Frequently Asked Questions
How long are your sessions?
Individual sessions last 50 minutes each. Payment for each session includes the 50 minute session + 10 minutes for documentation.
How much do sessions cost?
The cost is $165 per session, which includes the session itself + 10 minutes for documentation after.
Are sessions covered by my insurance?
I am not currently paneled with any insurance company, so unfortunately your insurance would not be able to cover counseling sessions with me.
I am able to provide a Super Bill to clients who are interested/willing to seek reimbursement from their insurance providers.
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), therapy sessions often qualify as an eligible mental health care expense.
How do I seek reimbursement from my insurance company?
You would check with your insurance company (or look through your documentation outlining your coverage) and ask about your “out of network” benefits/coverage.
If it is confirmed that your insurance plan covers “out of network” providers, ask what the process is to submit a Super Bill for reimbursement.
Ask me for a SuperBill/let me know your preferences for receiving a SuperBill (after each session, once per month, etc.) and I will print this out for you.
You will submit the SuperBill and/or any documentation required by your insurance company per the process outlined in Step 2.
What happens during a session?
Every session is a little bit different and tailored to fit your needs. The first session is usually focused on reviewing paperwork and completing the intake process. This session allows you and I to get to know each other and get a clear understanding of your goals and how we will address them. I usually focus the first few sessions on stabilizing symptoms that interfere the most with your day-to-day life (such as anxiety, depression, cravings, etc.)
I offer flexibility for you to talk about and process current experiences in your life, as well as redirect focus back on where we left off with previous sessions.
Do I have to have an addiction to work with you?
No. I can work with anyone struggling with trauma, anxiety, or depression with or without a substance use disorder diagnosis, or having any problems with alcohol or drug use.
Do I have to have trauma to work with you?
No. If you are working on recovery from addiction, you don’t have to have a history of trauma or diagnosis of PTSD to work with me.
Also, if you are struggling with any symptoms of anxiety or depression, struggling to adapt to changes or challenges in your life, or struggling to connect with/feel grounded with your core sense of self—I can help you with that too.
Do I have to be right out of treatment to work with you?
No. I work with people in various stages in their recovery. I work with people who have recently been in residential or outpatient treatment, I work with people who have recently relapsed, and I work with people who have maintained their recovery for many years but are looking for help to find more depth in their recovery.
Do I have to do EMDR or Dance/Movement Therapy to work with you?
No. These are additional techniques that I am trained to use. But I am also trained in using more traditional talk-therapy techniques.
That being said, my dance/movement therapy background does influence my perspective on healing by integrating body and mind.
Can EMDR and/or Dance/Movement Therapy techniques be done online during a Telehealth appointment?
Yes! EMDR works just as well online as it does in-person!
Dance/Movement Therapy techniques can also be facilitated online.
EMDR sounds scary, do we have to jump right in?
I respect that facing significant traumatic memories can be very scary, and there are a lot of things we will do first to help prepare and support you to process them. We will review the whole 8-phase process, review and install coping skills and strategies to help you feel more safe and in control, and work together to make sure you feel safe with me to help you through this process.
I think I need therapy, what do I do first?
Finding a therapist can be very overwhelming. It is important to know what symptoms or issues you want to work on, who you feel most comfortable with, and how you are wanting to pay for the sessions/how much you can afford.
If you have insurance and want to use it, check in with your insurance provider/review your plan to see if it covers mental health, if it covers providers “in network” (meaning the therapist is paneled with your insurance provider to provide services in your area) or “out of network” (your provider is not paneled with your insurance provider, but your provider will reimburse you for the cost of services if you submit a superbill to your provider), and/or what your co-pay is (what you pay out-of-pocket in addition to what your insurance covers). If your insurance plan includes a Health Savings Account (HSA), review your HSA documents to confirm that mental health sessions are considered an eligible expense. Or, if you don’t want to deal with insurance and just want to pay out of pocket like you would for a massage or personal training at the gym, then consider what you can afford to spend per week and/or per month.
Each therapist has a specialty that they work with such as trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, grief/loss, etc. Search for a therapist based on what you are wanting to work on. Notice if therapists state they have availability or are full with a waitlist. If they have availability or a waitlist (and you are able to wait), reach out to them and set up a phone consultation to see if they might be a good fit for you. If not, tell them why and see if they know anyone who might fit your needs.
I live in Portland, can I work with you?
If you live outside of WA state and you are able to come to my office in Vancouver, WA for in-person sessions, then yes. If you are looking for Telehealth sessions, you have to be physically located in WA state. Even though Portland is very close to Vancouver, it is located in a different state and so I would not be able to provide online sessions via Telehealth.
Do I need to come every week?
Everyone has different needs. After getting to know your situation a little bit more, I will let you know my thoughts on that. I often recommend weekly sessions at least in the beginning and we can decrease sessions as needed. If you are participating in EMDR, weekly sessions is recommended as part of the treatment protocol.
How long does therapy last?
That depends on a number of things, such as what you are going through/what you want to work on, the severity of your symptoms, how much/often you engage in sessions, if you are just doing therapy with me or if you are also working with other providers and/or community support (such as 12-Step meetings, Refuge Recovery, etc.).
Where are you located?
My office is located in downtown Vancouver, WA at 211 E 11th St., Suite 204. I am able to offer in-person sessions at this office location or online Telehealth sessions to anyone physically in Washington (WA) State. For more information on how to prepare for an online Telehealth session, please click here.
Where do sessions take place?
I am currently offering sessions in-person in my office (211 E. 11th St. Suite 204—in the Carter Building on the corner of 11th and Broadway downtown Vancouver), as well as online sessions. Online sessions take place via the secure platform that I use for all client contact and record-keeping. You may go back and forth between in-person and online as needed (just keep me posted). If we are doing an online session, you will receive an email with a unique link to join the session. For more information on how to prepare for an online Telehealth session, please click here.
What if therapy isn’t working?
I will work with you to 1. identify what your goals are for therapy and 2. how we will know if we are making progress.
Progress can sometimes take a while to happen, so I want to encourage that we approach therapy with realistic expectations about when to expect progress and how to notice it. I like to have conversations with you about this and I like to find more concrete ways to measure this periodically.
That being said, if at any point you ever feel like therapy is not working and you have concerns about whether or not you have made any progress, you have options:
You have the right to terminate your therapy at any time.
I always appreciate if clients share their concerns with me prior to terminating so we can work together to adjust/adapt our treatment plan to better fit your needs, and/or to allow me to help refer you out to another therapist that might be a better fit.
Check out my blog post “What to Do When Your Therapist Isn’t Working Out” for more discussion about what you might consider if you feel like your therapist is not a good fit.
How are you handling COVID?
I want you to feel safe working with me, so you are provided the option of meeting in-person or online.
That being said, if you prefer to meet in-person, I do require that we both wear masks and sit 6 feet apart. My office is 500 square feet and can easily accommodate this distance. I also regularly clean and sanitize my office for everyone’s safety. I also ask that, if doing in-person sessions, that you notify me if you are feeling any symptoms or have been exposed so we can switch to online sessions temporarily until you can confirm that you are not positive with COVID. I will also be transparent with you if I am experiencing any symptoms or exposure risks and offer options about how to proceed in a safe way.
Do you have a question that I didn’t answer here? Reach out to me and ask!