Frequently Asked Questions

How do I begin?

Simply call or email me for a free phone consultation. If I am unable to answer the phone at that time you may leave a message on my confidential voicemail and I will return your call as soon as possible. You may also choose to email me with any questions that you have. I do my best to respond in less than 24 hours.

Once we have had a phone consultation or I have answered your initial questions via email, we will determine an appointment time. After we have agreed upon a time for our first meeting, I will send you 2 emails; the first will be a link where you can fill out a
small packet of intake documents and the second email will be a link for your personal Zoom meeting.

In order to make my services more convenient for clients, I decided not to return to a physical office and will continue to meet with clients exclusively through Telehealth. The use of video conferencing allows me to provide greater flexibility in scheduling so that I can accommodate clients’ work and childcare limitations. If you have questions or concerns regarding virtual therapy meetings please feel free to discuss them with me.

How long does therapy take?

Because all families, couples, and individuals are unique, change occurs differently for different people. Generally, people attend therapy for a 1-hour (50 minute) session once per week. Some people benefit from brief solution-focused therapy usually lasting six to eight sessions. Other people see the results they are looking for after a longer commitment to therapy. Ultimately, the duration depends upon the type of issues the clients are facing and the client’s energy and commitment to therapy. We can discuss this together and tailor therapy to your needs and desired outcomes.

How does therapy work?

Psychotherapy is not like visiting a medical doctor. Basically, it is an ongoing, deep conversation that requires a very active involvement of both the therapist and client. As a client, you are the director of your therapy and your therapist will work to help you with the challenges that you wish to focus on and the changes that you want to make in your life. Therapy requires your active participation. It requires your consistent effort to change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It will also challenge you to be open and honest with yourself.

An important part of your therapy will be practicing new skills that you will learn in your sessions. You will be asked to practice outside our meetings. You might be asked to do exercises, keep records, and read to deepen your learning. You will probably have to work on relationships in your life and make some changes to get the best long-term results. These are important parts of personal change. Change will sometimes be easy and quick, and sometimes it will be slow and frustrating, and you will need to keep trying. Though there are no instant, painless cures, you can learn new ways of looking at your problems that will be very helpful for changing your feelings and reactions. Essentially, the more seriously you take your therapy, and the more effort you put into it, the faster and better results you will see.

How much does therapy cost?

The cost of a 50-minute therapy session is $135 for individuals and $150 for couples.
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As I am unable to accept insurance at this time, I will offer a sliding scale for those who request it.
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Credit cards & HSA accepted.

What else should I know about therapy?

The Benefits and Risks of Therapy

As an informed consumer you should think about both the benefits and risks when making any treatment decisions.

In therapy, there is a risk that clients will, for a time, experience uncomfortable feelings such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, or frustration. Clients may recall unpleasant memories which might be disturbing. Also, clients in therapy may experience stress with people important to them. Family secrets may be told and sometimes therapy may disrupt a marital relationship. Most of these risks are to be expected when people are making important positive changes in their lives.

In addition, in some cultures or communities there may be a social stigma against someone who seeks therapy which could cause distress to the client. Finally, even with our best efforts, there is a risk that therapy may not work for you the way that you want it to.

The benefits of therapy have been documented by scientists in hundreds of well- designed research studies. Therapy has been shown to lift depression and reduce feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety. In therapy, people have a chance to talk things out fully until their feelings are relieved or the problems are solved. Clients’ self-esteem, relationships, and coping skills may improve greatly, often resulting in an increase of satisfaction with social and family relationships. Clients’ personal goals and values may become clearer and they may become more self-empowered. Clients usually grow in many ways…within their close relationships, in their school or work, and in the ability to enjoy their lives.

Limits to the Therapist/Client Relationship

As a professional, I will use my best knowledge and skills to help you. This includes following the standards of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) and the American Psychological Association (APA). In your best interests, these regulatory entities put limits on the relationship between a therapist and a client, and I will abide by these. Let me explain these limits, so you will not think they are personal responses to you.
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Psychotherapy is a professional service I can provide to you. Because of the nature of therapy, our relationship has to be different from most relationships and it must be limited to the relationship of therapist and client only. If we were to interact in any other ways, we would then have a “dual relationship,” which would not be ethically right and may in some instances be illegal.
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Because I am your therapist, dual relationships like these are improper:

• I cannot be your supervisor, teacher, or evaluator.
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• I cannot be a therapist to my own relatives, friends (or the relatives of friends), people I know socially, or business contacts.
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• I cannot provide therapy to people I used to know socially, or to former business contacts.
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• I cannot have any other kind of business relationship with you besides the therapy itself. For example, I cannot employ you, lend to or borrow from you, or trade or barter your services (things like tutoring, repairing, child care, etc.) or goods for therapy.
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• I cannot give legal, medical, financial, or any other type of professional advice.
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• I cannot have any kind of romantic or sexual relationship with a former or current client, or any other people close to a client.
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• Even though you might invite me, I may not attend your family gatherings, such as parties or weddings nor can I accept any gifts from you.
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• If you ever become involved in a divorce or custody dispute, I will not provide evaluations or expert testimony in court as my statements would be considered biased in your favor because we have a therapy relationship. You should hire a different mental health professional for any evaluations or testimony you require.

Dual relationships can set up conflicts between my own (the therapist’s) interests and your (the client’s) best interests, and then your interests might not be put first. In order to offer all of my clients the best care, my judgment needs to be client-centered and professional. Thank you for understanding.

About Confidentiality

It is your legal right that our sessions and my records about you be kept private. In general, I will tell no one what you tell me. I will not even reveal that you are receiving treatment from me. In all but a few rare situations, your confidentiality (your privacy) is protected by federal and state laws and by the rules of my profession. Here are the most common cases in which confidentiality is not protected: 
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• If you make a serious threat to harm yourself or another person, the law requires that I try to protect you or that other person. In this case I would inform the necessary people to keep everyone safe.
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• If I believe a child, elderly person, or disabled person has been or will be abused or neglected, I am legally required to report this to the authorities.
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• If you are involved in a court case and my records are subpoenaed then I may be required to break our confidentiality agreement.

If you choose to use insurance as a method of payment then I will be required to provide the insurance company with basic information on symptoms, diagnoses, and my treatment methods. It will become part of your permanent medical record. I will let you know if this should occur and what the company has asked for. Please understand that I have no control over how these records are handled at the insurance company. My policy is to provide the minimum information that the insurance company requires. You can review your own records in my files at any time.

Please understand that there is one other situation in which I may speak about you. I sometimes consult other therapists or other professionals about my clients. This helps me to provide the highest-quality treatment and care. Your name will never be given to them and they are also required by law to keep our discussion private and confidential.

Cancelation Policy

An appointment is a commitment to our work. We agree to meet here and to be on time. If you are late, we will probably be unable to meet for the full time because it is likely that I will have another appointment after yours. 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. I am always willing to reschedule, but if you must reschedule or cancel, please give me at least 24-hour notice.

I require 24-hour notice for a cancelled appointment so that I can provide the best care for all of my clients. 24-hour notice provides me the opportunity to offer the time to someone who is on the waiting list and in need of a session. I usually have a significant waiting list so I take this very seriously. If you do not provide me with 24-hour notice to cancel a session then you will be charged 50% of the session fee for that missed time. Additionally, if you miss 3 appointments then I will no longer hold your preferred time/day for you and we will have to schedule at a different time which may be less desirable or convenient.

Client Bill of Rights

You have the right to:

• Get respectful treatment that will be helpful to you.

• Have a safe treatment setting, free from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

• Report immoral and illegal behavior by a therapist.

• Ask for and get information about the therapist’s qualifications, including his or her license, education, training, experience, membership in professional groups, special areas of practice, and limits on practice.

• Have written information, before entering therapy, about fees, method of payment, insurance coverage, number of sessions the therapist thinks will be needed, substitute therapists (in cases of vacation and emergencies), and cancellation policies.

• Refuse to answer any question or give any information you choose not to answer or give.

• Know if your therapist will discuss your case with others (for instance, supervisors, consultants, or students).

• Ask that the therapist inform you of your progress.

Statement of Principles and Complaint Procedures

It is my intention to fully abide by all the rules of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), the American Psychological Association (APA) and by those of my state license.
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Problems can arise in our relationship, just as in any other relationship. If you are not satisfied with any area of our work, please raise your concerns with me at once. I will make every effort to hear any complaints you have and to seek solutions to them. If you feel that I (or any other therapist) have treated you unfairly or have even broken a professional rule, please inform me.

You can also contact the Washington State Department of Health or the AAMFT and speak to the chairperson of the ethics committee. He or she can help clarify your concerns or tell you how to file a complaint.

In my practice as a therapist, I do not discriminate against clients because of any of these factors: age, sex, marital/family status, race, color, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, place of residence, veteran status, physical disability, health status, sexual orientation, or criminal record unrelated to present dangerousness. This is a personal commitment, as well as, a requirement by federal, state, and local laws and regulations. I will always take steps to advance and support the values of equal opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic/ cultural diversity. If you believe you have been discriminated against, please bring this matter to my attention immediately.