Frequently Asked Questions

My standard rate is $160 per 60-minute session. $175 for the initial intake session.

I do work on a sliding scale based on financial need.

I take Blue Cross Blue Shield, Priority Health, and United Healthcare(Optum), (sorry, no medicaid). If you have another insurance company, I am considered “out-of-network.”

However, if you have Out of Network benefits, you might be able to get reimbursed for part or all of your sessions.

You would want to contact your insurance company to see if they reimburse you for a 60 minute psychotherapy session.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a form of therapy that was developed by Francine Shapiro in the late ‘80s. A huge part of the challenge of therapy being successful is the ability to get at what I call the “stuff in the basement.”

It was discovered that by going back and forth within the right and left hemisphere of the brain, trauma/issues from youth could be processed more effectively during this back and forth activity.

This is accomplished by eye movements, tapping, or various forms of signaling between the right and left side of the brain. One way to view it is like a “jogging of the brain.”

When you first experience it, many wonder how something so simple can work. But time and again the results continue to amaze me. I am fully trained and certified in EMDR. For more information, see my page on EMDR therapy.

I am a Certified EMDR therapist. I usually begin with getting to know you, of course, and establishing rapport. I also begin with mindfulness techniques and some education of our thinking patterns and how they work. Once that has been done, I get to know “the parts of my clients” to see what might get in the way of effective processing during EMDR.

I’m sure that last statement might be a little confusing to some. Think about it this way – part of you thinks you might benefit from counseling, but then there’s another part of you that says you should be able to do it on your own.

Both of these parts make valid points during the conversation in your head, and you end up in a stalemate!

This illustrates an approach that is called IFS (Internal Family Systems), and it is something I utilize to help the client get past some of their challenges to growth. I use these methods in our conversation to help you move past barriers that have, in the past, kept you from being “the best version of yourself.”

If you find the right counselor with whom you are able to establish good rapport and trust, it can be the start toward a better future. Equally important are the methods used to accomplish that change. I have seen EMDR and IFS work consistently for my clients. I use both of these methods and I am certified in EMDR. EMDR goes to the heart of the matter and IFS is like the key to the front door.

Usually the biggest barrier towards change is the client’s internal resistance. Even though part of us might want to change, part of us might be afraid of what that change might look like. If we do nothing, at least we know where we stand. Strange as that might seem, this is the internal struggle that many people face when considering counseling.

Trusting that something different will be something better can be scary for a person. That is why finding the right therapist is SO important!

Many issues can be worked through in one to two months of therapy. However, if the client went through years of trauma and abuse, it can be necessary to continue for much longer than that – but that is ultimately up to the client and what they are willing to do.

People tell me one of my strengths is that I am very easy to talk to. I’m kind, and I have a good sense of humor. Personally, I enjoy playing and watching sports, exercising, and going to the movies (mostly for the popcorn!). I would also like to write a screenplay for a movie someday.