Frequently Asked Questions

Sessions are 45 minutes long. The number of sessions is dependent on what your goals are, the severity of what is happening, your budget, and timeframe. We will discuss this together during our first one or two sessions and make a plan you feel comfortable with.

y office has a HEPA air purifier and there is a distance of 6 feet between the chair I sit in and the couch you sit on. All shared surfaces are frequently sanitized. If any of my clients have any symptoms of illness they are asked to stay home and do a Zoom session (if they are well enough). I too would cancel an in-person session if I had any symptoms of an illness.

Most everything discussed in counseling is confidential, however, there are a limited number of situations that therapists are legally required to report. Any form of child abuse or neglect. Any form of elder abuse or neglect. Any serious threat to harm someone else. Steps must be taken to prevent a client from committing suicide. If the U.S. Government suspects that a client is a terrorist and demands their clinical file, then the therapist must comply. All other disclosures and clinical information are completely confidential. The client holds the privilege and must provide written permission for this information to be released by their therapist.

The purpose of the initial counseling session is for us to develop a clear understanding of your counseling needs together. I will ask questions related to your present situation as well as relevant experiences from your past. You can feel free to share anything you feel would be helpful for me to understand. Just focus on coming into the session as your most authentic self. We will then work together to form a treatment plan and I will suggest specific treatment interventions to help you achieve your goals. The main phase of treatment can include processing feelings, examining belief systems and thinking patterns, engaging in therapeutic exercises, strengthening positive behaviors, and weakening negative ones. My role is to provide a safe environment in which you can openly disclose your deepest feelings and examine your most significant experiences. If there is a commitment to growth and change then there can be healing, recovery, reconciliation, and the development of healthier ways of living.

I do not do a general sliding scale; however, I do have a certain number of spaces available for clients who qualify for a lower fee. Let me know if you think you may financially qualify, and we can discuss the paperwork necessary to become eligible should a discounted space become available in my case load. I do not take insurance, but I recommend you contact your insurance company to see if/how much they reimburse you for seeing an “out-of-network Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor”.

Yes, we can still be a good fit. Talking about faith, especially my faith, does not enter the therapy room unless a client wants to talk about it. Everyone is welcome in my practice regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or spiritual/religious beliefs. A client will never experience proselytizing, or judgment of values or lifestyle based on my beliefs. Not only would that be bad therapy, but it would be unethical.