As I look back at all those client-contact moments and sessions, all the way to the beginning of my professional career, I’m hoping to see as clearly as possible what were the things that helped – really  – what were the crucial elements to the best outcomes? I can’t get past the conclusion that it was that first contact, that first conversation that truly set a positive tone for what followed.

Following right behind the active decision to seek help is the hugely emotional, but very real subjective experience of that first encounter.

It absolutely needed to be a reasonable version of what the client hoped would be true when they made the decision to consult – and made the move.

I went for the  90 minute session. I wanted more than a 50-minute hour. 90 minutes is long enough, but not too long. Plenty of time for the client to tell his or her story. Time to go back-and-forth. Questions. Follow-up. The fact that a good session can be calming, hopeful, insightful, informative, and concrete about the next steps more than compensates for the fact that, yes, the problem isn’t seldom completely solved in one session.

That $90 for those 90 minutes is obviously very reasonable – something even people with modest incomes can afford. My experience has been that people value something they pay for more than something that happens for free. And because my premise is that it’s entirely possible that someone will get enough of what they’d hoped would be the case from that 90-minute session, and there isn’t even a minor nudge or suggestion pushing for further consultation time, it actually encourages and enhances the likelihood that one session is enough and well worth it.

Here’s a link to my “90 for 90” page.

Plus here’s a look at my landing page for supervisors who also are parentshttps://shaunkieran.com/landing-page/.

Shaun Kieran

Hello@ShaunKieran.com

(207) 767-3864