Therapy FAQ

Therapy comes in so many forms! In my practice, I provide virtual therapy using a secure online platform, which I’ll describe briefly.

Most clients seek therapy in the first place because at least part of them knows something has to change. This may be their own behaviors or reactions, their emotional experiences, or relationships with others.

Throughout the therapy hour, you can expect to discuss your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, physical reactions, and history, as well as goals for acceptance or change.

There are just a few steps to getting to the actual therapy itself!

1. Free 15-minute consult call - This call helps us see if we’re a good fit! You get to ask me questions and hear a bit about my approach.

2. Onboarding paperwork - I have an online platform that allows you to conveniently submit all paperwork prior to starting our work together. This helps guide our initial intake session, as well as sets expectations about what we can expect from each other in the therapy relationship.

3. Intake session - During this full session, I learn so much about your therapy needs and what you hope to achieve. We decide together if we want to move forward working together. I also use this time to go over any nitty-gritty details about our work together.

4. Ongoing Sessions - Depending on your therapy goals, sometimes it is very time-limited, other times it can be ongoing. This depends on so many factors, most importantly your needs! As a range, I’ve done therapy with some folks for 6-12 sessions,

Therapy sessions with me generally last 50 or so minutes. There may be sessions that end sooner either for logistical reasons, client fatigue, or more. Sometimes they last a bit longer.

I recommend starting therapy on a weekly basis if at all possible. In the get-to-know-you phase of initial sessions, it’s really helpful to meet on a weekly basis to get started working toward the goals that matter most to you!

With that said, I trust you to know what’s best for you. If a biweekly frequency is meeting your needs that is a really typical frequency as well!

I don’t usually see people less than biweekly (aside from if one of us is traveling or the client has to take a break from therapy for a specific reason).

Former clients are welcome to check back in for one-off sessions when life feels low maintenance but they need the therapy space on a limited basis!

These are general guidelines based on my experience, but I am open to discussing a therapy plan that works well for you!

I’m so grateful to be able to provide flexible, high quality therapy to my clients to best meet their needs.

In order to maintain this practice, I do not currently accept insurance.

My rate for therapy is $175 per session.

I also offer a limited number of sliding-scale slots. Please contact me for more information or to book a consultation!

I work outside of insurance so I can provide specialized, consistent care without the limitations that insurance often imposes. I’m happy to offer a few referrals if you’re looking for in-network options.

I am able to create a superbill for your services. Some insurance companies allow you to submit a superbill from an out-of-network provider and will reimburse a percentage of the claim. I provide the superbill, and it is up to clients to contact their insurance to obtain these benefits.

If you are curious to learn more, this article provides explanations for why some providers do not accept insurance: https://medium.com/@karen_90828/ten-reasons-why-your-mental-health-provider-stopped-or-never-started-taking-your-health-insurance-4d7f23236483

I see clients ages 15 and up. Although I don’t have a cap, the eldest client I’ve seen is in their 80s :). I’ve been lucky to work with a diverse array of clients by practicing in community mental health settings for years. I support my clients’ rights to self-expression of their identities and enjoy working with LGBTQ clients.

The work I do best centers on trauma, stress, self-compassion, communication struggles, and perfectionism. I use attachment research, an understanding of family systems, the therapeutic relationship, and mindfulness to help empower clients make informed, connected decisions that align with their values. I also identify as an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) and find work with other HSPs incredibly rewarding!

You may want to work with me if you seek to increase self-acceptance, to better understand and deal with overwhelming feelings, and to communicate openly and directly — even when it’s really tough. When you learn to manage difficult emotions and strained relationships, things seem to fall into place much easier. This frees you up to focus on living your best life possible.

One aspect of being an ethical therapist is called practicing “within your scope.” My scope includes working with trauma and PTSD, anxiety, perfectionism, and more!

When I don’t have the expertise to provide ethical therapy, I refer to other providers to make sure you receive the best possible care. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the types of struggles and situations that may lead me to refer out:

• Substance Use & Addiction

• Court-Mandated Therapy

• Mania & Hypomania

• Audio & Visual Hallucinations

• Eating Disorders

• Body Dysmorphia

• Children under 14

• Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Neurocognitive Disorder & Dementia

• Active Suicidality

• Active Crisis

• Couples

• Hoarding

• Testing & Evaluation

• Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Designation Requests

• Pre-Operative Therapy for Gender-Affirming Care or other Major Surgery (I fully support my clients’ right to gender-affirming healthcare! However I have had no training in this area and therefore feel it is out of my scope to offer services that lead to approval or denial of their access to necessary care.)

Therapy, like any worthwhile endeavor, involves a certain level of risk. Namely, therapy can stir up difficult memories and emotions.

While this is not always the case, it’s not uncommon for clients to report things get a little worse before they get better. This may be because they’re exploring difficult thoughts and emotions but haven’t yet developed the skills to cope.

The good news is, many forms of therapy are well-researched and demonstrated to be effective. I offer several of these “evidence-based practices.”*

In addition, honoring your own needs and changing the status quo of your life has pros and cons. It is really normal to question if it’s worth it and go back and forth! If you’re experiencing this, I hope you are comfortable to talk about it. It’s an important part of the therapy process.

Lastly, no one can guarantee that therapy will provide the exact results you are hoping for. We can cite research and experience and talk about what typically happens, but those are not guarantees. That said, anyone who comes to therapy with some level of openness to the experience (with a qualified provider) is likely to experience positive change, insight, and growth toward the life they hope to live.

*Note: just because a therapy hasn’t been researched in a fashion centering the medical model and scientific method does not mean it’s not going to be effective! There are lots of biases in therapy research and it does not center all voices and cultures equally.

You are not required to continue therapy once you start. If you start therapy with a provider and something feels off, the fit isn’t right, or the services aren’t meeting your needs, you have every right to stop attending.

If you are working with me and this is the case, I hope you feel comfortable to share that information so I can provide you with a referral who may be a much better match for your needs! Therapists are used to this and should receive the news with grace, understanding, and helpfulness. We are also people too, and it’s natural for uncomfortable feelings to arise based on our own experiences and interpretations. And, it’s our job to manage any feelings that arise when a client decides to leave.

A quick note: If you have a session scheduled, let your therapist know if you are not attending in order to avoid any late cancellation and no-show fees!

Below I’ll provide a few general resources that apply to everyone in the US, then lower will be Houston-specific resources.

Keep in mind, if you do virtual therapy you can meet with anyone licensed in your state, so if therapists in your city are limited, you can expand your search!

Psychology Today
This is one of the largest databases of verified licensed therapists. You can filter by areas of expertise that are important to you, in-person or virtual sessions, types of therapy, insurance, and more!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/

Open Path Collective
This is a network of verified licensed therapists offering sessions at a sliding scale price range from $30-60 per session (very low for self-pay). You can filter and search by factors that are important to you. There is a 1-time fee of $60 I believe to access the database.
https://openpathcollective.org/

Loveland Foundation
With the barriers affecting access to treatment by members of diverse ethnic and racial groups, the Loveland Therapy Fund provides financial assistance to Black women and nonbinary individuals seeking therapy. Loveland Therapy Fund recipients will have access to comprehensive lists of mental health professionals across the country providing high quality, culturally competent services to Black women and girls.

Also if you can donate to them, you should!

https://thelovelandfoundation.org

Greater Houston Area Resources

As I am located in Houston, Texas, the rest of these resources are targeted for that area:

Community Health Network
This resource offers virtual and in-person therapy and other medical services at many locations in the Greater Houston Area. They work with most insurance as well as provide lower cost therapy for those without coverage. They offer groups as well!
https://mychn.org/services/bh/

The Montrose Center
The Montrose Center has one of the most comprehensive array of counseling services among LGBTQ centers in the nation. Their licensed master level therapists know what it means to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or a sexual minority, and can guide you through life’s hurdles while linking you with other important and useful resources throughout the community to help you achieve greater health and fulfillment.  
https://montrosecenter.org/services/behavioral-health/

Jewish Family Services
Jewish Family Service offers effective trauma-informed therapy for children, teens, adults, seniors, couples and families.  You do not have to be affiliated with Judaism to receive services.
https://www.alexanderjfs.org/services/behavioral-mental-health-services

Legacy Community Health
This is a community health agency with many locations across Houston providing low-cost care to those without insurance. There is likely a wait list. More information on their mental health services is available here.
https://www.legacycommunityhealth.org/services/behavioral-health/

The Harris Center
This is the local mental health authority (LMHA) for Harris County. If you live in another county, use this website to locate your LMHA.
This is a low-cost provider of mental health and other necessary health care needs. If you are someone who believes you will need a variety of mental health resources beyond therapy in the future, I recommend getting in contact with them. 
https://www.theharriscenter.org/services/adult-behavioral-health-services

The Hope and Healing Center
This agency provides free therapy in the galleria area. They may have a wait list as well. Sign up for their services list here:
https://hopeandhealingcenter.org/services/cbt-based-mental-health-coaching/