Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THERAPY EXACTLY, AND WHO IS IT FOR?

You may have heard a lot of things about ‘therapy,’ or this may be the first time you’re exploring this kind of support. Therapy (sometimes called ‘psychotherapy’) is a unique and dynamic way of investigating and understanding challenges and emotional struggles in your life that are negatively impacting your life in some way. It’s a collaborative process of exploring and unpacking the unique set of factors that make you you, in order to reduce emotional distress and improve your quality of life. There are both benefits and risks to therapy, and at times it may be painful to revisit past experiences or to see yourself or others in your life in a new way. What’s unique about therapy is that you will have support through this process, perhaps in a different way than you’ve had before. We’ll typically start with meeting weekly for 50 minutes.

DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?

In Illinois I accept BCBS PPO plans as well as Oxford, United Healthcare, and Oscar Health via Headway. I do not accept insurance in California, but can provide you with documentation to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider (although I can’t guarantee that you will get it).

WHAT’S MY ROLE AS A CLIENT IN THERAPY? WHAT’S THE THERAPIST’S?

For therapy to be helpful for you, it does mean sharing things that are important about and to you with me, though this will be at the pace and depth that is comfortable for you. Therapy is not me telling you there’s something ‘wrong’ with you or that you’re lacking in some way, nor is it telling you what to do, per say. Think of it as collaboration, an opportunity to learn, and as expanding your menu of options about how to manage important areas of your life.

DO YOU PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS?

I do not prescribe medications. I am knowledgeable about many medications involved in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, and will actively coordinate with any prescribing physicians or psychiatrists you may have.

WHAT KIND OF THERAPY DO YOU DO?

I have experience with and incorporate a variety of theories and tools in my work, including psychodynamic, attachment-based, motivational interviewing, strength-based, person-centered, harm reduction, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness, and family systems among others, all of which are are informed by an awareness of trauma and multicultural issues. I invite you to view an overview of my approach here, which describes how all of this comes together.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY FIRST SESSION?

The first time we meet we’ll be taking care of some intake-related logistics, such as completing essential paperwork, gathering some personal history, as well as getting an idea of what brought you to therapy and what your goals are for our time together. This is also an opportunity for you to get a sense about me and whether you think we’ll be a good fit. This is a normal (and important!) part of the process, and does represent a full-fee session. To make the most of our time, please complete and bring in the initial intake paperwork, which will be emailed to you once we set up your initial appointment.

HOW LONG DOES therapy TAKE?

The answer is, it varies—unfortunately it’s not possible to say how long the process will take because each person is different. Some people seek shorter-term therapy for a specific issue over a matter of months, and others find open-ended weekly therapy to be of great benefit to their lives. It also depends on what you decide successful treatment looks like (reduction of symptoms, increased sense of wellbeing, feeling ready to manage difficult situations on your own, etc). Early in your treatment we’ll discuss your goals and develop a road map for our work together.

HOW DOES CONFIDENTIALITY WORK?

Confidentiality is a very important component of the therapy process. In most cases, what you do and say in our sessions will not be shared with anyone without your written permission, so that you can feel safe discussing sensitive parts of your life. There are some exceptions for safety issues (such as making credible threats to harm yourself or someone else, and harm to a child, elder, or dependent adult) and when treating minors that I will be sure to discuss with you further when we meet. It is absolutely your right to fully understand how this works, and is of utmost importance to me that you do.