time when you feel you’ve gotten what you needed from our practice together. You might also feel like I’m just not the right fit for you, and that’s okay – nobody's for everybody. You are free to stop at any time, though given that this work is personal and relational, I ask that we have a closing session to reflect on how our time has (or hasn't) served and offer each other anything else that might help our time feel complete. If that doesn’t feel possible, an email exchange will do, just so I know all is well and won’t be left wondering where you’ve gone. Please keep in mind, relationships are two-way, and it’s important that it feels like a good fit to both of us. So I may also discontinue and/or refer you to another practitioner if something feels beyond my abilities or for some other reason. ###### Referrals People in helping professions tend to struggle or thrive depending on referrals, and you’ve probably noticed that marketing is really not my thing (makes me feel icky). If you feel our time together is of benefit, please consider telling others about me where it feels comfortable for you. Finally, if you ever feel moved to write a experience report for my [[🧘 Practice With Me]] page, I’d love to add it as a small window into what it's like to do this practice together from your perspective. Just let me know, I won’t be bugging you about it. [^1]: