What is therapy?

Therapy, at its core, is a supportive, open, and validating space for individuals to share together. It is an environment for you to discuss and process previous happenings, identify current day patterns, learn about the “why” behind some of the things you think, feel, and do, and so much more.

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Therapy is NOT like what you see in movies. We do not ALWAYS talk about trauma or deep-cutting events. In fact, therapy can be fun, light hearted, comical, and optimistic. Sometimes therapy includes art, movement, music, and games.

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What type of therapy do you practice? 

I believe that YOU are in the driver seat. You know YOU best. I use a person-centered approach that empowers the client to recognize their inner awareness of themselves. I work with attachment-based, relational modalities such as psychodynamic and internal family systems (IFS) approaches that acknowledge the fundamental importance and relationships within the therapeutic space. You can learn more here.

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What is EMDR? 

EMDR stands of eye movement desensitization reprocessing. It is an evidence based treatment to help alleviate symptoms of trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, perfectionism, and many other mental health struggles. During EMDR therapy, the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. The trained clinician engages in directed lateral eye movements that the client will focus on while processing. EMDR is extremely effective. To work with me does NOT mean you have to engage in EMDR. This is just one of many approaches that I use to help empower my clients in their healing! 

 

Do I have to know what I want to talk about in therapy?

Absolutely not! In fact, I encourage my clients to experiment with NOT “pre-planning” what they want to discuss during session. This creates more space to identify what is “really” going on. What thoughts are naturally arising? What feelings inside of you are you ready to share? The spontaneity of sessions can lead to new insights and awareness around your patterns.  

 

What to expect from the consultation call?

I offer a free 15-minute consultation call to prospective clients. If a tele-health call is more accessible for you, please just let me know in your initial message to me. This call is a time for us to ensure that we are a “good fit." I will ask you to describe to me what you have been experiencing, as well as any prior experience you have had with therapy. I will also share with you a bit about myself, such as who I am and what I believe in when it comes to therapy. We will discuss the next steps of scheduling, payment, and paperwork. And… of course, there will be time to answer any questions that you might have!!

 

How much does each session cost?

Each 50-minute, individual therapy session costs $150. I reserve a certain number of spaces for sliding scale clients. In other words, they are able to pay a lower fee if payment is a barrier.  I reserve these slots for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.

 

Why don’t you accept insurance?

There are a myriad of reasons that I have decided not to accept insurance. These are highlighted in my blog post linked here. My main reasons pertain to the protection of my clients’ privacy, as well as my disagreement with “forced diagnosing” that insurance pushes for.

 

How do I pay for therapy?

The most efficient way to pay for therapy is to input your credit card information to the secure, online patient portal that we use for all consents and telehealth. This will automatically charge your credit card. If there are any concerns with this, we can always have a discussion.  

 

How often do I come to therapy?

This is dependent on each individual! However, I recommend starting therapy one time per week. Once we further build our relationship and learn more about what you are experiencing, we can increase sessions to twice per week, or decrease sessions to every other week. Typically, we will pick a time that works in your schedule and stick with this time weekly, unless something comes up. This allows for consistency in both of our schedules. 

 

What is your cancellation policy?

I ask my clients to cancel AT LEAST 24 hours in advance. I allow each of my clients one “no show” without charging. If a client misses more than one session without notice, I do charge the card on file for the full fee of the missed session. This is all explained in your informed consent documentation. This is a strict policy so that we can mutually respect one another's time. 

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What does it mean that you are pre-licensed? 

The Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors requires therapists to attain 3,000 hours of clinical work post-graduation. I am in the process of acquiring these hours. During this time, I meet with two licensed supervisors each week to ensure that I am conducting therapy in the most ethical and supportive way. 

 

Where do I start?

You HAVE started! You are taking those first steps, which are oftentimes the trickiest. If you would like to schedule your consultation call, please reach out here with a few times that would work for you!