Session Recommendations
How I Recommend Session Length and Treatment Planning
At Untangled Mind, therapy isn't a guessing game. Every session plan—whether 50 minutes or 75—is grounded in data, strategy, and your personal goals. This page explains how I determine session length and treatment frequency based on your assessment scores, clinical needs, and therapeutic objectives.
Why Session Length Matters
Not every therapeutic concern fits neatly into 50 minutes. While this standard session length works well for many clients, deeper or more complex issues—like trauma, prolonged grief, or severe anxiety—may require more space to work effectively.
Longer sessions (75 minutes) are never about "talking longer." They're about doing deeper work with the time and structure needed to:
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Complete trauma reprocessing without interruption
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Navigate exposure therapy or imaginal work with care
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Debrief and emotionally stabilize before ending
The Role of Assessment & Data
When we begin our work together, you'll complete a comprehensive set of assessments—tailored to your presenting concerns. These assessments aren't used to label you. They're used to:
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Identify the severity of your symptoms
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Highlight underlying patterns (emotional, cognitive, behavioral)
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Guide session structure and focus
Based on this data, I provide an estimated number of sessions and session length recommendations. These are not hard rules—they're clinical starting points that are adjusted as you progress.
Severity-Based Session Guidelines
These ranges are based on both research-informed practices and 25+ years of CBT application in real-world therapy. They reflect what typically leads to meaningful progress—not prolonged dependence.
When Extended Sessions Are Recommended
Extended 75-minute sessions are ideal for clients engaging in:
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EMDR reprocessing
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Prolonged Exposure (PE)
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Processing complicated grief
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Working through layered anxiety and trauma histories
In these cases, the extra time ensures we can fully work through difficult material without rushing—and still allow for regulation and closure.
A Transparent, Collaborative Approach
You're never locked into a specific format. We’ll revisit your plan regularly, re-assess your progress, and adapt as needed. Extended sessions are always discussed collaboratively, and only recommended when they support your therapeutic goals.
If you're ever unsure which format is right for you, we’ll talk about it. You're the expert on your experience. I'm here to help you untangle it with clarity, structure, and forward movement.
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