Frequently Asked Questions

I know that deciding to come to counseling is a big deal…it’s an investment of time, money and most of all mental and emotional energy and you might be wondering is therapy worth the investment? I would love to help you figure out the answer to that question! Below I’ve listed some questions that I’ve found people commonly ask when they are trying to #1: decide whether or not counseling is for them and #2: trying to find a therapist after deciding they are ready to give therapy a try.

how can therapy help me?

Counseling with me allows you the opportunity to learn how to connect with emotions that you’ve previously never been able to connect with due to feeling too overwhelmed by these emotions. Through connecting with these emotions, you learn that they aren’t as overwhelming or difficult to control as they seemed, and your confidence in your ability to manage these challenging emotions grows. As a result, your life is no longer so constrained by the energy it takes to deal with your challenging emotions, freeing you up to live life with more joy and peace.

what therapeutic techniques do you use?

I have training in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), which is an evidence-based approach that has been found to be effective in healing a wide range of emotional distress. To learn more, watch this video or read more about it at the IFS website. I also utilize techniques from Emotionally-Focused Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, as well as faith-based techniques for those who desire to incorporate their relationship with God into our work together.

how will my life Be different after therapy With you?

If we decide to work together, my hope for you would be that you gain a sense of freedom from emotions that have felt like too much to bear; that you might feel surprised to learn that you’re not as stuck as you feel, and that you have the ability to relate to yourself and your overwhelming feelings in ways that actually help these emotions to feel less intense; and that you leave our sessions feeling more grounded, peaceful and confident as you move through life.

i feel skeptical about Whether or not things can change. how can counseling help something i’ve tried for years to fix?

Oftentimes we go about trying to “fix” emotions we don’t like by trying to suppress or avoid them - ignoring them, numbing them, shaming them, etc. Unfortunately, these efforts typically aren’t successful, and usually guarantee that these unwanted emotions stick around. I specialize in helping people to face these emotions with compassion and openness, which ultimately helps these emotions to resolve and gives you confidence in your ability to handle intense feelings when they arise in the future.

See below for answers to other frequently asked questions:

Are you on any insurance panels?

At this time I am not a contracted provider with any insurance panels; I am an out-of-network provider for those insurance plans that offer out-of-network benefits. If you have questions about how this works, let me know - I’m more than happy to walk you through how to find out if your plan offers out-of-network benefits and how to submit claims. If your place does offer out-of-network benefits, I can provide you with receipts that you can submit to your insurance provider and they will reimburse you directly for any costs that your plan does cover.

Why aren't you on more insurance panels?

It is my goal to provide the very best treatment possible in order to make your investment worthwhile. Unfortunately, I’ve found that being on insurance panels takes away from this goal for a number of reasons:

• The low reimbursement rates offered by most of the major insurance companies require therapists who contract with these companies to carry large caseloads, often reducing the quality of care that these therapists are able to provide.

• Insurance companies often want to manage care through dictating the number of sessions allowed, questioning the work being done in sessions, and requiring therapists to submit paperwork detailing treatment provided.

• The amount of work often required for therapists to deal with billing errors, treatment authorizations and other insurance-related questions takes time and energy away from focusing on actually helping you to feel better.

• I’ve found that many people are able to utilize out-of-network to help cover some of the costs of therapy.

I see you offer faith-based counseling but I’m not a christian…how does that work?

I am trained in faith-based counseling techniques, and I do offer this approach if desired, but I work with clients of many different spiritual backgrounds and beliefs and I don’t incorporate a faith-based approach unless specifically requested by the client.