Frequently Asked Questions

I believe that almost everyone can benefit from going to therapy at some point in their life. The way in which it might benefit you will be specific to what you are wanting to address. Before beginning therapy, some questions you might want to ask are: why am I considering therapy now? What do I hope to gain by going? Whether you want to know yourself better, work on your relationship with your partner, or focus on a specific issue that is causing a disturbance in your life, therapy is a process that is most effective when you are actively engaged. It may bring up uncomfortable feelings; you may feel worse before you feel better. Your experience with therapy will be as unique are you. One thing that I can say with certainty is that you will not be alone. I am committed to guiding my clients through a process that fits their needs. If you have any questions about whether therapy is right for you, please contact me. I would be happy to discuss them with you.

The first step will be to have an initial consultation with me to see if my skills and style are a good fit for your needs. Schedule a free 20 minute phone or video call with me. We will talk about why you are considering therapy, as well as fees and scheduling. If you decide to move forward, I will send you a link to a secure portal where you can electronically review and sign a consent form and my practice policies. I will also send you an appointment reminder and information about my office, if we are meeting in person, or if we are meeting online, how that will work.

Your session will be tailored to fit you. Some core things will be consistent. I will want to create an environment in which you feel safe. I will listen carefully to why you are seeking therapy. I will not have a pre-set “agenda” about what I think you need. Therapy is a dynamic process, one that will grow along with you. I will share my thoughts about how I might be best able to meet your needs, i.e., engaging in talk therapy, EMDR, art therapy, mindfulness or a combination of these approaches. Therapy is a collaborative process. You may be coming to me for expertise, but this process is about you. I will check in with you as we proceed about how you feel the process is going and whether you are getting what you need.

I meet with most individual clients once a week for 50 minutes. When doing EMDR, it is best to have more time for processing, so 80-minute sessions may be recommended. If you are a couple, the standard session is 60 minutes.

Some clients chose to meet more than once a week. While others, if, after having reached many of their goals, may taper to less frequent sessions, i.e., every other week. If you are considering less frequent sessions as a way to save money, I am happy to share my thoughts about considerations and possible alternative options.

Sessions are scheduled to take place at the same day and time each week. I hold this time for you, so you can have a consistent and reliable time to do this work.

If a session is canceled 24 hours in advance no fee will be charged. If you would like to reschedule for the same week and provide 24 hours notice, I will work with you to find another time and no cancellation fee will be charged.

The truthful answer is: it depends. There are many variables, such as what you are coming to address, how you respond to the work and if new areas of focus present themselves Therapy is often not linear, but unfolds over time. You may get what you need in a brief period or engage in a longer process as you go more deeply. While I work with clients who are seeking short term therapy, most of my clients work with me consistently for longer periods of time. When, after mutually discussing the appropriate time to end, clients may return for occasional “tune ups.” It is my honor and privilege to remain as a resource for my clients even after our regular sessions have ended.

Research has consistently shown that the most important element of effective treatment is the therapeutic relationship. When you come to meet with me, it is crucial that you feel that I am someone you can work with. If not, I welcome you letting me know and will provide referrals for other therapists who might be a better fit.

No, but I can provide you with a super bill that you may submit to your insurance company. You may also be able to pay for sessions using your Health Savings Account. This is something you will need to verify with your plan.

There are a couple of things to consider if you want to use insurance. Insurance companies will only pay claims if there is a diagnosis, so I will need to include that information on the super bill. I will discuss this with you first. Second, most insurance carriers do not cover couples therapy. If you are hoping to use your insurance for this, you should make sure to check with them in advance.

If you would like to find out if your insurance will cover any portion of sessions with me a an out-of-network provider, here are the things I suggest you ask your carrier:

• What is the deductible amount that must be met before my policy will cover any portion of the services?

• What does your plan pay for out of network 45 minutes of psychotherapy services? (Though my sessions are 50 minutes, the insurance companies categorize them as 45 minutes). The procedure code (CPT) is 90834.

• They may have a set amount they will recognize and/or a set percentage they will cover. For instance, for out of network services, they may pay $65 per session regardless of the fee you are paying me.

• Or they may determine the customary rate for services by zip code (mine is 06877) and pay a set percentage of the amount they determine to be customary. Their rate might be different than mine. For instance, they may recognize $175 as the customary rate for the area and pay 30% of that amount.

You will want to find out if there is a cap on your mental health benefits, either a dollar amount or number of sessions.

If you would like more guidance on this process, please let me know.