Frequently Asked Questions

  • Therapy is a unique experience for every person! The variables of therapy are why someone is coming in, a person’s goals for what they hope to get out of the time, and also where someone’s at in their life. Some people come to therapy and are really ready for things to change. Some people come to therapy to slow down, process, and be emotionally supported. It’s all valid and worthy of spending time.

    In the first session, we spend time getting to know each other, talk about what is going on in the present, how therapy can address concerns and review assessments. After the first session, I write a reflection and recommendation that outlines how I see therapy going. As therapy continues, I often check in on the therapeutic relationship as well as markers of growth.

    Over time, I’ve come to learn there are many stages to a therapy journey that can include: rapport building, safety-making, co-learning about the self (body, brain, behaviors), exploring / reflecting phase, trying on new skills, and ongoing support / maintenance.

    I hope that therapy with me is empowering, fun, interesting, and that people leave feeling understood and cared about even when it’s a hard session.

    If you are wanting to understand how I case conceptualize, reach out!

  • Art therapy’s been around since the 1940s and is generally describing the process of using art materials to explore just as talk therapy does with words. In my practice, the art is only sometimes about the product, and mostly about the process of connecting with material. When people use art the brain is functioning in a different way and people can explore where words fail. I don’t always include art therapy and really navigate this on a person-to-person basis. In the past, I’ve used art therapy in lots of different ways: clients are directed to make art in a specific way on a topic that I’ve prepared; client and therapist spend time talking about time between sessions and then use art to dive deeper into themes that emerged; client and therapist make art together for 30-45 minutes and then discuss together the process, metaphor and reflect. This is a huge and wonderful way of practicing therapy! But no pressure if it’s not for you!

  • ERP stands for Exposure and Response Prevention. This is the gold standard of treatment for OCD and is also used for severe anxiety and specific phobias. The simplified idea is to grow insight into what anxiety feels like, what anxiety is wanting you to do or think, and to practice doing brave things despite your fears. This is carefully done and collaborative work between the client and therapist. It is super effective therapy and is very different than traditional talk therapy. Feel free to read more about it here: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment/

  • I-CBT stands for Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is an evidence based practice for OCD treatment. I-CBT thinks about OCD very differently in that the treatment focuses on the reasoning behind obsessional doubts, rather than distress tolerance or habituation. I-CBT views intrusive thoughts as not totally random, often the result of flawed logic from the imagination (a distorted self-narrative). The therapy model has 12 modules and is a bit structured with how to move through it.

    It been incredible to see so many people have “light-bulb” moments without much intervention behaviorally. Generally, it takes me about 15-20 session to get through the material and apply it to your life!

    Visit ICBT.Online to learn more!

  • I love working with parents and families! Parent coaching is recommended in my practice if: clients are under 13 years old, if the child/teen is not interested in engaging in therapy but the parents can see there are issues or behaviors that are difficult to support, and if severe anxiety/OCD is in the picture.

    I am SPACE trained using Eli Leibowitz’s protocol from “Breaking Free of Child Anxiety & OCD” which is evidence-based parent-based interventions over about 12 sessions.

    Parent coaching is highly individualized and direct guidance on how caregivers might support their family members.

    As much as parents might see their child might benefit from individual therapy, there is so much parents can do to make an impact at home! I am very passionate about this work and have noticed in my practice what a difference this makes in the family system.

  • The fees for 53-60 minutes of individualized therapy or parent coaching is $250. The first session is $350 and will include assessment, written evaluation, and recommendations.

    I do charge a premium rate for many reasons. It allows me to give back in other ways such as volunteering in different organizations, train other providers, consult with other providers, continue to hone my own therapy education through specialized trainings, and the ability to offer limited adjusted rates slots.

    The total cost will be provided in the Good Faith Estimate prior to the start of meeting. I use IvyPay for billing.

    Client can contact their insurance to get pre-approval to meet with a specialist and/or use their out-of-network benefits and seek insurance reimbursement through filing claims, which can reduce the overall cost of therapy. Click here to check your out-of-network benefits. Or copy and paste this link: https://app.mentaya.com/p/XBrfQznv0mNJT95aYoCf

  • I chose to be a private pay practice for many reasons.

    First, please know that I understand the cost of therapy with me may not be possible for everyone and that many people have to see people who are in-network only. Everyone has different needs and this is OK.

    The most important reason, is that I do feel that the therapy I provide is worth the cost. I work hard as a therapist to be knowledgable and an effective support to people navigating difficulty. I offer specialties that require training and a specific kind of skill.

    Being able to work outside of insurance companies also allows me to be more flexible justifying therapy, the freedom to not necessarily use labels/diagnosis, to be paid a livable wage, and to be paid in a reasonable amount of time. I offer transparency here because I aim to advocate for this field.

  • Please check with your insurance company, or use my widget to check on my Appointments Tab if you have the ability to see out-of-network clinicians. Clients who have out-of-network benefits generally have to meet some kind of out-of-pocket deductible before they can begin getting reimbursed. The reimbursement rates depend on your insurance.

    Clients may be able to get reimbursed anywhere between 30-90% of therapy costs, depending on their specific plan. It’s important to know that even if you are eligible for reimbursement that working with me means paying for costs up front and waiting for insurance claims to be processed. I try my best to help navigate this with you.

    I'm able to help you advocate with your insurance for pre-approval or pre-authorization to work with me as there are so few specialized providers in the community. I'm happy to meet with you to talk about this and support this option!

    Here’s the link to check your out-of-network benefits:

    https://app.mentaya.com/p/XBrfQznv0mNJT95aYoCf

  • I bill at the time of services and clients can use card (FSA, HSA, Debit, Credit and ACH) for payment using IvyPay.

    Here’s the link to check your out-of-network benefits:

    https://app.mentaya.com/p/XBrfQznv0mNJT95aYoCf

  • I do offer a limited number of adjusted rate spots on my calendar. The adjusted rate fee scale between $150-200 per session. I do have us sign an agreement on the length of time, but am open to extending this long term in specific circumstances. If you are needing sliding scale, please reach out and inquire!

    Also, I offer two low cost support groups for adults living with anxiety disorders and/or OCD. Join us!

  • It depends!

    I’ve worked with some clients for years and some for short periods.

    What someone is coming to therapy for, how motivated they are, the frequency of meetings, and an individual’s life circumstances all contribute to the timeline of therapy.

    I will say for OCD that therapy can go more quickly than other issues if: there is medication management, family/support people involvement, and meeting 1-2x/wk. Because of the nature of ERP, things can progress the more time someone is practicing the treatment. ERP generally can show signs of improvement in as little as 8-15 sessions.

    I think what’s important to remember is that for most people, therapy is ongoing over the course of a lifetime. There will be times when life is going smooth and other times when it’s not. Also, therapy can be beneficial even when things are going smooth! I love hearing about the good, the funny, and silence in therapy is OK! Having a consistent support person is really healing to folks with limited family and trauma backgrounds.

  • Therapy frameworks describe both what is important to a therapist and how they actually practice. Mine take kind of two categories: theoretical and interventional. To me, the theoretical is more about my own perspectives / self-reflexivity and that the interventional are the things you’ll notice as a client.

    Theoretical:

    -Disability

    -Feminist

    -Humanistic

    -Multicultural (Cultural Humility)

    -Queer

    Interventional:

    -Art Therapy

    -Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

    -Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    -Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

    -Compassion Focused Therapy

  • Group therapy is amazing, life-changing, and fun!

    In general, I organize groups to be always a little predictable: an opening tradition, content in the middle, discussion/sharing, and then a closing ritual. The middle content can change based on who/what is going on that day, but I usually have material prepared to share.

    For adults, there is more personal sharing and forging trust with other people who share diagnosis. In adult groups, members are also able to take more of the facilitator role and lead.

    For adolescents, there is more play happening, brave making choices, music, art and sharing. With adolescents, the topics and engagement level can vary but a lot of thought goes into making this successful.

  • I do offer a some clinical consultation groups, 1:1 consultation hours and a long-term training for providers looking to specialize in anxiety disorders & OCD.

    I love to support therapists! Please feel welcome to reach out to learn more about some options.