Two Chairs Medical Services, A Professional Corporation

I have enjoyed therapy with two Two Chair therapists, with fairly different backgrounds and ages (I’m 81). Both have been clearly focused on the goals we set from the beginning, both have helped me tremendously in my quest to be a better person and to deal with inner demons that have plagued me most of my life. Two Chars is a contractor with Kaiser, which I commend for having selected such a capable provider. Two Chairs as a treatment group have a wide range of therapy approaches for the wide range of patients entering their ecology. The intake interviews have yielded excellent matches in both times I’ve come to them. The therapy mission is to set clear goals (my input) and develop a practical, intelligent, way to meet those goals (their input). Together, we have managed a large degree of success. Therapy in my view is as good as the focus and integrity I bring to it. Nearing end of life focuses needs intensely and both experiences have yielded very satisfactory, lasting results. The second series has different goals, but builds on my experience and learning from the first. From my point of view, the entire structure of the organization and professionals who staff it are what I hope all future psychological services are modeled upon.

I recently decided to try therapy for the first time and chose Two Chairs because of their intake and therapist matching process. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing from the start. The initial intake session was quite expensive, and I expected a thoughtful conversation focused on understanding my needs and ensuring a good therapist match. Instead, the interaction felt uncomfortable, and the intake coordinator repeatedly used labels to describe my personality that didn’t feel accurate or helpful. I still decided to give the therapy session a chance. However, when I asked if I could try just one session before committing to a weekly program, I was told that wasn’t possible and that I would have to enroll weekly and cancel later if it didn’t work out. The actual therapy session was even more discouraging. Within the first few minutes of logging in, it felt like the therapist was unprepared. There was very little introduction, several long awkward pauses, and the therapist asked basic questions about why I was seeking therapy. Information I had already provided in detail during the intake session. It gave the impression that my background had not been reviewed beforehand. Overall, the session felt disorganized and left me feeling more drained than supported. Given the cost of the service, I expected a more thoughtful and prepared experience. Therapy can be a vulnerable first step for many people, and unfortunately this experience made that step much harder than it needed to be. Unfortunately, this first experience was discouraging enough that it made me question whether pursuing therapy right now is even worth it.