FAQ
What do you offer?
I provide individual and couple therapy for those 18 and above. I also work with the family as a unit when needed. On occasion, I offer group therapy around a specific topic or issue. Some past offerings have been: anger management, parenting, grief, and addiction recovery. Types of behavioral health issues I treat most often include anxiety, depression, addiction recovery, loss of spouse and other grief, trauma, parenting, and conflicts in primary relationships.
How do you approach therapy?
I take a collaborative approach to treatment. That means I invite you to actively participate in creating goals for therapy and what we focus on for each session. In all cases, I will obtain a family of origin history, current symptoms, assess coping skills, and identify your communication patterns. In addition, I look for underlying issues not readily evident from the surface problem. For example, someone may come in for anger flare-ups in their marriage, but the real issue is an unresolved resentment with a past family member.
Do I really need therapy? How can therapy help me?
An effective therapist provides a trained listening ear to detect problematic behavior patterns. Once revealed, these behavior patterns can be unpacked to discover how they connect to root causes. When connections are made to historical issues, then therapy becomes the process by which you initiate cognitive and behavioral changes that heal.
This might sound straightforward, but we don’t know what we don’t know unless we have a trusted individual help uncover what’s hidden from our own awareness. Therapy is one method of doing this. Social supports can also provide this, but deeper psychological exploration puts strain on a friendship. If you sense you are leaning heavily on others for emotional support on a consistent basis, it could be time to seek therapy.
I’ve never been to therapy, what can I expect?
Therapy sessions typically last between 50-55 minutes. The first session, often referred to as the intake, is a “get to know you” session. There will be some history taking, exploration of what’s the most pressing issue you’re facing, and what you are currently doing to cope. We may discuss what you hope to get out of therapy both for that meeting and longer term. We will discuss specific strategies related to the presenting problem.
There may be some therapy homework for you to try on your own. Examples of therapy homework are: creating a log to track changes in mood throughout the week; practicing focused breathing when anxiety is triggered; or researching support groups online. On follow up appointments, we would discuss what you discovered when you tried things on your own. Frequency of sessions going forward will be discussed before the end of the first session.
Do you offer video sessions?
Both in office and video sessions are offered. When using telehealth (ie, video), the same rules for confidentiality apply as in office. Be mindful of finding a private place to talk and how others accessing the internet at the same time can affect your connection for the session. Please read the Telehealth notice under the Forms page for more details.
Does my insurance cover therapy?
You will need to contact your specific insurance company to confirm what is and isn’t covered and what your share of cost is expected to be for both in-network and out-of-network providers. In addition, ask how the coverage applies for in person vs. telehealth as some insurance carriers have different rules based on where you receive therapy. You may contact me to confirm which insurance(s) I currently take.
How much does a session cost? What forms of payment do you accept?
My fee is $175 unless I contract with your insurance carrier. I accept all major credit cards, cash, check, Zelle, and a couple of other online payment forms. When using a credit card, I charge a $3 service fee.
For additional information on exceptions to confidentiality, HIPAA, Telehealth and other informed consent/disclosures, please read the notices found under the Forms section.