Therapy FAQ

How long do counseling sessions typically last? 

Our first session will last between 45 and 60 minutes. Follow-up sessions typically are around 45 minutes. 

What happens during the first counseling session?

Our first meeting will be an intake interview. During this meeting, I will ask a wide range of questions about your history, your life, and your current challenges.

How do I know if I really need counseling? 

This is a great question! We all need help from time to time and knowing when, and if, we need extra help can be a challenge. Therapy like many medical conditions it is better to be seen early or to engage in preventative care rather than fixing something once it has become a problem. For most people, if you are thinking you might need therapy, you likely could benefit from therapy. Also, recognize that the sooner you seek therapy often the less time you will need to spend in therapy to reach your desired outcomes. 

Please also know, that during our 15-minute consultation if I do not believe we are a good fit, or if you do not need therapy, I will tell you so. I want you to have the appropriate level of care, and sometimes that is not being in therapy. 

How often will I need to come to counseling? 

We will start off with weekly sessions, that last about 6-8 weeks, then move to meeting every other week so we can see if gains are maintained. If you continue to do well we will start checking in monthly and if you are doing well we will end therapy.

How long will I need to come to counseling? 

I try to have my clients reach their therapy goals in around 12 sessions, plus the intake interview. Some clients need more, some need less. It depends on the nature of the problem, how hard we work on it and what else happens during the course of treatment.

How much do sessions cost?

The initial intake interview is $260 and follow-up sessions are $220. 

Are sessions covered by my insurance? 

I am out of network with insurance. You will be provided with a bill that you can submit to your insurance company to be reimbursed at our out-of-network rate.

How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company?

You will be provided with a bill that you can submit to your insurance company to be reimbursed at our out-of-network rate.

Do you have evening and weekend appointments available? 

There are limited evening appointments available.

Where do sessions take place? 

For online therapy sessions, we will meet using VSee, a stand-alone video conferencing program. You will be sent information about how to be connected to my VSee account before our first meeting.

My face-to-face appointments happen at my office at the Gibson Building, 11430 N Community House, Suite 250, Charlotte NC.

Who do you work with? 

I work with those ages 18 and up. I specialize in the treatment of Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Adjustment, Depression, and Women on the Autism Spectrum. If you are not struggling with any of the above but still feel we might be a good fit for therapy please feel free to reach out! 

What if counseling isn't working? 

I want you to get better, even if that isn’t with me. If one or both of us believe therapy is not helping you I will work to help ensure you have an appropriate referral to a provider who might be a better fit.

What Board Games do you recommend? 

SO MANY! If you are looking for a good game to find how fun playing board games can be I recommend Settlers of Catan, it’s not too complicated and can be super fun!

A couple of great party games are Exploding Kittens, Organ Attack, Dungeon Mayhem, and Growl.

Some others that I love to play OTTO, Merchant’s Cove, Spirit Island, and Dominion.

What video games do you recommend?

I love video games! The To The Moon series by Freebird games is simple and really interesting (I would love to teach ethics lessons using these games). Cities Skylines is also super fun and relaxing, and if you have a full day to burn Civilization V or VI is wonderful. Video games can also be helpful for some psychological problems and the folks at Child’s Play have made a wonderful list of recommended video games for different disorders that you can find here.

What dice do you use for D&D?

I am a dice dragon… I have so many beautiful math rocks. I am a big fan of stone dice and I have a few sets from Level Up Dice and Diehard Dice. There are so many wonderful sets out there and collecting dice can be a lot of fun.