Frequently Asked Questions

Many people think negatively about therapy. They believe it is an indication something is wrong, but this does not have to be the case. Entering therapy is about a commitment to yourself and/or your family to embark on the goals in your life alongside a trained, objective therapist. What I provide is a judgement free space for you to experience emotional safety. Within that space, you explore and develop perspective, emotional resolution and problem solving that has been difficult to achieve. The work you start here will help improve your insight and emotional functioning as you navigate your world leading to improvements in your personal and familial well-being. Simply put, I want to help you move from a place of reaction to a place of intention. 

Children are not just miniature adults. Their emotional expression rarely takes place through dialog. Instead, they express through art & play. Learning that what they share will be received and heard creates emotional security and stability. I offer a safe space for children to express and explore their emotional worlds while learning how to communicate feelings through words. I also work to help parents in creating the same stability at home. My ultimate goal is to help your child develop deeper and more authentic connections that foster healthy development. 

Many people find the idea of group intimidating. While being vulnerable in front of others can be scary, it is one of the most powerful therapeutic interventions. This is particularly true for kids. As adults, there exists an age barrier that is difficult to overcome. While the experience of nonjudgmental emotional safety with adults is an important part of the therapeutic process,  the opportunity to experience that from similarly aged peers is invaluable. Our goal with groups is to give our participants an opportunity to practice vulnerability through age-appropriate sharing as well as practicing the art of having fun through group play. We want to help your child practice developing deeper, more authentic connections that allow them to feel more comfortable being themselves with peers outside of group. 

• UNDER CONSTRUCTION- please reach out for further details

In a post-pandemic world, many of us are now very adept at meeting virtually. This is definitely a convenient way to meet and I frequently offer zoom as an option for parent sessions and for clients who are on travel or feeling ill. Prolonged virtual therapy can come with some challenges, but it is not impossible. I am happy to discuss benefits and challenges as well as what virtual therapy would look like if you'd like to explore that option. 

No, I do not work with insurance. Insurance typically requires a prescriptive view of interventions that limits the clinician's ability to tailor treatment to your family's specific needs.  All of my services, including groups, are out of pocket. I provide an itemized receipt of services with all appropriate CPT codes for you to submit to your insurance company if you'd like to request out of network benefits. I encourage you to call to discuss what the rate of reimbursement would be ahead of scheduling a service. 

The cost for 45 minutes of psychotherapy is $215 for intake, parent & individual sessions and $225 for family sessions. Each School year group is $125 per session and requires a deposit of $500 to hold the spot and cover the first 4 groups. I conduct regular parent sessions to discuss your child's progress in group/individual work. These sessions are billed as parent therapy appointments and are $145 for 30 minute sessions and $205 for 45 minutes. I am also available to participate in IEP meetings and conduct school visits which are billed per half hour at $145. 

In our initial meeting, called the intake session,  we will go over what is bringing you in, what your goals are, and a bit of your personal family history. This helps me get a better understand of your current dynamics and what growth would look like for you. You will also have an opportunity to ask me any question you might have about my background, approach or the therapy process in general. 

For children, the initial session is conducted with parents only. I then meet with your child who will play, do art projects and work on some initial skills while I assess the most valuable modes of treatment. I then meet back with parents to discuss what evidence-based treatment I think will best support your child's success. If your child has difficulty separating from you we can talk about gentle strategies to encourage them to work towards independence in the therapy room. 

For adolescents, I typically conduct the initial session with both parents and teen to discuss history and confidentiality. During that session I provide a period of time to meet privately with the teen as well as with the parents. Frequency of parent sessions for teens will depend on the unique familial goals. 

Regular attendance in therapy is critical to achieving success. It is how therapists maintain rapport and establish emotional safety as well as maintain momentum towards goals. It also communicates the priority level of your social-emotional goals to both your child and yourself. 

Please know there is significant demand for mental health services and for every appointment missed, there is a family waiting that could have used that time. Therefore providing notice of any planned misses is critical. In order to avoid a missed appointment fee, I require 48 hours notice. If I do not have notice I will bill the appointment at the regular rate. 

I do understand illness happens. A good rule of thumb is that if your child is too sick to go to school then they are too sick to attend treatment. This is true for COVID restrictions as well. In order to avoid the late cancellation, I will need to know by 8 am that morning. I will offer a virtual option instead or will do my best to offer an alternative appointment spot later in the week. 

Privacy is a critical component of emotional safety. It is important that you feel confident your information will be kept private. This is true for your child as well. I do not share specifics about what your child shares, but rather focus on the process of what they are trying to express, and patterns of trigger/reaction. 

For adolescents this privacy increases. However there are limits to confidentiality. I am a mandated reporter. This means that if I suspect a vulnerable member of the community (child/elderly/disabled) is in danger of harm I have a legal obligation to report this. In the state of Virginia, this includes if I believe a crime has been committed against a child, either present or past.

I will break confidentiality if I believe you are in danger of harm to yourself or others. I will also break confidentiality if your child or adolescent is in danger of harming themselves or others. I will do my best to discuss this with your child/adolescent ahead of time if possible so they are prepared and will always encourage them to be the one to disclose before I step in. If we are in a situation where you or your child needs to access emergency services, I may share relevant information prior to receiving written permission. I will make every effort to discuss any disclosures with you ahead of time. 

Collaborating with other providers and educators is an important part of my work and often helps to accelerate your child's goals. Before doing so, I will obtain written permission from you about what you are comfortable being discussed ahead of time. 

If you have any questions about this I encourage you to ask me as trust is a critical component to the therapeutic relationship and I am happy to discuss further.