1. When do you have appointments?
I have daytime, evening, and Saturday appointments available.
2. What is the cost of the sessions and how do I pay for them?
Fees: 60 minute individual session $135 per session. We accept cash, checks, major credit cards and payments from Health Savings/Flexible Savings Accounts.
3. Do you take my insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider, and insurance plans often cover part of my services. I will furnish invoices for you to submit for reimbursement. Please contact your insurance company to learn about your specific coverage for behavioral/mental health. Questions to ask are: Do I have out-of-network benefits? What is the deductible? Have I met the deductible? Some people are opting not to use insurance because confidential information needs to be shared to process claims such as a mental health diagnosis.
4. What should I expect at my first appointment for therapy?
In the first session, we complete paperwork and review IHS policies, discuss your history and the issues bringing you to therapy and then outline goals for our work together.
5. How many sessions will we need and how often should we come?
Most people come in every week or once every two weeks unless you are in crisis. If in crisis, you may come more often until you are feeling better. Many couples do 90 minute sessions every two weeks. I provide recommendations, but ultimately you decide the number and frequency of sessions depending on your needs, desires, and resources.
6. I see you are a pastoral counselor. Is this religious counseling?
This is not religious counseling. Pastoral counselor training is identical to secular therapist training EXCEPT our training prepares us to work within the spirituality and faith tradition of the client. Spirituality is addressed at the client’s request or as it emerges as an issue in therapy. We do not impose any religion rather we work respectfully within the client’s own religious or spiritual tradition. People from all faiths including atheists and agnostics are welcome.
7. What is expected of me, the client?
You as the client are asked to attend regularly, to spend the time between sessions reflecting upon that which has emerged, to try out suggestions by your therapist, and to talk honestly about issues and experiences which trouble you.
8. How can we get the most out of our couples therapy?
It has been my experience that the couples who get the most out of couples therapy come in with some ability to have empathy for the other, a willingness to look at an issue from their partner’s perspective even if they don’t agree, and a willingness to take responsibility for and change their own behavior. Questions to ask yourself are: “What would our ideal relationship look like?” “What kind of partner do I aspire to be?” “What blocks me from being that partner I aspire to be?”