Frequently Asked Questions

Therapy can be a vulnerable and new experience, so it’s natural to feel nervous. It can feel intimidating to think of opening up or crying in front of someone new, perhaps fearing that it will be awkward or uncomfortable. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. It takes courage to start therapy. The fact that you are on this website, looking for help shows that you are brave and are already taking steps in the right direction.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself, come as you are and feel safe from judgement. I’m committed to finding a way to ensure our sessions are as comfortable as possible. I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a loosely structured assessment that helps me get to know you and that reason(s) that brought you into therapy. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked, or not worked, for your mental health in the past. Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy?

• Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?

• What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?

You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my experience or how future sessions look. The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and heard with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can call me for a free phone consultation, you can ask me what a typical session with me is like, ask how I work as a therapist, or any other questions you may have that are specific to you. You’ll also be able to share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.

It may be helpful to think of the first few sessions as trying out the waters together. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

All sessions are 45-55 minutes in length. We will typically see each other once per week unless we agree to different arrangements.

Client confidentiality is the foundation of therapy. As a mental health provider it is my ethical and legal duty to protect your privacy. Everything that you share with me is confidential with the exception of the following:

• There is suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse.

• A client makes threats of serous bodily harm to another person(s), which I must report to the police and intended victim(s).

• A client intends to harm themselves and is unwilling or unable to receive the appropriate treatment, in which case I may be required to notify the appropriate authorities and seek additional assistance.

I accept cash, credit cards, or checks and require a credit card on file to book an appointment. Payment is due at the time of service unless other arrangements have been made.

No, I do not accept insurance at this time. I am an out of network provider. This means that if you have out of network benefits, I can provide you with an invoice or superbill to get potential reimbursement from your insurance. I encourage you to speak to your insurance provider to verify your mental health, out of network benefits.

I require at least 24-hour notice for cancellations. Cancellations under the 24-hour requirement will be charged a portion of the session fee, $100, for the missed appointment.