Counseling FAQ's

Why Do Counseling? 

Many of us go through life and will have challenges from time to time.  Oftentimes, we manage these challenges successfully with little disruption to our daily lives.  However, over time patterns of behavior can cause a disruption in our lives if not addressed.  If you find yourself stuck in a pattern of defeating behaviors or emotions, constantly telling yourself that “tomorrow will be better”, this signifies that you may not know HOW to escape your pattern.  Therapy is a way to manage these patterns of behaviors, while identifying how self-defeating thoughts can entrap us in a state of “US as the problem”, disabling us from finding the solution. 

Why does it matter if you specialize in Eating Disorders and Addictions? 

Therapy is a lot like medicine.  You can see your primary care physician who can diagnose and treat a variety of conditions.  At the point at which you either have something that needs to be addressed more in-depth or exceed the expertise of your primary care physician, they refer you to a specialist.  This provides you with not only a more effective treatment, but also a dynamically faster treatment. 

A therapist who has been well trained will have a specific treatment protocol and ways of addressing challenges that occur in the treatment process.  Therapy begins first with getting an in-depth diagnostic view of the patterns of behaviors you are engaged in.  Then we begin the process of working towards minimizing these behaviors so we can get to the emotional components behind the disorders. 

Do you Treat Anything Else?

Yes.  I am able to treat and diagnose a wide array of conditions such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Dysthymia, Trauma, and Adjustment Disorders, to name a few.  I also work with couples and families that are experiencing distress to get to the core of the issues experienced in relationships.  In this, we can vastly improve communication and connectedness.    

Can I actually get better?

The answer is YES!  In the process of trying to fix an issue yourself or conversely attempting to get a general approach to treatment, you may have lost hope in yourself.  Unfortunately, many times we are focused on doing the one thing we think will “fix it” for us, and it is oftentimes something that keeps us stuck.  Therapy will address not only re-supplying your motivation and hope, but will also work on dismantling the shame and self-judgement that accompanies being stuck. 

How does therapy work?

I have been trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, IMAGO, Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Functional Family Therapy. I am also a certified Daring Way Therapist.  I integrate these approaches in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner to assist in finding personalized solutions to your treatment objectives.  I offer insight into the beliefs and assumptions that interpret life and challenges for each client.  One of the biggest differences in dynamically faster and more effective treatment is the reduction of shame, which we begin on the very first appointment.   

I love to explain therapy using every day scenarios.  Imagine you are driving and are cut off by a random stranger.  How do you feel?   How do you respond?  Many people identify a feeling of anger and road rage that may accompany this driving infraction.  Now, let’s envision your best friend calls you to tell you her child is in the hospital, and she is racing to the emergency room.  You leave to meet her and find yourself being cut off by your friend, seemingly unbeknownst to her.  How do you feel now?  How do you respond?  Many of us will respond with empathy and compassion, our only concern in helping our friend make it to the hospital. 

In both of these scenarios, the actions of the other person and the environment are exactly the same.  So why would our emotional reaction and behaviors be so different?  Because of our beliefs and assumptions behind the actions of the other person.  This is where therapy begins.  We work on identifying the beliefs and assumptions you have about a variety of things occurring in your life, usually stemming from our own misperceptions, negative core beliefs, and our personal history: the lessons we have learned and have been given are powerful forces that we frequently don't realize exist.   

Do you Accept Insurance? 

Yes. I am in network with Commercial Anthem and/or Blue Cross Blue Shield. I also accept Lyra Health. I do not accept other insurances as the costs associated with keeping track of a variety of insurance demands is cost-prohibitive.  Therefore, I focus on what I've been trained to do, which is providing therapy.   I will also accept private pay patients, with payment due at the time of service.  You will receive a receipt so that you can collect reimbursement from your own insurance company. 

I collect all deductibles and copays at the time of the appointment.  You are expected to know these and pay these until your deductible is met.   If problems arise with insurance, you will be required to contact your insurance directly and may be required to pay out of pocket until the issue is resolved.  I will provide you with a superbill, which allows you to get reimbursed directly from your insurance company if this occurs.   

How can I pay?

I accept most major credit and debit cards, Health Savings accounts, as well as checks.    

What Can I Expect?

Please go to my online scheduling portal which will direct you to appointment availability.   You will be required to enter a credit card number to book your first appointment, but will not be charged.   You will be forwarded all intake documents that will need to be completed online PRIOR to your appointment time.   When you arrive at the building, please take a seat in the lobby and I will be out to meet you shortly.  

During our first appointment, I will ask you about what things you would like to address and get pertinent information from you. We will spend the appointment time getting to know each other and identifying some of the things you would like to work on as well as barriers to treatment.   

That being said, therapy is hard work.   It requires of us that we allow ourselves to experience discomfort and commit to the process of the change.   While you will likely experience a great deal of relief while coming to treatment, you will also experience emotions that may be challenging for you.   You will learn how to manage these emotions in a way that is more effective and relieving than in avoiding them.   

Why Do You Charge a Late Cancel or No Show Fee?

This is your hour to do as you need. If you need to spend the hour sleeping in, attending to another appointment or even avoiding therapy, I respect that this is your time.  We also make mistakes, record things incorrectly and occasionally forget about things we've scheduled.  Life comes with challenges and changes that are hard to anticipate.  As I have allocated this time for you, it is important that I bill for appointments that do not get cancelled in a 24 hour window of time so that I stay in business.  

What is TELETHERAPY?

Teletherapy is a great tool to start and continue the healing journey when you’re not able to make it into appointments. You are given a private, HIPPA-compliant video link into a video chat room where I will be available. The link can be used from your laptop or your phone. If you are using your phone, you will need to download an APP by Simple Practice called Teletherapy. After that, the link will get you into the chat room where you will find me!

What About a Free Consultation?

I spend most of my time at work in front of the people I am honored to serve. I have discovered that it takes more than 15 minutes to understand the presenting issue and what someone is wanting out of therapy. Likewise, I believe it will take someone more then 15 minutes to determine if I am a good fit. I look forward to meeting each new patient and want to ensure that the busy pace of life does not communicate that I do not care or am not interested in what you are struggling with. Therefore, I spend the intake appointment, an entire hour, hearing about concerns and challenges. I encourage the new patients that are brought into my office to take that hour to also determine if they would like to work with me.