FAQs

What will our first session look like?

When you send me an email or call, we'll set up a free 15 minute phone call to meet and see if we're a good fit. While this may be a tough phone call for you to make to a total stranger, it's my job to create an accepting and reassuring space, not yours.

How will I know if we're a good fit?

Like dating, sometimes therapy is about chemistry. You just click. Still, our most rewarding relationships grow over time. A good therapist should make you feel safe and comfortable enough to share your deepest concerns. They'll also make you feel a little uncomfortable as you explore old wounds or painful truths. And that's okay, too. In fact, it's a sign of progress.

My view of therapist-shopping is this: Give any new therapist three sessions to get started. Then, if you don't feel you're a match, it's perfectly okay to say so. As therapists, we're pros. We understand the search process and we want the best for you. No therapist should ever make you feel like you there for them, instead of you.

Do you accept insurance? How much will it cost?

I'm happy to provide a bill for you to file for out-of-network benefits, but psychotherapy isn't like other services covered by insurance. When you receive in-network benefits, insurance companies require a diagnosis from the DSM-V, sharing of your confidential information, and a say in how much therapy you're entitled to.

I offer a sliding scale to make therapy affordable to most people, but we'll spend our time together focused on you, not your claim forms. You can pay by credit card using a secure portal, or by cash or check.

How long is each session?

A standard session runs 45 to 50 minutes but I don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. In certain cases, sessions that run longer, shorter, or more frequently can be particularly helpful. Young clients often benefit from 30-minute sessions. We'll plan these sessions in advance.

What's your approach to therapy?

Research tells us, to quote the research, "The therapy relationship makes substantial and consistent contributions to psychotherapy outcomes independent of the specific type of treatment" and "the therapy relationship accounts for why clients improve (or fail to improve) at least as much as the particular treatment method."

I have spent years studying emotional healing across time, culture and age span, and believe there are different spiritual, behavioral, environmental, physical, and emotional causes for distress and suffering, each of which might need their own kind of healing. My approach is to bring caring curiosity to your story and to create a relationship where you feel safe to explore what has brought you to the point of wanting something to change. Together, we can learn to understand your causes of suffering in new ways, empowering behavioral change, emotional growth, and cultural healing. [Link to individual therapy page]

Do you work with children and parents?

Yes. I work parents of infants to address the stresses and adjustments of new parenthood. I'm trained in play-therapy for school-aged children and I also work with tweens, teens, and emerging adults. Learn more here. [Link to parents and children page]

How long will it take?

While there are no quick fixes, therapy shouldn't be an endless process. It may take longer to resolve long-held beliefs and patterns, but some issues may see marked improvement in a matter of months. We'll set periodic goals for therapy and stay on top of them to assure you're making good progress.