Counseling that helps people

get better sooner & stay better longer

First Appointment

For Adults

• At your first meeting, you will get acquainted with Dr. Carroll Cradock in a comfortable, confidential environment. She will listen to your reasons for seeking counseling and get an idea of your personal goals; after a brief assessment of your general well-being, Dr. Cradock will discuss her plan and recommendations with you, examining the next steps to begin making progress as soon as possible. You will feel right at home from your very first meeting, leaving hopeful of the collaborative relationship that will set you on your way to the improved life you deserve.

For Children

• Parents usually wonder what to tell their children about going to see a psychologist, especially younger ones. What usually helps is to tell your child that you have found someone who helps kids with the feelings and problems they have and that she helps them make the problems go away. When children meet with Dr. Carroll Cradock, she will listen and talk with them, then interact through drawing and playing to help them feel stronger, comfortable, and confident that the problems can go away. Some parents refer to Dr. Carroll Cradock as a “feelings teacher” or “feelings doctor.” Whatever you tell them, it’s important to let your child know that this is not the kind of doctor that gives shots!

What happens at the first appointment?

• Generally at the beginning, Dr. Carroll Cradock meets with the parents and child or adolescent together to go over the reasons for coming and what everybody hopes for as a result of the counseling. Then, after the child is comfortable in the office, and depending upon the child’s age, she shifts the focus to the client.
• Depending upon their age and comfort level, she may meet with the child alone, especially if the child is older than six or a teenager. At the end of the session (which usually takes about an hour), she gives the parents and child her recommendations about the most beneficial approach to treatment, and parents and kids leave the first meeting hopeful, with a clear ideas about how to make things better as soon as possible.