I am often times asked this question and my answer depends on many variables. The most important variable, in my opinion, is your level of comfort with me. Therapy is about you! You absolutely need to feel comfortable with the professional you are entrusting with your thoughts and feelings. I will do my best to provide you with a safe environment, and I always encourage my clients to give me feedback about what they feel works or doesn’t work for them in therapy.
One of the reasons I offer a free 15-minute phone or 30-minute in-person consultation is for you to be able to meet me and determine for yourself whether I am the therapist for you. If I’m not, for whatever reason, I’ll do my best to refer you to someone who will better suit your needs. Your health and happiness is what is most important, and if I am not the one to help you, I would like to help you find the right therapist.
I am contracted with the following insurance plans: Cigna, Lyra, and Optum (United Behavioral Health). Please contact your insurance company to make sure that I am in network, what your copay is, and how many sessions are available to you.
This is entirely up to you. At the end of each session, I’ll ask if you’d like to schedule to come back. You always have the choice. I am a personal believer in choices; how often you attend depends upon how deep you want to go and the challenges you are facing. My hope is that once you invest in the therapy process and share your story with me, that I continue to be a resource and your source of support, and that you don’t have to start over with a new therapist.
There is no set number of sessions for therapy. It may last a few weeks, months, or longer. The average length of therapy, based on weekly sessions, is from 2 to 6 months. The therapeutic process depends on the readiness and commitment of the client, in addition to the duration and severity of the problem. We will regularly assess how therapy is progressing for you.
Therapy is a collaborative effort in which we will come up with goals and techniques to help you move through some of the difficulties you feel you are experiencing. Remember, it takes courage to attend therapy, and it takes dedication to see it through.
Video or Tele Therapy is a convenient option for some clients whose schedules and lives make it difficult to meet in person. This mode of online thereapy is recommended for higher functioning clients, and requires an initial 20 minute session to ensure this approach is suitable for you. All sessions are confidential using secure, HIPAA compliant technology, with the highest standard encryption to protect your privacy.