The Basics
How do I know if you’re the right therapist for me?
I strongly believe that therapy has a greater chance of being successful when it feels like there’s a good fit between the client and the therapist. I encourage people I’m meeting for the first time to take a few days to think about how it felt to tell me personal, important things. I also do my own thinking and reflecting on the session. If the client or I feel that it’s not the right fit, or if I don’t have the right skills for what a client is looking to work on in therapy, I can help find someone who is likely to be a better fit.
It’s fine to speak to as many therapists as you’d like before choosing one.
How frequent are sessions? And how long will I be in therapy?
I see clients once a week, every week, for the duration of their time in therapy.
The duration of therapy depends on each client. We will discuss your goals for therapy at the start of treatment, so we have a roadmap to check our progress against. I encourage my clients to try therapy for three months. This may sound like a long time, but therapy is a reflective process with benefits that accrue over time, rather than being an immediate fix. If you are not able to make a commitment to the process, you run the risk of the therapy being a disappointment and/or feeling like a waste of time or money.
Do you offer telesessions?
Yes, I am able to offer telesessions to clients who reside in New York state. I use software that is compliant with privacy laws and user friendly.
Do you see people in person?
As of July 2021, I am able to see people in person who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. I am vaccinated, and take additional measures to enhance ventilation in my office. I am also able to meet outdoors, with advance notice.
Please note, due to the ever-changing state of the pandemic, I will resume a telesession-only practice if local authorities conclude that it is not safe to meet indoors.
Do you prescribe medication?
I do not prescribe medication; only licensed psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can do this. I will provide a referral to a licensed mental health prescriber to established clients as needed.
What are your pronouns?
My pronouns are she/her.
My Background and Approach
What kind of training do you have?
I’m a clinical social worker by training, which means I’m trained to think about my clients not just as a collection of symptoms, but as people who’ve been shaped by their environment, by personal experience, by government policies, and of course by their own natural abilities and inclinations. This means that I always try to connect with each person’s individual experience and perspective, and it allows me to appreciate and connect with people from many different backgrounds. My therapeutic experience is broad, and I have had clients with a wide range of identities and life experiences, whether sexual, demographic, socioeconomic, or otherwise.
I’ve done postgraduate training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), perinatal mental health, clinical therapy with adolescents, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
What modality do you practice?
I’m primarily a psychodynamic therapist, which means that I work with clients to reflect on how relationships and experiences from the past may be affecting how they feel or relate to others in the present. I also draw on some aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based approaches.
What problems do you most often treat?
The most frequent difficulty that people come to me with is anxiety. Sometimes it’s acute anxiety, that’s making it difficult to function, and sometimes it’s more general and stems from a life transition, a difficult relationship, or anxiety about one’s identity.
Do you give homework?
I occasionally encourage my clients to try an activity I think might benefit them (for example, exercising, journaling, meditating, or socializing). Likewise, if someone asks me for resources or readings, I’ll provide those. However, I don’t assign homework per se – I’ve found that clients often don’t do it, which can unintentionally replicate a feeling of them “failing” at therapy.
However, some of the most valuable work that happens in therapy takes place between sessions. I encourage clients to think about the reflections and discoveries from our work outside the session, and to challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zone, be aware of and push back against unhelpful patterns, and get in the habit of paying attention to their own experience.
What is a session like with you?
For the first couple of sessions, I like to learn more about you as a person, so I can understand the important experiences and themes in your life. Then the following sessions are a balance of exploring the here-and-now along with the past, always keeping the overall goals of the therapy in mind.
I’m a very participatory and collaborative therapist. I listen closely, ask questions, and offer my own reflections and interpretations throughout the session. If someone is feeling stuck in therapy, or unsure where or how to begin, I’ll help explore this too.
How would I be able to tell if I’m benefitting from our work?
This will vary between individuals, but some signs that therapy is working include: trusting your gut more, placing your needs first, having an increased sense that you can handle what comes up, improved relationships, and being more reflective, whether in regards to your own thought patterns or your connections with others.
Cost and Scheduling
How much is your session fee?
My session fee is $250 for a 45-minute session. You can pay by Zelle, credit card, or HSA/FSA debit card. There is a 2.75% processing fee to pay by card.
I only charge for the initial session if a client and I choose to continue working together. If we choose not to work together, the first session is free of charge.
Do you take my insurance?
I am not in network with any insurance companies. Rather, my clients pay me directly, and then file for reimbursement with their insurer, if they have out of network benefits. I provide a receipt at the end of each month that my clients use to file for reimbursement.
These are useful questions to ask your provider if you are considering using insurance to pay for therapy:
Do I have out-of-network mental health benefits? If so, what portion of the fee will insurance reimburse?
How many sessions will be covered per calendar year?
What is my deductible?
What is my co-payment?
I’ve never used out of network benefits. How do I get reimbursed?
You can speak with your insurance company about their process. Usually, clients can file online for reimbursement.
Although I have not used it myself, some of my clients use the app Reimbursify and report that it makes the process of filing for reimbursement easier.
Do you offer a sliding scale fee?
Although a significant portion of my caseload is sliding scale, I am not able to offer sliding scale at this time to new clients.
What if we used to work together, at a different fee, and I’d like to work with you again?
Please contact me, I will do my best to find a session fee that works for your budget.
What if we used to work together, and I’d like to just do a check in?
Please reach out – I love hearing from people I’ve worked with! I am happy to offer single or limited-duration sessions.
What is your cancellation policy?
My cancellation policy differs somewhat from other service providers. In order to encourage clients to be consistent and active in the work we do together, I allow for five missed weeks in a 12-month period, with no charge. This allowance of five missed weeks includes illness, last-minute cancellations, and planned time away. Once someone misses five weeks for any reason, I charge the full session fee for any missed weeks. When I am given advance notice, I will gladly reschedule clients within the same week so they do not incur a missed session.
Therapy is a commitment to weekly reflection and self-examination. If you think it would be difficult to attend on a weekly basis, it might not be the right time to start, and I might not be the right therapist for you.