Q & A

A brief call to share about myself as a clinician and you provide information on what has led you to seek counseling services. I answer any questions you may have about services, and make sure that I am the best clinician for your needs. There is no fee for these introductory calls.

The very first time I meet with you, will be information gathering and sharing that will help identify goals for treatment, I usually schedule 75 minutes for this first meeting. Following this, we will usually meet for a 50-minute session once or twice a week, depending on identified goals.

A cancelled appointment delays our work. I will consider our meetings very important and ask you to do the same. Please try not to miss sessions if you can possibly help it. When you must cancel, please give me at least 48 hours’ notice, and more time if able. Your session time is reserved for you will be charged the full fee for sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice.

I can only be your individual therapist or your couple’s therapist. If you are already engaged in individual services with me, I will refer to alternative therapists who can provide you and your partner with couple’s therapy. Similarly, if you and your partner are engaging in couples’ sessions with me, I would refer for each you and your partner to receive individual therapy by another qualified therapist if needed.

I provide both in-person and telehealth appointments, depending on client’s preference.

I work closely with parents while their child (12 and under) is in therapy. I will meet with parents on a regular basis if your child (aged 12 and under) is in treatment with me. Early on in treatment I will meet with the parents to get historical information and presenting concerns. Once sessions initiate, I typically see parents once a month. The frequency of these parents’ sessions can vary, depending on the circumstances of your child and your family, as well as how long your child has been in treatment. Parents’ sessions are for you to discuss with me your concerns and observations of your child. In addition, for me to provide education and support your self-care as a parent and your efforts to help your child make progress. Children heal through relationships with supporting adult figures, so particularly with trauma and adoption related issues, parental involvement is critical for therapeutic progress.

For older youth and adolescents, parental involvement is a choice of the youth. Adolescents are developmentally at a stage where privacy is heavily valued. Some express a desire for heavy parent involvement, others prefer the individualized therapeutic treatment. How often I include parents in treatment will be directly discussed with the adolescent. Depending on what the presenting concerns are, parental engagement may be critical to progress. In situations where an adolescent may have peer or familial strains, I will encourage the importance of parental engagement when it’s therapeutically safe to do so. In addition, if the adolescent is a danger to themselves or others it will always be articulated in session that a parent will be notified to keep your youth safe.