What your first session looks like.

The consultation is a short conversation, not a therapy session. You can share the broad reason you are reaching out: a call that replays, drinking that has become the plan after shift, sleep that no longer settles, relationship strain, or a history that feels ready for attention. You decide how much detail to give.

Brian can explain the practice, the Utah-only therapy boundary, fees, in-person and telehealth options, and the approaches he uses. You can ask whether he works with your role or concern, how privacy is handled, and what happens if a higher level of care is needed. The conversation is also a chance to notice whether his communication style fits what you want.

A free call does not commit you to an appointment. If the practice does not fit, you are allowed to keep looking. If it does, you can discuss scheduling the intake. Book the free consultation when you are ready.

You receive the information needed to begin care and review practice policies before the first full appointment. The administrative details help establish who you are, how to reach you, how payment works, and what you can expect from the practice. Bring questions instead of assuming you are supposed to understand every form on your own.

For telehealth, choose a private place in Utah with a reliable connection. Headphones and a closed door may help. At the start, you confirm your physical location and discuss a backup plan in case the connection drops. For in-person care, appointments take place in Midvale.

Payment is $150 for each 50-minute individual session and is due at the appointment. The practice does not bill insurance directly. An out-of-network superbill is available on request for you to control and submit for possible reimbursement.

The intake gives Brian a fuller understanding of what brings you in. You may discuss current symptoms, work and home life, important history, substance use, sleep, relationships, previous care, and what has or has not helped. The conversation is structured, but it is still collaborative. You can ask why a question matters and say when you need a pause.

Goals do not need to be perfect. You might want a memory to stop interrupting sleep, less irritability at home, a different relationship with alcohol, more ability to feel off duty, or clarity about what comes next. Brian helps make those goals specific enough to guide the work while leaving room for them to change.

Sobriety is not required. Honest information about alcohol or drug use helps Brian understand the full picture and determine whether outpatient individual therapy fits. This practice does not provide medication, medical detox, or legal advice.

Read why sobriety is not required to begin.

Brian explains confidentiality and its limits during intake. You can ask how records are handled, what information is shared, and what circumstances create a legal exception. You do not have to rely on a vague promise that everything is private.

This is a private practice, not an EAP and not contracted with any department, agency, or hospital. You pay the practice directly. If you request a superbill, you decide whether to submit it to an insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

If work privacy is the concern keeping you from starting, read Will My Department Find Out I’m in Therapy?. You can bring any remaining question to the consultation or intake and ask for a direct explanation.

The next step is not automatically the hardest memory. Early work may focus on stabilization, understanding patterns, clarifying goals, and building ways to return attention to the present. Your current responsibilities and the amount of support available outside the session help shape the pace.

You and Brian can consider EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, solution-focused therapy, or a combination. EMDR works with target memories through structured phases. ART uses guided eye movements and imagery. Solution-focused work defines what you want to be different and identifies concrete next steps and what is already helping.

You do not have to select a method alone. Brian explains the options, and you decide together what fits the target, your preferences, and your readiness. Compare EMDR and ART if those approaches are new to you.

Sessions can begin weekly and move to every other week as things stabilize. Cadence is not a promise about how quickly therapy will work and not a fixed number of sessions. It is a practical rhythm that you and Brian revisit based on goals, stability, scheduling, and what is happening in the work.

A difficult week may change what the appointment needs to hold. You may pause memory processing and focus on current stress, sleep, alcohol use, or a relationship conflict. A steadier period may create room to return to a target. The plan can adapt without losing sight of why you began.

You are allowed to ask how the work is being organized. Scaling progress, naming what has shifted, and revising goals can keep therapy from becoming an open-ended conversation without direction. Results cannot be promised, but clarity about the plan is reasonable to expect.

Brian Lewis is a Utah LCMHC, license #5497978-6009, with an MA in Health Systems Management & Counseling Psychology and training in EMDR and ART. He also uses solution-focused therapy. Individual counseling is available in person in Midvale and by telehealth anywhere in Utah. Therapy is not offered outside Utah.

Each 50-minute session is $150, paid at the appointment. There is no direct insurance billing. A superbill is available on request, and reimbursement is never guaranteed. You can review therapy costs and superbills for more detail.

You can book the free 15-minute consultation or send a message. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.