Dr. Sophia Aguirre has expanded her practice! Please visit the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy for more information!
, PhD, CGP, FAGPA
Licensed Psychologist & Certified Group Psychotherapist
CLINICAL SERVICES
The process begins with filling out the Appointment Request Form so that I may determine if my services may be of benefit to you. If I determine my services may be a good fit for your needs, we then proceed with scheduling an appointment for Initial Assessment; this meeting is a time for me to become acquainted with your current struggles and what you wish to address in therapy. It is also an opportunity for you to get a sense of who I am and how I work. At the end of the initial assessment, I will share with you my initial clinical impressions and treatment recommendations which may include individual therapy, relationship therapy, and/or group therapy.
Individual Psychotherapy
At the end of the initial assessment session, I will share my clinical impressions and treatment recommendations. I may recommend short-term or long-term individual psychotherapy. Treatment recommendations will be tailored to your unique needs and specific concerns, and may include individual psychotherapy, couple's counseling, group psychotherapy, or a combination of these services. If we determine that I am not the right therapist for you to work with, I will be happy to provide you with referrals to other professionals who may be better able to serve you. The severity of the issue and the level of need determine the course and length of treatment. The length of therapy will be discussed early on your treatment, and will be revised as needed as treatment progresses. Typically, I meet with an individual once a week. Individual sessions last approximately 45 – 50 minutes.
Individual psychotherapy involves you, the patient, talking to me, the therapist about your concerns, issues, desires and goals. These sessions may focus on current or past problems, thoughts and feelings, relationships, etc. Together we will explore the factors that are contributing to your distress and and thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may be keeping you from achieving your goals. There are many approaches to dealing with these issues. Often, the process will include learning new coping skills, increasing self-understanding, exploring life patterns, and gaining a better sense of how you interact and relate to others. You can read more about my approach to therapy here.
Couples & Relationship Counseling
Romantic relationships, at their best, can be deeply satisfying, rich and fulfilling experiences. When conflict arises, they can also be a source of hurt, sadness, and frustration. For partners who are struggling in their relationship, counseling provides a safe environment in which each partner can feel heard and understood. Healthy communication is one of the most important ingredients of a successful relationship. Relational counseling can help increase clarity and improve communication skills, so that our clients leave therapy with a better understanding of themselves, their partner, and the the negative patterns that are hindering the quality of the relationship(s), regardless of the outcome.
I believe healthy relationships can exist in a variety of constellations, including those that have non-traditional/multi-partner configurations, or identify as non-monogamous/open, or polyamorous. I strive to be sensitive the unique needs and challenges of marginalized communities, such as sexual and gender minorities. I enjoy helping individuals in non-traditional relationships cultivate deeper, intimate and more satisfying partnerships from a shame-free and empowerment paradigm.
Relationship counseling for non-traditional relationships can be particularly useful in addressing the following concerns:
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Assisting partners and individuals explore what form of ethical non-monogamy is best suited for them
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Helping partners negotiate agreements and ethical boundaries of their relationships
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Providing support for poly individuals in the "coming out" process
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Identifying and negotiating cultural differences and power dynamics
Group Psychotherapy
Group psychotherapy is one of the most powerful therapeutic tools for growth and change. The power of a group lies in that a therapy group allows for the creation of a person's social microcosm: group members bring their issues to the group and usually re-experience or recreate some of the interpersonal difficulties that prompted them to seek therapy in the first place. Thus, while you speak about your struggles in individual psychotherapy, you live out your struggles in group therapy. For example, if you tend to feel alienated or disconnected from others in your life, you will probably experience similar feelings in the group. Group therapy provides you the unique opportunity where you can receive honest, helpful, and challenging feedback from your peers allowing you to develop deeper awareness of your struggles and relational patterns ( ie, how they impede you from having more satisfying relationships with others and with your own self). Equipped with this new insights, the safe, supportive therapeutic atmosphere of a therapy group provides the ideal place to experiment with new, more effective ways of relating to others, with the goal being that you can then apply these insights and skills in your life outside of group.
To learn more about group therapy and current group offerings, please visit my Group Therapy page.
Online Psychotherapy
Through PSYPACT legislation, I now offer online therapy in these states:
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Alabama
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Arizona
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Colorado
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Delaware
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DC
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Georgia
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Idaho
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Illinois
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Indiana
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Kentucky
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Maine
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Maryland
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Minnesota
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Missouri
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Nebraska
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New Hampshire
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New Jersey
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Nevada
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North Carolina
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Ohio
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Oklahoma
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Oregon
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Pennsylvania
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Tennessee
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Texas
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Utah
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Virginia
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Washington
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West Virginia
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Wisconsin
I believe that it is important for therapy to be accessible for everyone - including busy professionals. Online therapy (also known as Telehealth or telepsychology) increases the accessibility of therapy by reducing some of the barriers that the demands of daily life and busy schedules can impose. In addition to being practical and convenient, recent research has demonstrated that is just as effective, and in some cases, more effective than in-person therapy. I provide the same quality of care, warmth, and connection and utilize the same therapeutic interventions as I do in person, but through virtual face-to-face online sessions. My clients are often surprised that our sessions through online therapy is just as in-depth and enriching as are our in person sessions.
Online therapy gives you the benefits of traditional therapy from the comfort and convenience of your own home (or other private place such as an office, car, hotel room, etc. ), without having to deal with traffic, long commutes, or taking time off work. Additional benefits of online therapy include:
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higher level of privacy and confidentiality as no one will see you entering and exiting from a therapy office
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the comfort of meeting from your own home, in your own environment
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the convenience of receiving therapy even when you are traveling or out of town
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time to gather your thoughts before and after our sessions, by eliminating the need to rush back to your car
How Online Therapy Works
The video conferencing platform that I use is through Simple Practice and it is very simple to access and extremely easy to use. Most importantly, it is secure (encrypted to the federal standards) and HIPPA-compliant. To access online therapy services, you will need a high speed internet connection and private, secure location free from interruptions. Once we have scheduled an online therapy session, I will send you a link to connect with me, and then, a few minutes before the start of your appointment, you can use your smart phone, tablet, laptop or PC to log in to your session. It's that simple!