How long does treatment last?

Average length of treatment is 3-6 months of weekly therapy (12-24 sessions), though this depends on the individual client. Some need less time, some need more time (e.g., a year or more). Length of treatment depends on several factors, including the level of complexity, severity, frequency of appointments, ongoing stressors, work put in by the client outside of session and willingness to make changes, and if the client would like to work on additional goals past the initial presenting issues that they originally entered with. I do a time-limited, goals-focused treatment, and sessions are scheduled at a weekly frequency for at least the first few months to ensure momentum and progress. My goal is to teach you the skills to become your own therapist so that you don't have to be in treatment long term.

Does telehealth work?

I see clients through telehealth only. Research shows that treatment delivered through telehealth is as effective as in-person treatment. Furthermore, there may be unique advantages of having treatment delivered through teletherapy. These include the ability to conduct treatment where you face real challenges on a day-to-day basis, increased access to appropriate treatment, and choosing the provider of your choice. There are limited instances where I may recommend in-person services, but often it comes down to client preference.

What ages do you see?

I see adults and young adults ages 18+.

What are your hours?

I see clients Monday through Friday, with appointments starting between 9 am and 2 pm EST. Given that I see clients from multiple states, please be mindful of time zone differences.

Do you provide emergency services? Who are your services not a good fit for?

The center does not provide emergency services and is not appropriate for those with active self-harm or self-injurious behavior (within past 3 months) or for whose who are seriously considering suicide. If you have an emergency, call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, and/or call/text 988 (National Suicide & Crisis Line). The center is also not appropriate for those who have aggressive behavior.

Do you take insurance?

I do not bill insurance directly but am processed as an Out-of-Network provider if you have this benefit. I provide you with monthly Superbills to submit to insurance for reimbursement if you'd like, though some choose to not involve their insurance. Some clients prefer to use an application, like Reimbursify, to easily submit claims. You can also choose to pay with your HSA/FSA card, whether or not you choose to seek reimbursement from your insurance. Due to the highly specialized nature of my services, clients often find that they get reimbursed 50-90% of the total fee. Note that your insurance may require that your deductible is met before getting reimbursed, and in this case the fees would apply towards your deductible first.

Contracting with insurance means that they dictate the terms of treatment and make the clinical decisions for me and the client, which goes against my practice of providing quality treatment based on my clinical training and professional evaluation of what is recommended for each client. Additionally,  the healthcare system unfortunately does not value the training, emotional labor, and financial investment made by clinicians to compensate us fairly for our work if we were to be in-network. Therefore, you will find that most specialist providers do not participate in insurance panels for these reasons.

What are your fees?

Therapy is an investment. Invest in you and your future.
My fees are consistent with other experts providing highly specialized treatment for anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral and exposure-based therapy. I prioritize quality over quantity, and I believe that clinicians do their best work when not burnt out. Thus, my fees allow me to invest in ongoing education and training to continue providing updated and quality services, to limit my caseload to only those that are the most appropriate fit for my specialty and who I will be most helpful for, and to be fully present and dedicated to each client. Please inquire about fees through the contact page or by email.

Given the specialized nature of my training in this area and relatively short-term nature of treatment, clients often find that they progress much faster than if they were to go to traditional long term psychotherapy for these issues. This often results in lower total cost, quicker improvement, and less disruption to their lives due to the functional impact of symptoms and shorter duration of time taken for treatment. Not seeing the properly trained clinician, or not receiving appropriate and effective treatment, can result in unintentional worsening of symptoms, discouragement in the therapy process, or hopelessness about getting better. The total cost of treatment is often less than what clients would pay if seeing a generalist provider longer term (sometimes several years), possibly without improvement or having to try again with a more appropriate, specialized provider. Thus, I view therapy as a short-term investment with a long term impact.

What is your cancellation policy?

I keep a small caseload to ensure high quality of work. When we decide on a regular time that works for you, that time is reserved for only you for the duration of our work together. Therapy is an investment and commitment for both you and your clinician, and I want to encourage you to prioritize your health and well-being. Consistency is important for yielding growth and lasting change. Additionally, I am a small business and rely upon a stable income to support my family.
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I have a consistency or reschedule-only policy, which means that I am happy to reschedule (not cancel) to the week of the missed appointment with 24 hour notice (vacations will have a larger reschedule window). However, I am aware that sometimes life happens and your schedule may be unpredictable. You can reschedule on short-notice (even last minute) 3x per year. This provides flexibility for emergencies and unexpected situations while prioritizing your progress. Appointments where rescheduling is not possible, or if you prefer not to reschedule a given week, will be charged the full fee. No-Shows will not be rescheduled. Clients who fit best with me are more certain of their commitment to therapy and are able to prioritize keeping regular appointments.

Do you offer free consult calls before starting treatment?

Due to the volume of interest, please review information on the website first before inquiring about a consult call. If you have additional questions that are not answered on the website, please reach out by completing the contact form. I am most reachable by email. If I am not able to adequately address your questions via email, I will offer a 10 minute consult call. Please note that the consult call is not a therapy session. If you need more time but are not sure about committing to treatment yet, consider scheduling a consultation appointment (see below). Additionally, I encourage you to assess fit through the intake appointment or through the first few sessions of therapy since I believe this gives a better understanding of fit than a brief phone call.

What if I'm not sure about therapy?

I offer a consultation session, which is like an intake appointment but even less formal and structured. The consultation appointment is not a diagnostic evaluation, and is a great time to ask questions, get my impressions and recommendations, or figure out next steps to see if setting up an intake appointment makes sense. This is also a great option for pastors seeking professional advice on working with community members with anxiety or depression, or family members and loved ones inquiring on someone's behalf for recommendations and next steps. This is the same fee and length of time as the intake appointment.

What is the process for getting started?

Please complete the contact form to help determine if we are a good fit. Including the intake session, 2-4 sessions are dedicated to thorough and thoughtful assessment of your presenting problems to understand what is driving your symptoms, develop goals, and to tailor treatment to you. After this, we begin with the "active" part of treatment where we start to implement changes.

Good Faith Estimate information

Under the No Surprises Act, health care providers are required to inform individuals who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance, upon request or at the time of scheduling, of their ability to receive a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your medical care will cost.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.