FAQ

I have found teletherapy to be an effective modality for providing individual therapy to my clients.

Initially, I was skeptical, but like many, I made the shift during the COVID-19 pandemic. After moving to telehealth and obtaining a PsyPact Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (Mobility Number 10452), I discovered that I could provide quality therapy to individuals in the comfort of their own spaces and that providing services across geographical lines allowed clients, who were a great fit, to find me.

Teletherapy has broken down barriers and helped me reach the people who need my services the most. In addition, I have not found it has diminished the work of therapy in the process.

Individual therapy sessions with me cost $150 to $175. A 45-minute session is $150, while a 55-minute session costs $175. Intakes are also $175.

I usually recommend meeting weekly with clients, at least initially, and then we can taper to every other week or “as needed,” whichever is most appropriate. We can discuss what suits you and what works for your schedule and finances.

I am considered an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. I can, however, provide a superbill for clients to submit to receive reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits. Many individuals are eligible to receive some refunds with this method.

If you intend to use insurance, you must know what your plan allows regarding out-of-network benefits, as you will be responsible for this. You should also be aware that a diagnosis is required to utilize these benefits, and will need to be included on the superbill that you submit to your insurance company.

I consider the block of time that we schedule to be your time, and my caseload is very limited. Therefore, I ask that if you cannot make your therapy session, you provide at least 24 hours’ notice.

I will charge you for the entire session rate if you cancel a session with less notice. Excessive cancellations usually require me to refer to another provider. Of course, I understand that emergencies happen, and I try to be reasonable when considering these concerns.

If you are looking for a therapist who will give lots of advice, worksheets, and homework and/or use their experiences to coach you, I am not that therapist – definitely.

I might be a good fit if you are looking for someone to guide you in understanding yourself better and helping you create more organic and individualized change. Read on to find out.

I’m a relational therapist, which means that I honor that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is essential to helping clients create change.

I’m a feminist therapist, which at the core means that I attend to issues of power and cultural factors that impact those with whom I work and that even though I have expertise, I take pains to diminish any “expert” or “power-over” role or approach in the therapy room.

I’m a psychodynamic therapist, meaning I believe in the importance of early experiences and relationships in shaping a person into who they are. These must be honored fully in therapy to understand the whole person now.

A mentor of mine used to say, “If you are a hammer, then everything is a nail.” This phrase reflects the value and importance of strong generalist training for therapists, and I personally have not followed the path of becoming narrowly specialized. When specialization is very narrow, flexibility becomes impossible.

In my experience, rarely does someone present for therapy with just one isolated problem, diagnosis, or presenting concern to address. Furthermore, I enjoy working with all different types of people from various backgrounds. That said, I find that I most often work with people who have experienced trauma in various forms, including but not limited to childhood trauma, religious trauma, sexual trauma, trauma related to discrimination or oppression, and traumatic loss.

I would love to say it will happen immediately, but it usually takes some time, and that varies from person to person, depending on what they are dealing with.

Most people have spent much time trying to manage whatever they are dealing with and have hit a wall. There is often an uncomfortable period in therapy where things might feel hard before they start to feel better. This experience is normal and comes from breaking through a wall you could not get through alone. It’s a good thing, even though it sometimes does not feel so good.

Another mentor of mine used to say, “If things are too comfortable, there’s probably not much work getting done.” That said, you will experience support and expertise to guide you through this, and you should always feel safe. You can do this.

But do we have to talk about all the hard stuff?

The short answer is yes, but we will scale it so that things will be manageable, and you will not be alone. And no, you do not have to unpack every single detail to experience healing.

This work is not about making you feel worse or dredging up the past in a re-traumatizing way. However, I am a big believer that our life experiences shape who we are (especially the early ones) and that therapy will only hit the surface unless we talk about these things and work to understand how they impact us.

Manualized approaches, worksheets, and skills training are all things you can get from a self-help book. Good therapy goes well beyond this. Yes, it’s hard to look back, but it’s essential, and it’s worth it in terms of getting beyond short-term symptom reduction into long-term empowerment to handle struggles as they arise throughout your life.

We’ve all got the friend or acquaintance who might say, “I don’t need therapy; I’ve got [fill in the blank].” This comment is false logic.

By all means, you should do the healthy things that bring you joy and help you take care of yourself, but these activities are not therapy replacements. Neither is your therapist a kind of friend whom you chat with to blow off steam and then go about your life feeling better and lighter for a bit (only to repeat the same patterns over and over). This idea is another unfortunate misrepresentation of what good therapy looks like.

Sound therapy is challenging but in the best way. It may not always feel good, but it can lead to feeling much better. Come and see what therapy can do for you. There is a reason why years of research show that it can benefit those ready and willing to engage in therapy.