Getting Started
Answers to frequently asked questions
Beginning therapy can bring up a lot of questions. Here are answers to some of the most common ones. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to help.
Ups and downs are a natural part of being human. But when anxiety, sadness, anger, or feeling stuck becomes the norm—or when you find yourself repeating patterns that no longer serve you—it may be a sign that something is asking for your attention.
Psychotherapy offers a space to slow down, become curious, and listen more deeply to your experience. Together, we explore not only symptoms, but the deeper questions and patterns beneath them.
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people come simply because they want to know themselves more fully, navigate a life transition, deepen their relationships, or live with greater authenticity. Therapy can be a powerful catalyst for growth, insight, and transformation, even when life is going well.
If you’re wondering whether therapy is right for you, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. We can talk about what brings you here, answer any questions you have, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
Our first session is an opportunity to get to know one another. We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, what you hope might change, and gather some background information about your life, relationships, and experiences. This initial conversation helps us begin to understand where you are and how we might work together.
Most sessions are 50–55 minutes long and are conversational, collaborative, and tailored to your needs. Depending on what feels most helpful, we may explore recurring patterns, emotions, dreams, relationships, or use experiential awareness exercises to give voice to areas of your inner life that are asking for attention. My goal is to create a space where every part of your experience has the opportunity to be heard, understood, and brought into fuller relationship with the rest of your life.
If you’re curious whether my approach feels like a good fit, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
California: My practice is private pay only.
Texas & Washington state: I accept a number of major insurance plans. Because insurance participation can change over time, I recommend visiting my Psychology Today profiles for the most up-to-date list of plans I currently accept:
Many people choose to pay for therapy out of pocket, even when they have insurance. Private-pay therapy offers greater privacy, allows us to focus on your unique needs rather than insurance requirements, and gives us more flexibility in how we work together.
I’m happy to discuss fees, insurance, and any financial questions during a free 20-minute consultation so you can determine what option feels right for you.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Some people come for just a few sessions to navigate a difficult period, while others choose to work together for months or years to heal long-standing patterns or deepen their understanding of themselves. Still others see therapy as an ongoing practice of personal growth, much like tending to any other important aspect of life.
For most people, I recommend beginning with one session per week. As therapy unfolds, we can adjust the frequency based on your needs, goals, and circumstances.
Ultimately, how often you come and how long you remain in therapy is your decision. I’ll be happy to offer my recommendations along the way, but we’ll continually evaluate together what feels most helpful.
If you’re wondering what therapy might look like for you, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
You don’t need to arrive with your life figured out—or be ready to tell me everything on the first day. Therapy is a relationship that develops over time, and my hope is that you’ll come to experience our work together as a place where you can speak honestly, ask difficult questions, and explore parts of yourself that may not have had much room to be heard.
The people who tend to benefit most from therapy are willing to be curious about their experience, open to new perspectives, and courageous enough to turn toward parts of their lives they might otherwise avoid. Growth often begins where our habitual ways of seeing ourselves begin to soften.
Between sessions, I may encourage practices that deepen awareness, such as keeping a dream journal, trying meditation, or simply paying closer attention to patterns that arise in daily life. These aren’t requirements—they’re invitations to continue the work beyond the therapy room.
Ultimately, everything we do together is in the service of greater freedom, discovery, and a more authentic relationship with yourself.
If you’re wondering whether we’d be a good fit, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
Yes. Confidentiality is one of the foundations of psychotherapy. I’m legally and ethically obligated to protect your privacy, and my goal is to provide a safe space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences openly, without fear of judgment.
There are a few limited exceptions to confidentiality required by law or professional ethics. These include situations involving an immediate risk of serious harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, older adult, or dependent adult, certain court orders, or when limited information must be shared for insurance billing if you choose to use your insurance benefits. Before releasing any information beyond these circumstances, I will ask for your written permission.
If you have questions or concerns about confidentiality, I’m happy to discuss them during a free 20-minute consultation.
I conduct virtual sessions using Zoom, a secure, encrypted, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You can join sessions from any computer, tablet, or smartphone with a camera, microphone, and a reliable internet connection.
Before each appointment, you’ll receive a secure link by email. Simply click the link a few minutes before your scheduled session and we’ll meet online.
I’ve found that teletherapy can be just as personal, engaging, and effective as meeting in person. Many clients appreciate the convenience of attending sessions from the comfort of their own home or office.
If you’ve never used Zoom before or have any questions about the technology, I’m happy to help you get set up. We can even test everything during your free 20-minute consultation.
No. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I am not licensed to prescribe psychiatric medications.
Medication can be a helpful part of treatment for some people, while others find that psychotherapy alone meets their needs. Whether medication is appropriate depends on your unique circumstances and is a decision best made in consultation with a qualified medical provider.
If you’re an established client and we believe medication may be helpful, I’m happy to coordinate care with your primary care physician or refer you to a trusted psychiatrist for an evaluation. I’m also happy to discuss any questions or concerns you have about psychiatric medications as part of our work together.
The first step is to schedule a free 20-minute Zoom consultation. This informal conversation gives us an opportunity to get to know one another, talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, answer any questions you may have, and determine whether we feel like a good fit to work together.
If we decide to move forward, we’ll schedule your first session and begin the process together.
I believe that finding the right therapist is an important decision, and there’s no obligation beyond the consultation. My hope is simply to help you determine whether my approach feels like the right fit for you.
I may complete FMLA or short-term disability paperwork for established clients when it is clinically appropriate and I have sufficient information to support the request. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and are not automatically approved.
In many situations, I recommend that clients consult with their primary care physician, as they are often in the best position to evaluate and document medical conditions related to work leave or disability.
If you’re already an established client and have questions about FMLA or disability paperwork, I’m happy to discuss your specific situation during a session.
It can be incredibly difficult to watch someone you care about struggle, especially when they don’t believe they need help or aren’t ready to seek it. While we can’t make someone engage in therapy, we can often make it easier for them to do so when they’re ready.
Let your loved one know that you’re concerned, that you care about them, and that you’re willing to support them if and when they decide to seek help. Lasting change is often most successful when a person chooses it for themselves.
It’s also important to remember that supporting someone through mental illness, addiction, or emotional distress can be exhausting. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do—for both yourself and your loved one—is seek support of your own. Counseling, family support groups, and organizations such as NAMI, Al-Anon, or Nar-Anon can provide valuable education, encouragement, and community.
If you believe your loved one is in immediate danger of harming themselves or someone else, or is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately, or take them to the nearest emergency department for evaluation.
Protecting your privacy is extremely important to me. Any personal information you share with me—including your contact information—is handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws and professional ethical standards. If you choose to communicate by text message, those messages are used only for scheduling and administrative purposes, never for marketing.
For complete details about how your information is collected, used, and protected, please see my Privacy Policy.