Why do people seek therapy?
People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Some, but certainly not all, reasons people enter treatment are:
- Feeling depressed, anxious, unfulfilled or unable to function as before
- Problems in past or present personal, family, or romantic relationships
- Difficulty adjusting to new or transitional experiences such as changing jobs, relocating, and beginning or returning to school
- Increased irritability, arguing, or tension between romantic partners
- Coping with the loss of a romantic or close relationship
- Feeling socially isolated, alone, or withdrawn
- Coping with the death of someone close
- Feeling critical of and anxious about the way your body looks and having difficulties with eating
- Recovery from traumatic past and present experiences such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Understanding and feeling comfortable with your sexuality
- Navigating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Non-binary, Assexual, and/or Transgender Issues
- Using behaviors such as cutting (self-mutilation) or substance use to cope with anxiety, depression, or other painful experiences
What can I expect in a therapy session?
During sessions you are asked about your concerns, thoughts, and feelings. Through exploration together, we can help you learn self-reflection, understand and change how you relate to others, and learn effective coping skills. An individual session lasts 45 minutes. Couples and family sessions are typically 60 minutes but can also be extended to 90 minutes. Weekly sessions are usually most helpful. Depending upon your concerns, I also offer sessions more than once per week.
What if I have difficulty talking?
If you are not sure what to talk about, I can help you figure that out. Our initial sessions focus on what would be useful to you. I am sensitive to people who are entering therapy for the first time, may have had a negative experience of therapy in the past, or may be uncertain what to expect or do in therapy. Part of how we might understand your experience of relationships is to discuss your feelings, thoughts, and opinions of our therapeutic relationship to help you become more aware of how you relate to other people.
If talking is not the only way you feel you can best express yourself, I also practice expressive therapies and art therapy. I believe we communicate our experiences, thoughts, and feelings through many different mediums - not just talking - and connecting to a way you communicate best is very important to me. For example, clients have brought artwork, poems, writing passages, and journal entries to help us discuss important parts of their experiences. Creative expression is also a highly effective way to work with past traumatic experiences. I think you will find I am flexible and very open to learning about how best we can work together.
Do you accept insurance? How does insurance work?
Insurance can be very confusing for clients to navigate. I currently do not accept private insurance, however, most insurance providers allow partial coverage for psychologists. First, check with your insurance carrier by calling the number on the back of your insurance card or visiting their website. For additional inquiries about insurance, please feel free to contact me. If you'd like to check your insurance coverage, consider the following questions:
- Do I have mental health benefits?
- What kind of coverage does my plan have for psychologists outside my network?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- How much do you pay for an out-of-net provider (usually a percentage)?
- Is there a limitation on how much you will pay per session?
How much do sessions cost?
Call or email me and we can discuss my fees.
For clients who may not be able to afford session costs or cannot use their insurance for reimbursement, I may be able to slide my fee lower to a mutually agreed upon amount.