Individual Therapy

I use a structured, yet flexible, approach when I begin working with a new individual therapy client. This initial period may vary as we explore the therapeutic modalities that work best for you, based on your unique attachment, culture, neurodiversity (learning, expressing, processing, integrating, etc.), needs, and challenges. 

Here are some examples of what you can expect during the first several sessions: 

• I would like to get to know you. Learn your story; from ancestry to present. What is going well in your life, as well as what you are struggling with at this time.
• You can ask me questions and I will share information that will help us begin to build the trusting foundation of our therapeutic work together.
• We can discuss the skills and practices that do, do not, or sometimes work for you. We can review and practice techniques that you may find helpful. 
• I would like to know when you felt your best, and when you felt your worst. Review relevant strengths and barriers. Name important people and events in you life. 
• We will talk about your goals for therapy. How I, and your collective community, can help you achieve them. What might it look like and feel like to realize them. 
• We will  begin leaning into the challenges you identified. Try different approaches, and explore how each one does or does not serve you. 
• We will summarize and reflect on signature themes, explore how therapy is going, and deliver our impressions of the challenges so far. 
• Together, we create a plan that will guide our future sessions.

Here is an example of how i organize a typical individual therapy session:

At the BEGINNING of a session, we start with a brief check-in and identify what to focus on based on your immediate needs and/or the goals in your wellness plan. We may start with a grounding exercise, further debrief a previous session, or even continue an exercise/practice from a previous session to deepen the work. 

DURING a session, I employ both active and passive interventions. Some examples of active interventions include: practice of communication skills, role-play boundary setting, complete a values inventory,  co-create a personal ritual, call-in self deprecating thoughts, engage in a movement exercise, facilitate guided imagery, and recommend homework. Some examples of passive interventions include: teaching of frameworks, active listening, reflective statements, explore meaning of dream, explore application of poem or dicho to your situation, ask clarifying and challenging questions. 

At the END of each session, I debrief by asking questions from the Session Rating Scale, or other client feedback questionnaire, to collaboratively assess how therapy is going. Here, we often discuss highlights from the session, moments of attunement or misattunement between therapist-client, and share mutually relevant feedback.

In my experience, clients who have participated in weekly individual therapy have more readily and effectively realized their goals. One reason for this is, in my observation and opinion, a more attuned focus on the change behaviors necessary to achieve the goals of individual therapy. The more time between sessions, the greater risk of regression.   

I do see clients in individual therapy on a bi-weekly (every other week) basis. I inform these clients of the benefits and risks of this frequency, and the importance of holding themselves accountable to intentions, change behaviors, skills and/or homework between sessions. For some of my clients, the bi-weekly (every other week) frequency is a good fit for them. 

I typically see clients less frequently when they have maintained progress and/or we are nearing the end of individual therapy because they are realizing and maintaining their goals. 

I do my best to be flexible with my clients to find balance among their availability, clinical and financial needs. 

My fee is $200 for a 50-minute, individual therapy session. 

Good Faith Estimate Notice: You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services. You can ask your healthcare provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises

I accept payments of cash, check, debit/credit card, and FSA card at the time of service. 

No, I am not empanelled with any insurance company. I am an Out of Network Provider (OON) and can provide superbills for you to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider.