Frequently Asked Questions

Most of my practice is virtual. If you are located in Washington state we can meet virtually, or I am in office on Wednesdays in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA. If you are located in the state of Florida we can only meet virtually for therapy.

I provide therapy to adults 18 years of age or older. Please fill out the New Client Screening Form by clicking on the “Contact Me” button below. I will email you within two business days to set up a time for a phone consultation. The phone consultation is typically 15-20 minutes long. It will help me understand more of what you are looking for and you can ask me any questions about my therapy style or the process of therapy. I want to make sure that we are a good fit and I can help you with what you need.

If we both decide to move forward, we will set up a time for your first session. I will add you to my client portal and you will receive my intake documents. Intake forms will be sent directly to your email and are completed electronically. These need to be read and signed before we have our first session.

The first 1-2 sessions will be considered “Intake Sessions”. I will ask you specific questions about you- your history, your family, your life experiences, etc.- to gain a better understanding of who you are and what your lived experience in the world has been. This will provide a foundation for us to build upon as we move forward together in therapy.

Following the Intake Session(s) we will turn our focus to your goals for therapy. Once we have determined what your goals are we will actively start working towards those goals. Sometimes we may need to start by looking at the past. Early life relationships and experiences tend to inform how we behave in present day and getting to the root cause of those behaviors can be beneficial. Other times we may jump right in learning new coping skills and strategies and taking action. Care is individualized and based on your unique situation.

I see clients either weekly or every other week. Anything less than that tends to be less effective. I highly recommend beginning with weekly sessions as it will allow us to move through the intake process more quickly, develop a solid working therapeutic relationship, and move more quickly towards accomplishing your goals.

Length of time in therapy is solely based on the individual. There is no set time. Some people prefer short-term therapy to address a single issue, while others need long-term therapy due to more complex problems. This also depends on the frequency in which we are meeting. Meeting more frequently will accelerate the process. In general most people spend about 6-18 months in therapy.

1. Consider if individual therapy is the right fit for what you’re seeking as opposed to another approach such as coaching, community or therapy support groups, a treatment center, peer support, courses, or workshops.

2. Identify the factors that are most important to you when choosing a therapist (e.g. gender, approach, style, identity, age, personality, cultural background, values, beliefs, training, fees, insurance).

3. Being an active participant in the therapy space. Therapy is best when therapist and client co-create the therapeutic experience so that it is as rewarding and impactful as possible. Progress toward your goals requires that you are an active partner in therapy. This means coming to therapy with a few ideas of what you would like to discuss during that hour. I have training and expertise that I will bring to our sessions, but you are the expert on you and your input is necessary for success.

4. Therapy will require work outside of the therapy session. This might look like: practicing new skills or behaviors, journaling or tracking thoughts, emotions, and body sensations, establishing a daily practice, and incorporating what we talk about in the therapy session outside of the therapy hour.

5. Patience. Sometimes things feel worse before they can feel better. This is especially true when we are discussing painful life experiences or digging up events from the past. This is completely normal and natural. We are not necessarily trying to relieve symptoms, but trying to learn how to sit with the discomfort more effectively so that it has less impact on you.

My fee for therapy is $165 for a 50- 55 minute session.

I am currently in-network with Premera, Lifewise, and Aetna in Washington state. It is your responsibility to know your health care coverage including any copays, coinsurance, and deductibles you may have and when they apply or reset.

For clients using a different insurance then listed above or if you’re located in Pennsylvania or Florida state, I am considered an out-of-network (OON) provider. You are responsible for knowing your out-of-network benefits and reimbursement rates if any apply. I suggest calling the 1-800 number on the back of your insurance card and asking what your out-of-network benefits are for mental health services so you can determine your reimbursement rate. Most insurance companies will reimburse a percentage of the cost of therapy. I will provide you with a “Superbill” (receipt for services) if you would like to use your out-of-network benefits, but know that any and all billing or benefit issues related to your insurance company are between you and your insurance company.

I am not an eligible provider for Medicare which means they will not reimburse for any mental health services provided by me.

Beginning January 1, 2022, federal law requires health care practitioners to provide current and potential clients who are not using insurance a “Good Faith Estimate” (GFE) on the cost of treatment. This is meant to protect clients from “surprise billing”.

For more information regarding the No Surprises Act, Good Faith Estimate, and “surprise billing” please click here.

A commitment to our time together is essential for meeting your counseling goals. Therefore, my cancellation policy is more of a rescheduling policy. No advance notice is required for absences. You can cancel your appointment at the last minute.

Missed appointments must be rescheduled during the week before, during, or after your absence. This gives you a three-week window to reschedule the missed appointment. You can use the online scheduler through the client portal to cancel and reschedule appointments as often as needed.

Session fees will be waived for two missed appointments per year. The year begins at your first session.

A cancellation fee of $185 is only charged when you have used your waived sessions and do not reschedule your missed appointment within the three-week window.

I use an online platform that provides HIPAA compliant telehealth. This is a secure video conferencing system. Nothing is recorded or kept. You will receive a new link in your email for every session you attend.

You will need a laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone with video camera and speakers, and a stable internet connection to attend sessions. Please pick a location in which you have privacy to conduct your session.

I see clients Monday through Thursday in the morning and early afternoons.

I honor most major holidays and I am not in the office the week between Christmas and New Years. I will give at least two-weeks notice for any other scheduled time off.