FAQ

What style of therapy do you provide? 

Counseling with me is an interactive process. My orientation is to work with you at the least intrusive level, meaning that if your struggles can be addressed through Solution Focused or Cognitive Behavioral therapy, those are the methods we will use. Many of my clients, however, find that the issues they’re struggling with stem from earlier experiences and cannot be resolved easily through problem solving and cognitive or behavioral restructuring. In these cases, we often use EMDR or other experiential methods to locate the source of the problem and reprocess it. This work tends to take us back to earlier relationships and memories.  Additionally, I am a Certified Daring Way™ facilitator, which means I provide Brene´ Brown’s shame resiliency curricula, The Daring Way™ and Rising Strong™, to individuals and groups. These curricula are didactic and psychoeducational in nature, and very powerful in helping people incorporate more vulnerability and courage into their lives.

What is the first therapy session with you like?

The first session is a thorough review of the problem you’re looking for help with. We discuss strategies you’ve tried to address the problem, and how it’s impacting your functioning. I also ask about your family history growing up in order to determine those factors that may have a role in the problem, and I look at your current supports and practices that help you to cope and thrive day to day. I am interactive in my session with you, so you don’t have to have it all figured out. In our second session, I provide you with a written copy of your assessment, which we review together. We discuss treatment recommendations and make an ongoing plan for how we will work together.

How frequent are visits? 

Most of my clients begin by attending sessions weekly, though I do start with bi-weekly sessions for those who cannot make a weekly appointment. I prefer not to schedule sessions less frequently than that, as it is hard to make progress with longer intervals. Once clients begin to see improvements we may taper sessions to meet less frequently.

How long will I be in therapy? 

Length of service varies depending on the nature of the problem. Some issues can be addressed in 6-12 sessions. This is appropriate when the problem being addressed is present oriented and solution focused. It is not unusual, however, for clients to remain in therapy for much longer periods, especially if they have significant trauma histories or other more intensive concerns. This is always, however, the clients choice. I find that many of the clients that come to see me initially intend for services to be brief, and then find that they prefer to continue as they recognize the historic and ongoing nature of the problems they’re addressing.

Do you offer video or phone sessions? 

Yes, I offer both in-person and also tele-therapy through a HIPAA-compliant video platform. For more details on how to access video sessions please read the “Telehealth Sessions Instructions” section located under the New Clients tab (link).

Can I use my health insurance for your services? 

I am an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plans, and Aetna plans.  If you are covered by a plan that I’m in network with I will submit all paperwork for reimbursement.  You will be responsible for any co-payments , coinsurance or deductibles for each session.

A portion of my services are covered by most major insurance plans, when I’m not in network.  If you would like to use your insurance, please contact your insurance company and ask what coverage you have when seeing an “out-of-network” provider.  You will pay for sessions at the out of pocket price and I will provide you with an itemized statement after each session that you can submit to your insurance company for partial reimbursement.

Many of my clients choose to pay for therapy themselves, in order to maintain privacy.  Please be aware that should you opt to use insurance benefits, I will need to provide a diagnosis to your insurance company.  This diagnosis becomes part of your health insurance record.

What questions should I ask my insurance company when checking my benefits? 

• What are my mental health benefits for outpatient psychotherapy in an office or telehealth setting (insurance codes 90791 for initial assessments and 90837 for on-going therapy sessions)?

• What is my annual deductible for health care (including mental health) and how much has been met?

• Is there a co-pay or co-insurance amount I need to cover per session?

• Are there any restrictions in terms of diagnoses covered or number of yearly sessions allowed?

• How much will my plan reimburse me when I work with an out-of-network provider?

Please call or e-mail me if you have other questions that have not been addressed here.