Frequently Asked Questions

Most people could benefit from therapy. Whether it’s going to be the right thing for you at a given time depends on a bunch of things. Sometimes we start therapy because stuff has just gotten so bad we don’t know what to do; we feel trapped or stuck. Sometimes we do it to help us think through things from a fresh perspective. Sometimes we’re unsure whether therapy will be the right thing for us before we jump in. It’s always the unknown that scares us the most.

Here’s my promise to you: I’ll be straight with you. If we meet for therapy and I think you’re doing well enough to not need therapy, that I’m not going to be the best fit for you, that we may just need a few sessions to get you where you need to be, or if I’m not sure you’re ready for therapy, I’ll respect you enough to just tell you.

I also promise you that if you need a space to talk through things, experience less distress in your life, learn how to deal with things more effectively, and do so with someone who’s compassionate, non-judgmental, and trained to handle whatever you bring, then contact me and let’s talk to find out if we’d be a good fit.

The first step in therapy is getting to know each other, make sure we understand what you’re looking for help with, and clarify your goals. Then we explore your life, thoughts, relationships, background, family life, and anything else that’s relevant. During and after this exploration phase, we work together to build skills, develop strategies, and identify what will help you heal. This isn’t ever easy or painless. But if you’re ready to heal and work, therapy can be a truly transformative experience.

Great news! You don’t have to be. I’m part of something called PSYPACT, which lets me do teletherapy with people living in more than half the states in US. If you want a current list of the states you can live in and still work with me, look at this map: PSYPACT Map. If you’re in one of these states, reach out, let’s talk, and get you healed!

How long people are in therapy always depends on a lot of different things, like what you’re working on, how often we meet, your schedule, how long your struggles have been going on, and how much time and energy you invest in the process outside our sessions. While I can’t guarantee how many sessions it may take, my commitment to you is to help you heal as quickly as I can. My expectation is that you fully invest in the process as well, so we can get you to the place you deserve to be as soon as we can.

Because I don’t work directly with insurance, I don’t typically give people diagnoses. There are pros and cons to having a diagnosis. There are also a few situations where having a diagnosis could be required. For example, if you’d like to get evaluated for ADHD, having that diagnosis is necessary to get access to medication or accommodations. If you want to submit documentation to insurance to potentially get reimbursed for a portion of the therapy fee, insurance companies require a diagnosis. There are some other situations where a diagnosis could be helpful or necessary. But before I’d give you a diagnosis, I’d talk with you to make sure we understand what it means, the pros and cons of a diagnosis, and whether it’s the diagnosis that fits best.