THERAPY

At Will Psychology, we view therapy as a personal and powerful conduit for self-understanding and change-making. We're motivated to help you deeply know yourself, build meaningful connections with others, and gain clarity and confidence. When you find a provider who's right for you, therapy becomes a safe space where you can be your authentic self. Where you are seen, known, and valued. It becomes a powerful relational experience that helps you grow and heal. We support clients as they explore and deepen awareness, authenticity, and connection.

We welcome clients of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, cultures, abilities, and religious backgrounds. Many of our clients are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In virtual therapy, the session takes place where where the client is located. All clinicians at Will Psychology are licensed to treat clients in Indiana. Additionally, Joanna Will is licensed in New York, and Sarah Gonzalez is a member of PSYPACT, which enables her to virtually treat clients residing in 43 additional states (please check this map to see if your state participates in PSYPACT).

Our therapists use treatment approaches that are integrative, holistic, and trauma-informed, with consideration of social and systemic factors that contribute to mental health. Each clinician has different speciality areas; we invite you to explore this site to learn more! In particular, Dr. Will primarily uses Internal Family Systems (IFS) and psychodynamic therapy, while Dr. Gonzalez incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and interpersonal approaches.

A man stands with his back to the camera and his arms outstretched. He is facing the sunrise and standing on red rocks.

welcome to:

some breathing room.

re-establishing safety.

connection.

healing.

clarity.

SPECIALTY AREAS OF OUR PRACTICE

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DEPRESSION

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anxiety & stress

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TRAUMA

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high-achievers

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forensic evaluation

THERAPY APPROACHES

offered at Will Psychology

INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a unique treatment approach which - contrary to it's name - is used in individual therapy. IFS is based on the idea of multiplicity; that is, the belief that humans are not one-dimensional. Instead, we have many "parts" of ourselves that hold beliefs, emotions, and roles. For example, many of us have problem-solving parts, perfectionistic parts, and parts that dissociate, avoid, or distract.

Rather than trying to eliminate unwanted thoughts or behaviors, IFS helps us approach our parts with curiosity, compassion, and a desire to connect. We befriend the parts of ourselves that protect us from shame, embarrassment, or rejection, and we get to know how they are helping us. Through this process, we can also support and help the wounded younger parts of us who hold difficult memories of rejection, fear, and trauma. Through IFS, we learn how to connect to our inner wisdom, ultimately gaining increased clarity and self-acceptance. If you're interested in IFS, reach out for a consultation with Dr. Joanna Will, who has completed level 1 and level 2 training in this approach through the IFS Institute.

PSYCHODYNAMIC & RELATIONAL THERAPY

Psychodynamic and relational therapeutic approaches focus on the whole lifespan and early attachment experiences. In psychodynamic therapy, clients explore how early experiences and relationships shaped their development, identity, and current behavioral patterns. Clients use insights from the past to understand defensive responses in the present.

In relational psychotherapy, we view healing through the therapeutic relationship. We explore relationship and communication patterns that you learned early in life, and then we explore how those patterns get experienced in the therapy room. The therapeutic relationship becomes a primary mechanism of change, because when clients develop greater insight into their relational patterns in therapy, they can then generalize new ways of relating in their connections outside of therapy.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a highly evidence-based treatment approach that explores the relationships between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In CBT, clients learn to identify and alter unhelpful or distressing thought patterns. CBT also includes behavioral activation strategies, like helping you get up and moving to combat your depression. CBT has a present-day focus: in comparison to other therapy techniques, CBT focuses on the here and now, not the past. CBT is a collaborative and solutions-focused therapeutic approach, often involving homework and more structured therapy sessions.

If you're looking for CBT therapy, or other third-wave approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Dr. Sarah Gonzalez would be a great fit for you!

WHAT TO EXPECT

IT STARTS WITH A CONSULTATION CALL:

Once you fill out our contact form, one of our therapists will follow-up by email or phone to set up a free 20-minute consultation call. This call gives you a chance to explain what you're seeking from therapy. This call also allows you to get a feel for the clinician on the other end of the line, to see if it feels like a good fit. We'll answer any questions you have about us, our practice, our approach, and what therapy looks like with us.
If things go well on the call, and you want to move forward:

THEN WE'LL SET UP A FIRST THERAPY SESSION:

We'll pick a time and date that work well for you. We have both face-to-face therapy (in Indianapolis) and virtual (across the state of Indiana and New York) options available. Our virtual sessions are conducted on a secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform (all you need is a Chrome browser - no downloads required)!
Your clinician will send you a link to our secure patient portal, Sessions Health.
You'll fill out intake paperwork before your first therapy session.
Your first "intake" session is a bit longer than a typical therapy session (approximately 75 minutes). In your first session, this is where you dig into all the good stuff 1:1 with your new therapist. Your therapist will probably ask you a lot of questions about your past experiences, your current circumstances, and your future goals. You'll identify what you hope to achieve through therapy: this will ultimately form the roadmap of your treatment plan.

AS THERAPY CONTINUES:

Typical follow-up sessions are 50 minutes, unless you and your therapist decide that extended 80-minute sessions are right for your needs.
The first few sessions are "getting to know you" time. This is the vibe check: do you feel comfortable with your new therapist? Do they make you feel heard, seen, and safe? Are they responding to you in a way that feels helpful? Your sense of safety and feeling truly heard are the most important goals of early sessions. We know that trust does not always come easy, especially if you've had some negative experiences with therapy in the past. We're in this with you every step of the way.
Our therapists are open to your input and feedback about what is going well and what changes you might like to see in the sessions.
A treatment plan is something your therapist creates, with your input, that gives you both a sense of direction for the therapy work together. The treatment plan is often created in the first one to two months of treatment, and then adjusted or changed as clients meet their goals and develop new ones, or when new issues arise in therapy that take priority. Your therapist will check in with you every once in a while to make sure you're on the same page about your goals.

OUR OFFICE IN NORA (INDIANAPOLIS):

An office, with a white chair, olive green couch, white and green rug, several tall lamps, and warm wood furniture.

Office waiting room includes a blue couch, two grey chairs, lamps, and a white and gray rug.