Questions about what it’s like to work together?

It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can feel intimidating to sit with someone and talk about how you feel. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. It takes courage to start going to counseling. The fact that you are on this website, looking for help, and reading this right now shows that you are being brave and seeking help.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and feel safe from judgement, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.

I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free good fit call.

Counseling Intake - $165 (Required for all new clients)
Counseling Appointment - $125

I do take some insurances through Alma which include Optum, Cigna, and Aetna.

I offer superbills to those claiming Out-of-Network Benefits.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a structured assessment that helps me get to know you and the challenges that brought you into counseling. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself, and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

What brought you to counseling?
Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?
What goals would you like to reach by going to counseling?
Feel free to ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my training or what sessions will be like for you.

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. We can discuss if you'd like to meet again if you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me.

You might be asking about how long counseling will take because therapy is hard to fit into your busy schedule.

If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing improvements after the first a few sessions.

By that point, they they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives a bit better

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 6-12 weeks to be enough to reach their goals. While other clients feel more supported by longer term counseling .

We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.

Take your time to read through my website. If you think I may be a good fit based on your reading, feel free to email me.

When you have a free good fit consultation, you can ask me questions about my approach, a typical session with me, or any other specific questions you may have. You’ll also be able to share what’s going on for you, and we can determine how I could best serve you.

The first sessions are like an experiment to see how things go. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is finding someone you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

If something feels overwhelming or even terrifying to discuss, that's actually very normal. It can often feel difficult to talk about some things. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.

You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to session and we can explore that together.

If you open up to me, I will not think you are making it all up, I will think you are courageous and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are making it all up).

I know that what you are going through is common through the many years of working with people like you.

I believe you. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.

I know nobody's perfect, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, we are humans trying to human.

Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a calming space where I respect you and and listen with focus and compassion

Unfortunately, these are considered a prescription, and as a Master’s level therapist, I am not a prescriber.

I am committed to creating a therapy space where you can be your full, authentic self without fear. As a gay therapist, I understand how important it is to have a provider who not only affirms your identity but also supports your rights. I would never vote against my clients' rights, and I believe in protecting the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of all individuals. Your safety—both in therapy and in the world—matters to me.