Your Questions Answered

Therapy is an umbrella term used to describe the process through which a therapist (that’s me) and their clients (that’s you) work together to navigate life’s trials and tribulations to improve the client’s quality of life. Therapy can include many different types of treatments, interventions, and styles.

Every client is different and every therapist is different, which means that therapy is not “one size fits all.”

Therapy can include talking, drawing, writing, music, and more.

A metaphor I like to use to describe therapy can be found on my “About” page.

I am a generalist, which means that I have training and experience across a variety of topics, needs, and populations.

Beyond that, I have a particular love and passion for working with people who are navigating their identities, grief, and caring for others.

I have extensive experience working with children, teens, college students, and dementia patients and their families.

I use an integrative approach to therapy through a social justice lens, weaving together a variety of therapeutic interventions and frameworks, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, person-centered therapy, LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, grief work, narrative work, somatic work, and more.

Therapy can improve the quality of life for people of all ages and stages of life. This can include a reduction of physical and emotional symptoms as well as improvement in interpersonal relationships and even academic/job performance.

Therapy is a collaborative process where we co-create a therapeutic relationship and space to meet your goals.

I cannot do therapy to you, but I can do therapy with you.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, then therapy is right for you!

No, as a licensed clinical social worker, I do not and cannot prescribe medication. If you are interested in exploring medication, I am happy to help you find a psychiatric provider that is right for you, and if you give me permission, I can collaborate with your prescriber to best support your mental health.

Not everyone in therapy is on medication, and not everyone on medication is in therapy. The two can be very effective when used together, but it is up to you to determine what is best for you.

Development happens throughout life and is a continual process, which means that therapy is about the process more than a specific destination.

That being said, I do believe in setting goals in therapy to guide the work we do together and to provide a method for us to evaluate progress and ensure efficacy in treatment.

At the beginning of therapy, we typically create a treatment plan which is comprised of goals, ways we will measure progress, and the interventions/approaches we plan to try. We then reference the plan throughout our time working together.

Treatment plan check-ins provide regular opportunities for us to celebrate/highlight progress, make adjustments, and discuss if you want to continue with therapy or try things on your own. These conversations are also opportunities for me to make clinical recommendations and for you to provide feedback.

We will meet during scheduled appointments usually once a week or once every other week.

Sessions are usually 50-60 minutes long.

There isn’t a set expectation for how long you are in therapy. Some people attend therapy for a couple of sessions, and others are in therapy for years or off and on throughout their life.

Therapy is most effective when it is consistent and there is time to build trust and rapport between the client and the therapist.

This is a 30 minute conversation usually over the phone but sometimes via video. During this conversation, I will ask you screening questions to get a better idea of what brings you to therapy and determine whether or not I am the most appropriate resource for you at this time.

This is also your opportunity to ask me questions before deciding if you want to move forward with working together.

We will also discuss logistics such as scheduling and billing.

I only offer virtual appointments to people who are physically located in California or Pennsylvania.

I charge $200 per therapy session (50 minutes). This covers the care that I am providing during our sessions, your therapy portal (which includes a video service), overhead costs, business expenses such as taxes, required continuing education, license renewal, and more.

If you decide to go forward with therapy after the initial complimentary consultation, I will help you set up an online therapy portal where you can securely set-up payments via credit card or bank transfer.

For a variety of reasons, I do not accept insurance at this time. However, I can provide you with a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

If you’re unsure whether or not your insurance will reimburse you for therapy, I recommend you call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card and ask if you have out of network benefits for mental health. It can also be useful to ask how much (usually a percentage) your plan will reimburse you for the following CPT codes (90834, 90837, and 90791).

I ask that clients give me as much notice as possible (at least 24 hours notice) if they need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. I also will give you as much notice as possible when I need to cancel or reschedule.

Life happens, so I do allow late cancellations and no shows on a limited and case by case basis. Otherwise, I charge a late cancellation or no-show fee.

Research shows that therapy is most effective when done regularly and consistently. If absences and cancellations become a pattern, we will have a conversation to attempt to address any obstacles to attending appointments.

Sometimes, repeat absences can indicate that it’s time to take a break from therapy or explore other options.

Through your online therapy portal, you are able to send me messages regarding appointment cancellations, changes, and request additional sessions.

I am usually in therapy sessions all day so I am not able to respond to messages immediately, but I will get back to you as soon as I can during normal business hours.

If you are having a mental health emergency and need immediate support, please call a 24/7 support line or go to the nearest emergency room.

What you share with your licensed therapist during therapy sessions, stays with your therapist. If someone were to ask, I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not I know you.

However, there are legal exceptions to confidentiality that I am required to follow. Situations where a therapist is likely required to share information:

-When a therapist has reasonable suspicion that someone under the age of 18, a dependent adult, or an adult over the age of 65 is being abused, neglected, or exploited.

-To prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to the client or others. This usually occurs when a therapist becomes aware that their client has a plan and intent to hurt themselves or others.

-A court can order a therapist to disclose information in certain legal proceedings.

-A client gives permission for a therapist to share information with others (this is usually done through a written release of information).