Frequently Asked Questions

Therapy is where you and I sit together and do some talking and thinking. There will be some stories. There might be some dreaming or imagining. There will be some assessing of what has worked and what hasn’t worked in the past.

There will be some laughing, and there may be some crying at times. The one thing I can promise is that we will be WORKING. Working to get you closer to the life you want for yourself.

During our work together, I will be a “listening ear.” I will honor and respect you, your life experiences, your hopes, and your goals. I will be non-judgmental and will offer sensitive but honest feedback as you teach me about the unique challenges of your life and your specific vision for your life.

You can meet with me either in-person or via telehealth using a platform called doxy.me. 

I offer Individual Solution-Focused Brief Therapy for Adolescents and Adults.  

Oh, wait. You wanted me to answer in plain English? OK 🙂

Basically, individual therapy means that it is just you and me in my office during our sessions. There may be times when you would like to invite another person or persons to join us, and we can talk more about that when the time comes, but in general, it will just be you and me.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy means:

1. “Solution-Focused.” We will spend most of our time together talking about solutions (what works for you), the present, and your ideal future. We will not spend as much of our time talking about the problems of the past.
2. “Brief Therapy.” It is not my intention to have you come to therapy sessions for the rest of your life. You and I will talk about how we will know when you have accomplished your goals in therapy and are ready to stop coming to sessions. Most likely, you will not end therapy because you have fully achieved your goals, but rather because you feel confident that you are “on your way” and know where you are going and how to get there.

First, I will need you to help me understand what you want your life to look like when the problems that brought you to therapy in the first place no longer exist.

Then, I need you to help me understand all the things that you have already tried in the past to get that “ideal life.”

We will start to assess each of the things you have tried and

1. Look for things that have worked, even just a little bit… and do more of those things.

AND

2. Look for things that DIDN’T work, stop doing them, and possibly look for new ideas and solutions to replace the ideas that you know don’t work.

CHANGE is always happening, but sometimes we don’t even notice it! You and I will work hard to NOTICE the changes that are happening in your life. We will then amplify any and all changes that are happening in a POSITIVE direction, while also tweaking or slowing any changes that are happening in a NEGATIVE direction.

I also offer an introductory package for new clients.

Credit card payments are run through Square at the end of each week.

If your insurance company allows you to go out-of-network for mental health services, then counseling services will likely be covered by your provider at an out-of-network rate.

Although I don’t bill insurance companies, I will give you an invoice at the end of every session that can be used by you with your insurance company. Many of my clients get reimbursed from their out-of-network mental health benefits.

Not sure what YOUR insurance company allows for mental health services?? Call the number on your insurance card and ask! Tell them you are wondering “What is the rate of reimbursement for out-of-network outpatient mental health services?”

I see clients on Mondays through Fridays with morning, afternoon, and evening appointment times available.

Honestly, it can be. While many people find therapy to be an immediate source of relief and hope, some find it hard. But isn’t the life you are living hard, too? You decide.

Are your fears about therapy bigger than your hopes for a future full of peace, love, and excitement? Are your fears bigger than your desire to try something new and achieve the happiness you seek?

Actually, the guarantee needs to come from both you and me.

I guarantee that:

• I will honor and respect you.
• I will keep our conversations confidential (between you and me).
• I will not judge you.
• I will give you my sensitive but honest feedback.
• I will notice and attend to your thoughts and feelings, but I won’t try to control them in any way.
• I will expect and be open to the honest feedback that you give me.

Here’s your part of the guarantee:

• You will come to your weekly sessions.
• You will be ready to share stories about your life, your experiences, and your hopes with me.
• You will be honest about your thoughts and feelings, ESPECIALLY when it’s hard.
• You will try new ideas between sessions, as necessary.
• You will notice any changes that take place between sessions.
• You will tell me when you think you’ve completed what you set out to do in therapy and are ready to stop coming to sessions.

If we both hold up our ends of the deal, we will create practical solutions that will move you closer to your ideal self and life.

Actually, no. I love working with young people, and I have worked with “Millennials” and “Gen Z” people my entire career. I appreciate your outlook, your unique developmental stage in life, many of the challenges you face, and your great potential.

There’s LOTS I don’t know. And there are many things at which I’m just no good. I stink at fashion/makeup, etc. I’m the world’s worst gardener. Crafty stuff – ya, not my thing either. #queenofthepinterestfail

But, if there’s one area in which I feel pretty darn confident, it’s my competence as a STUDENT. If a good student is defined by his or her ability to absorb new information and to then apply that information in a productive way, then I’m a GREAT student.

I invite YOU to be my teacher. Teach me about your life, your goals, what works and doesn’t work for you. Teach me about your struggles, your fears, your hopes, and your successes.

I will then do what all good students do, and what I myself have done over and over in my life in many different settings and with much success: I will listen and absorb what you tell me. I will seek to understand. I will make connections and ponder and apply that new information.