Your suffering matters.
Pain is inevitable.
The pain of broken relationships. Unrest within your own mind. Disillusionment and chronic stress from contextual factors. We will all taste difficulty, loss and heartache in some form, at some point. But how we engage with suffering - both individually and as communities - can make all the difference.
My approach
I am most experienced in the areas of relational struggles, trauma recovery, grief, and anxiety/panic. I particularly love to help women find their voice, agency, and joy. Click below to read more about my therapeutic approach.
What to Expect
Taking the first step to begin counseling can the most difficult part of the process. The questions & answers below are meant to help you feel prepared, especially if you are a first-time client.
FAQs
How do I know if I need counseling?
Professional counseling helps facilitate kinds of change that feel out of reach for you on your own. If you’re looking for new ways to deal with recurring issues and are open to internal change in the process, then counseling may be a good idea. Another good reason to seek counseling is in response to disturbing or overwhelming events, whether they are recent, on-going, or long ago but still affecting you.
How is this different than talking to a friend or mentor?
In addition to support and understanding, a professional counselor has specialized training in how the mind works and in research on what actually helps people get better. So not only is your counselor personally separate from the situations you are dealing with, but she is trained to help to reprocess memories, facilitate emotional healing, and break old cycles. Professional counseling is not just sharing your feelings and getting advice!
What happens in the first session?
In the first session, you will mainly catch your counselor up on things you already know about yourself. This background information gives her important context for the issues you are dealing with. There’s no pressure to share everything that’s ever happened to you - we take this at your own pace! We will discuss goals, and the counselor will offer a game plan for how to move forwards.
The first session also allows you to get a sense of what this particular counselor’s vibe is like and decide whether it’s a good fit. You can always decide after the first session whether or not you want to continue!
Who decides what we talk about?
We will work together to decide what to focus on. It’s the client’s responsibility to identify goals that you would like help with. It’s the counselor’s responsibility to have some idea of how to help you move in that direction.
How and when do I pay for sessions?
You can pay with cash, check, or credit card. Payments are due at the time of each session.
While we don’t accept insurance directly, we do qualify as an out-of-network provider and will provide the appropriate documentation for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement, upon request.
I’ve never done this before. What happens when I call for the first time?
Our initial phone call usually takes about 10 minutes. It’s a chance for you to tell me a little bit about what you’re dealing with, and for me to share a little bit about my approach and how I think I could help in your specific situation. If you decide to move forwards, I will send you the intake paperwork. After you fill that out, we will get you scheduled and you are all set to begin counseling!