FAQ

3445 Penrose Place, Suite 250
Boulder, CO 80301

There is plenty of free parking.

I am considered an “out-of-network” provider. This means that I do not work with insurance companies directly, but I am happy to help you access your out-of-network benefits by providing a monthly “superbill” which documents our sessions, the fee, and the services provided.

By design, insurance companies place considerable restrictions on the work we do. They require a mental health diagnosis to justify treatment, calculate the number of sessions allowed, and the type of treatment indicated. While this is entirely appropriate in some situations, it is not appropriate for all. Many of life’s challenges are not mental health disorders.

If you’d like to learn more about the complications with insurance, please see the following article:

https://psychcentral.com/lib/why-managed-care-hurts-you/

$120 for a 55-minute individual session
$140 for a 75-minute couples therapy session

Monday-Friday, 9 am to 3 pm. I also offer appointments from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday mornings.

If you are unable to attend a session, please make sure you cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, you will be charged for the full rate of the session. I understand that life happens and sometimes things come up unexpectedly. I will do my best to reschedule with enough notice.

In the case of an extraordinary life event, we can discuss whether a charge is appropriate.

Yes! Therapy is an investment of time, money and emotional energy. Finding a “good fit” between the therapist and client is incredibly important.

I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation before we meet in person. We will discuss what brings you to therapy at this time, the outcome you are hoping for, and your past experiences in therapy. I will listen closely to your hopes and concerns and answer any questions that you have about how I work and the therapeutic process.

If it’s a good “fit,” we will schedule a session. If you or I decide you could better benefit from other kinds of support, I will offer you some helpful referrals.

We’ll start with what prompted you to reach out. I will ask you questions about your life, including some history and what it was like to grow up in your family. I’ll want to get a sense of what is working and not working in your life right now and your thoughts about what a successful outcome would be.

Essentially, we use the first session to lay the foundation for the work ahead and to begin building a safe and trusting relationship. Most of my clients express relief after the first session and a feeling that they’ve come to the right place.

Honestly, there is no hard and fast rule here. It depends on what you’re dealing with, how long you’ve been dealing with it, and what kind of change you want to see for yourself or your relationship. Some people/couples start feeling better after their first session. For others, it may take some time. As we work together, I will help you clarify your goals for therapy and what your healing process might entail.

Like with most things, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Regardless, I will meet you right where you are, and you get to choose how long we work together and how far we go.

Yes! As far back as I can remember, my mantra has been “I love people.” This includes all people, all orientations, all kinds of relationships.

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu

We come to therapy because we are stuck. No matter what we have tried, we can’t figure out how to get unstuck. We are hurting.

Therapy gives us a choice:

We can keep doing the same thing (laps on a hamster wheel), repeating our habitual responses to life’s challenges. OR, we can make a different choice. We can choose how we want to live our lives, who we want to be surrounded by, how we want to respond to the present and the past. We can choose the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. We can be an active participant in becoming who we already are.

I have been seeing clients therapeutically since 2002. For many years, this was in outpatient mental health settings where I served those ages 14 to 90 from diverse backgrounds with all sorts of challenges, including depression, anxiety, panic, relationship issues, trauma, domestic violence, self-harming behaviors, recovery from addiction, grief and loss, sexuality and those who were in some type of life transition.

I also worked a large multispecialty medical group of 300+ physicians providing therapy to patients referred by Internal Medicine and OB/GYN doctors.

I have found profound meaning in my work with all my clients. I absolutely love what I do. I consider myself a life-long learner which means when I am not in session with clients, I am reading and studying about this field and ways to help. I continually train to expand my knowledge and expertise and keep on top of the latest research in this field.

Yes! My decision to become a therapist was a direct result of my own transformative experience in therapy. In 2002 I left a career I loved in the non-profit world to pursue my passion for becoming a healer.

I can fully appreciate the place you are in right now – how it feels to need help, how bad things need to get before we reach out, how hard we try to fix things on our own, how difficult it can feel to make that first call. And, I can attest to the relief you feel once you make that first call.

“Who am I really? Why am I here? What is my purpose and where do I belong?”

I love these big questions. I welcome religion and spirituality in all forms.

My clients tell me I am warm and open, competent and curious. I am told that I am a “quick-study,” that I get to the heart of the matter quickly and focus the work on what is needed. I am told that I see the “whole person,” not just the damaged parts. They say that seeing me has changed their lives for the better.

I will listen closely and help you find that inner voice that is yearning to be heard. I will work hard to get it right. I will offer perspective and evidenced-based strategies for you to try.

Also, I love to laugh. We will find moments to share laughter together in a session.

Truth be told, I am a Colorado transplant. I grew up on the East Coast, lived in New York City for years, then moved to a sleepy town in Westchester, NY. We came West for “a better life” – one where walking in the mountains is a daily activity and not a road trip; where the air is fresh and communing in the outdoors is the norm. We love it here.