Frequently Asked Questions
Pragmatic Questions
I work virtually using the Zoom App. My clients find it is convenient and secure.
It allows my clients to access therapy anywhere they are, creating an opportunity for therapy otherwise not possible. For instance during lunch hours, before or after work in whatever setting they are in, the comfort of their own home, etc.
| Monday | 9 – 4, 5 – 8 |
| Tuesday | 9 – 4, 5 – 8 |
| Wednesday | 9 – 4 |
45 – 55 minutes.
Credit or debit card. It is my policy to require a card be on file for you, to provide payment prior to appointment, or to be charged for a late cancellation or no-show.
I do not. However, I will provide you with a Superbill – an invoice that will include all the necessary information needed for you to file for reimbursement from your insurance company.
I invite you to call or reach out online. I will respond within 24 hours or sooner to your contact information.
If you cancel 48 hours or sooner prior to scheduled time there will be no fee.
If you cancel later than that there will be a $150 charged to your card on file.
This is an opportunity for us to determine whether we would be a good fit to work together. I will ask you some questions, including the reason you are looking for a therapist, whether you’ve been in therapy before, things of that nature.
There are no wrong answers to any of the questions. Only your answers!
Next, I will explain how I work and what my fee is. If, at the end of the consult I am confident I can help you – and you are comfortable with me, we will schedule your first session and begin working toward your goal.
Therapy Questions
A perfect client is one who is imperfect! This is a term used to describe who I have consistently been able to help best based on their motivation and commitment to change. My perfect client is one who shows up every session – good, bad, angry, happy, sad, confused…..however. I will always meet my client where he/she is emotionally. A perfect client is someone who will do the work, and who is willing to take the risk to be honest about what is really going on. A perfect client is someone who will be able to hear, tolerate and consider challenges and suggestions. Someone who can tolerate being called out about inconsistencies. Someone who can leave therapy and will ponder and marinate over what happened in session. A perfect client is just a person who wants to and is willing to do the work to change whatever is causing them discomfort.
I work with teens from age 15+. I work with adult individuals up to age 95.
Yes. I accept and have respect for all people for who they are, though I don’t have expertise in the issues that this population faces.
Yes. I am sensitive, eager and mindful to assist all people from all backgrounds, ethnicities and spiritual belief systems. I enjoy working with those from cultures other than my own, and welcome the opportunity to do so, often learning as much from them as they will from me!
You will consistently be given respect and honesty from me. In our first session together we will identify the problem area(s) and begin to untangle and deconstruct it in order to find the origin.
From there we work to devise ways to address it and develop new ways for you to better manage it. You will leave your first session with real tools that you can use immediately to help you cope in a healthy manner.
I work in collaboration with my clients. This only works if we work together. My clients have found that I am approachable, easy to talk to, respectful and exceedingly helpful! I listen, ask questions, hear between the lines of what is said, challenge, encourage, reinforce and confront if needed. I use a person-centered approach which means I have the highest positive regard for my clients and am proud of the work they do. I also sometimes disclose about myself if, and only if, I believe that what I share is in the benefit and best interest of my client.
Everything discussed in session is confidential with a few exceptions. You will learn about what exceptions to confidentiality are when you are given and read the Informed Consent form during intake. If you have questions we will talk about that during our first session.
That is a question without a definitive answer at this point. The issues needing to be addressed, as well as their severity, along with your commitment to therapy all are factors that will determine the answer to that question. I can assure you that my goal is to help you feel better in such a way that will be effective and lasting.
Yes. All the time.
I can only help if I know the whole story. The good, the bad and the ugly. I am a safe place for you to dump whatever needs to be exposed. I am nonjudgmental. There’s nothing you can tell me that will result in my negative judgment of you. We all have histories. Many have histories they are not proud of. None of us are saints. If you choose to withhold or otherwise modify the truth the work we do together will not result in an authentic change, because you were not being your authentic self.
You do. Those around you in your “orbit” are likely to notice a change taking place within you as therapy goes on. There are some who will encourage and reinforce what you are doing, there will be others who will not. We will talk about that in session.
I offer virtual therapy through the Zoom format.
Initially I was skeptical that virtual therapy could be as effective as in-person therapy. Over the course of the first few months, I began to realize that it does in fact have as much impact as face-to-face. I now prefer it because it allows for more accessibility to those that have time constraints and find it hard to break away from their busy lives for the 2 – 3 hours required for an in-person office visit.
Yes. Children younger than 15 years old.
A good therapist who is the right fit will help you change your life.
The risks are that you will feel sad and uncomfortable at times addressing the issues that bring you into therapy.
The benefits are that your life will change for the better. You will gain insight into areas of importance and you will learn how to either correct them, or manage them more effectively for a lasting change. Clients have shared that they are able to live with increased authenticity, confidence and clarity about what they want from life.
Currently there are no groups being offered. In the future I will facilitate groups that address grief/loss and anxiety.
Give yourself permission to ask for – and get – the help that will allow you to make a lasting change in your life.
The free initial consultation will tell you. You will know.
No. I do not practice religion-based therapy or counseling of any kind.
Yes.
Questions about Me
Since 1998.
I come from a place of high positive regard and respect for the brave step of reaching out for help. I have personal experience being a client and know what the relationship between a client and their therapist can produce in terms of meaningful and lasting change. I bring to each of my clients my unconditional acceptance and expertise to help them achieve their goal of feeling better.
The thing that keeps me coming to work every day is bearing witness to the transformation of my clients. To see the work they put in produce such extraordinary results is nothing short of magical.
Yes. My experience in therapy is what motivated me to return to college to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I worked with a therapist who was the right fit for me. Through that collaboration, I grew exponentially as a person and was able to achieve my goals of addressing my issues and becoming someone who can help others the way that I was helped.
At age 34, I returned to college. My undergraduate work was at Florida Atlantic University where I majored in Social Psychology with a minor in Ethnic Studies. I received my Bachelor of Science in 1995.
My graduate degree is from Nova Southeastern University in Broward County, Florida. I received my Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling in 1998.
Email or phone call. Either way I will return your message/call within 24 hours, often much sooner.
Yes. I became a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor in 2001 following extensive internship and supervision. I am also a Florida Qualified Supervisor, providing required supervision for Mental Health Counselor Interns seeking to become licensed.
