Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
I am currently only doing remote counseling via a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine videoconferencing platform.
What are your fees?
My standard rate is $175-$200 per 50-55-minute session.
For 90-minute sessions, I charge $250.
Do you take insurance?
I am considered “out-of-network,” which means that I give you an invoice for each session. You can file with your insurance company to get reimbursed for the partial or full amount.
Insurance companies are a bit too controlling for me. They limit who providers can see, they minimize the amount of sessions allowed, and they pay clinicians at an insulting rate.
Most insurance companies treat clients as case numbers or diagnoses. I like to avoid doing this in my therapeutic practice. I look at each individual as a complex human being, not a diagnosis.
Insurance companies require treatments to be “medically necessary.” This means that a person needs to be diagnosed with a disorder and demonstrate that it’s interfering with daily functioning.
I’ve recognized that many issues in life, particularly related to relationships, are not mental health conditions. Many people seek help before an issue meets criteria for a diagnosis. Given this, taking insurance wouldn’t benefit anyone.
If you’d like to read about this issue more, please look at the following article:
Why therapy? How will it even help?
A main purpose of therapy is to help you become a better version of yourself. Doing this takes a great deal of self-reflection. Luckily, I am trained in asking questions that will open you up to “ah ha” moments! Without therapy, the point might never be reached.
It’s impossible to see ourselves from another person’s perspective. When we try to get a sense of how others view us, it often backfires or creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m here to offer you the opportunity to be okay with yourself and recognize the value you contribute to relationships and life, in general.
For couples, it is easy to get sucked into conflict or volatility that comes when stress and relationships intersect. It’s natural and difficult to prevent; oftentimes it’s also hard to understand why it occurs. Therapy provides you with that understanding by reaching a level of awareness and insight you have never experienced before.
It’s impossible to change something in life that we are not even aware is having a negative impact on us. Gaining insight allows you to have control and make a CHOICE… do you continue doing what’s not working, or do you want to learn new skills and options in order to achieve better outcomes?
By calling me, you can make that important choice!
Do you do online sessions?
Yes, I like to provide convenience to my clients whenever possible. Through my HIPAA compliant online platform, I counsel individuals, couples, and families in New York and Pennsylvania. I am licensed as an LCSW and LMFT in both states.
Obviously, in person sessions are preferred, but I recognize that sometimes that is not possible.
If you would like to pursue the online option, we can discuss specifics during our initial consultation. There are certain circumstances under which I do not conduct online sessions. I am happy to discuss those parameters with you if you are interested in pursuing online counseling.
Why is it so hard to make the first call?
It’s hard to admit when something is not quite right in life. Ignoring issues or denying they exist seems easy and manageable. But eventually it will become unmanageable. As humans, we gravitate towards what is easier. That’s what makes change and the unknown so hard to swallow!
Take a big gulp and pick up the phone! Soon you’ll taste the fruits of your hard work and self-improvement!
Therapy has come a long way from the days of lying on a couch and feeling interrogated.
Not only has therapy evolved, but it has become an opportunity for you to dictate your own happiness. There won’t be someone on the other end of the couch telling you about your problems…You’ll learn to take those problems and make solutions!
A common misconception is that therapy is just for “crazy” people. Quite the opposite actually – it’s for people who have feelings, who are in relationships, who experience stress, who want to be happier, who are feeling stuck… the list goes on because it’s clear that therapy can be for anyone and adapted for everyone!
When will I feel better?
Feelings of hope and relief are usually experienced immediately after starting therapy. With consistent, weekly appointments, drastic improvement can be seen in the first month.
I often start prescribing interventions for clients within the first three sessions. If you do the “homework” and implement skills learned in session in your everyday life, treatment can be ended within approximately six months.
On average, clients stay with me around a year or so.
Like many aspects of life, you get out of therapy what you put into it. The quicker you commit to working hard on yourself, the sooner you’ll see lasting progress!
If I leave, can I come back to therapy?
Of course! If you decide to take a short break and realize that you want to come back, I will be there to pick up where we left off!
What are you like?
My clients tell me that I’m approachable, empathic, competent, knowledgeable, and funny.
My husband tells me I am confident, heart-filled, understanding, and patient while colleagues share that I am articulate, self-aware, and a good mentor.
I love water sports (rowed crew for five years), hiking, dogs, and traveling. I’m sure that we can find something we have in common!
Are you LGBT friendly?
Absolutely! I am a strong advocate for the LGBT community and welcome all kinds of couples into my office.
My office is a judgment-free, “all are welcome” kind of place!
Why do you do this for a living?
I live by the motto: “Nothing easy is ever worthwhile!” This profession is by no means easy. I sit with people during their worst moments, help them navigate difficult relationships, support them in being vulnerable. It’s hard at times, but a privilege always!
I was born into a family of helpers and have been one since I could walk! It’s my nature and my sense of purpose!
It’s easy for me to say, “I help people for a living”; but the truth is, I am constantly made better by my clients, too. Learning something new about humanity, about struggle, about resilience makes being a therapist transformative. I am a better person because of those who walk through my door!
When I was little and talking with friends about what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always “a person who could talk to anyone about anything.” I have made it my life mission to be just that!
What better thing to talk about than something everyone experiences – being in a relationship! To be a relationship expert, I have had to become an expert in navigating many types of relationships! The key is communication, hard work, patience, and forgiveness.
Any topic brought up in therapy is fair game.
Therapy is my calling.
Your future is just on the other end of the phone!