FAQs

In the midst of daily routines, it is important to make time to focus on YOU. Therapy exists to help you better relate to and understand yourself. This helps you better relate to and understand other people and the world around you.

Much of our daily existence is driven by unconscious factors that operate outside of our awareness. It really is SO hard to see ourselves from the outside, even when we THINK we KNOW. This is why therapists must also seek their own therapy in order to continue to evolve and be able to work through their own issues. We simply cannot “do therapy” on ourselves. There is no substitute for a highly trained mental health professional who you trust.

I will help you understand the “why” behind your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. With this recognition, you will begin to see the world through a completely different lens. Things will begin to “click” and make sense. With this newfound awareness comes insight. Insight offers you the opportunity to do things differently and break out of old patterns. Since we can’t change something that we don’t even know is happening, the awareness must come first. From there, you are prepared to begin making really important, life affirming changes. You will be given the chance to overcome bad habits and break negative cycles. And I will be right there with you as your humble and devoted guide through the entire process.

Therapy is for everyone. Therapy is especially for anyone who seeks to understand themselves and their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationships better. And anyone who wants to live a happier, more purposeful life.

Therapy is for those who are brave enough to recognize that they deserve to feel good and that they have the power to make it happen.

Therapy is a beautiful thing. It helps you to realize that you have a choice. You can continue down a destructive path of self-loathing, unconsciously recreating the same old agonizing patterns, doomed by your upbringing and prior life experiences, OR you can decide that it’s time to take control of your life and give yourself a truly amazing gift.

This is how you change. This is how you learn to really live life. This is how you make your way back home to your self. 

Therapy is an effective alternative to soliciting advice from loved ones. While friends and family members often have good intentions, it is impossible for the people closest to you to remain unbiased. As a therapist, I am an objective third party who has your best interest in mind. I am a highly trained mental health professional and my job is to help you.

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to me and is something that I take very seriously. What you share with me is confidential, meaning it is just between me and you. I am legally required to protect everything you tell me unless I believe you are at serious risk of harming yourself or someone else.

Confidentiality and privacy are essential elements to building and maintaining the trust that is necessary in order for true progress in therapy to be made. In the case that you would like me to share your information with another health care provider, we can always discuss this and have you sign a written release.

My style is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. I am down-to-earth and non-judgmental. I ask questions and play an active role in the therapy process, yet I will truly listen to you. I build trusting relationships with my patients. I empower people to really get to know themselves and embrace their authenticity. 

My philosophy is that therapy is most effective when it is relationally-based, depth-oriented, and consistent. I mostly work from psychoanalytic lens. I respect you as a human being and all the characteristics that make you a unique individual.  I believe in trauma-informed therapy. I also draw upon Attachment Theory, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy,  Mindfulness-Based Therapy, and neuroscience research. I genuinely look forward to seeing you each week. I am passionate about helping you and dedicated to your progress.

Check out the individual therapy tab to read about just some of the issues I work with people on everyday.

My main treatment modality is contemporary psychoanalysis– a modernized approach for getting to the root of issues and going beneath the surface to unearth long-standing patterns that are preventing you from living your best life. 

There are no quick fixes and medication alone can’t solve all issues. Medication is most effective when used in conjunction with talk therapy. It is crucial to fully process symptoms, explore the root of problems and work through them, and acquire new skills and strategies for healthy coping.

A medical doctor (MD) is the only health care provider who can prescribe medication. If you are interested in taking medication, we can discuss it and I can provide you with a referral to a psychiatrist for medication counseling.

Please contact me to discuss rates. This is also something we can discuss and agree upon during the first session. 

I’m an “out of network” provider. This means that I am not on any specific insurance panels. I can provide you with monthly “superbills” to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. You can call your insurance company and ask them what percentage they will reimburse you for seeing an out of network provider. After processing your claim, your insurance company will mail you a check directly. 

I accept cash, check, and credit card as forms of payment.

Most of my self-pay patients opt to be enrolled in autopay through SimplePractice. During the intake process, you can store your credit card information on file in your secure, online client portal. Your card will only be charged after our first session. Then your card gets charged automatically overnight after each session. You can stop autopay at anytime.

Yes, I offer phone and video sessions. For video sessions, I use the SimplePractice telehealth platform. 

Sessions are 50 minutes in length. Longer sessions may be appropriate if deemed necessary at an additional cost.

Therapy is most effective with consistent, weekly attendance. I see patients 1-5 times per week. 

Yes, I recommend attending therapy on the same day and at the same time each week. This helps your weekly session become part of your routine. I consider our time together to be sacred. 

People often express a sense of relief and a feeling of hope after the first visit. Consistent weekly sessions help build the momentum necessary for you to see and feel real results. 

By practicing newly acquired skills outside of sessions, the treatment becomes even more effective and you will see even greater, lasting growth. Like with most things, you get out what you put in. The more committed to the work, the more value you will derive from therapy.

The duration of treatment varies based on your individual needs and goals. Factors that influence length of time spent in therapy may include: your reasons for seeking therapy, your commitment, and your desire for personal development.

Therapy usually terminates when a patient and therapist mutually agree that symptoms have been alleviated, coping skills have been learned, and goals have been achieved. Ending therapy often depends on how much you would like to work on. In the event that you wish you stop, it is always recommended that you attend a final session so that we can review progress, discuss recommendations and referrals, and say goodbye.

I am so glad you are dedicated to getting the most out of your sessions. Your consistent weekly attendance and active participation are imperative to your success. The work you do outside of our sessions will also help accelerate your progress.

Apprehension and resistance are common responses to change. Trying something new is hard. And getting started is often the hardest part. I am here to help you acclimate to the realm outside of your comfort zone.

As human beings, we are creatures of habit. As a mechanism of self-preservation and protection, we fear the unfamiliar and we shield ourselves from the unknown. We (often mistakenly) think that venturing beyond what we’re used to will put ourselves at risk, compromise our safety and result in danger. This phenomenon makes all changes and transitions utterly difficult.

My intentions with this website are to help familiarize you with the process of therapy, lessen any fears, and welcome you into my practice. If you still have questions or concerns, please feel free to send me a message and we can set up a time for me to call you!

When I was a child, I never said, “I want to be a therapist when I grow up”. But then, like every other person on this planet, I experienced life and the difficult emotions that come with being human. Throughout the challenges I faced during my formative years, I often wished I had the right someone to talk to. Later, it took only one job at a news station for me to realize that journalism was not for me and that my life would be devoted to helping others. During this transition, it dawned on me that I wanted to be that right person for people who are feeling dejected or alone or like no one gets what they’re going through. I’ve come to understand that there is nothing quite like the experience of feeling seen, heard, and understood—and that there is hope for improvement.

I love being a therapist. I can honestly say that there is nothing in the world I would rather do for a living. I don’t view my job as “listening to people’s problems”, but rather an incredible opportunity to infuse people’s lives with healing.

When I am sitting across from another person in my office (or online) listening, I am fully engaged. I’ve always been able to feel other people’s feelings and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I consider it to be like a superpower or a sixth sense. I view being a therapist as not only a calling, but a true honor and privilege. For me, there is no greater reward than getting to experience the relief and joy that people feel as they begin to gain understanding and self-actualize. This is a powerful, profound, and invaluable process.

But how are people supposed to know how to be emotionally intelligent and solve major personal issues if they’ve never learned how? We weren’t taught this in school, perhaps it wasn’t always role modeled at home, and TV and movies often portray a skewed version of reality when it comes to depicting real life struggles.

Yet somehow we are expected to know how to be our best selves all on our own!? 

You CAN make your way back home to your self and my therapy practice exists to help you do just that.