Frequently Asked Questions

A: I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to get an initial idea of what’s going on and answer any questions potential teen or young adults clients or their parents may have. I believe in honesty and open communication, so if at any point, I feel a client would be better suited with a therapist with different specialties, I will provide appropriate referrals. Successful therapy involves the relationship between the client and the therapist, so I always suggest my clients give it three sessions. After three sessions, my clients will typically know if they feel comfortable with me.

A: Short answer: No. Long answer: Maybe. My services are completely self-pay. That means I do not accept insurance, nor do I communicate with insurance companies. Some clients choose to submit what is called a “superbill” to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. I have no control over this being successful, but I am happy to show you how to access your superbill.

A: I offer a limited number of discounted slots for clients that would not otherwise be able to afford my usual rate. This is offered on a case-by-case basis and only if I have a slot available.

A: Typically, I begin meeting with my clients on a weekly basis. This allows us to build trust and rapport, identify goals for treatment, and begin addressing the issues. Once progress is made, we usually reduce to every other week. If a client is experiencing suicidal thoughts or is regularly self harming, we must meet weekly.

A: If you cancel prior to 24 hours before our scheduled session, there is no fee. If you cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled session, you will be charged the full fee. If I am able to move your appointment to another day and time, I will do my best to accommodate.

A: Confidentiality is the basis for therapy: what happens in therapy stays in therapy. Everything my clients and I discuss is kept between the two of us. There are only three exceptions to this: 1) If a client, teen or young adult, tells me they are seriously considering ending their life or the life of someone else or behaving in a way that could be lethal to themselves or others, I must take steps to keep them or the other person safe. This could mean notifying parents, the police, or a mental health crisis center. 2) If I am made aware that a minor, whether my client or not, is in an abusive or neglectful situation, I am required by law to report this to the Florida Abuse Hotline. This includes but is not limited to physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence, exposure to drug use, lack of access to basic needs, being in cars with adults while under the influence, etc. 3) If the court system is involved and I receive a court order from a judge to come discuss my client’s treatment, I would have to comply.

A: In order for there to be trust between my clients and me, I will not discuss the details of our sessions with parents or other caregivers. There are, of course, exceptions to this. If your teen is in danger, I will discuss this with you. I know it can be difficult as a parent to be left in the dark about the course of your teen’s therapy. I do have regular parent check-ins when I share a general overview of your teen’s progress. Oftentimes, clients give me the go-ahead to discuss more specific details in order to better support the whole family. When that happens, I can be much more transparent.

A: No. If you are over the age of 18, I cannot legally speak to anyone besides you without your written consent. If a parent is paying for a young adult's therapy, I may have the client sign a release of information specifically relating to payment, which allows me to speak to a parent about fees. If you would like for me to be able to share more information with a parent, I will have you sign a release of information that allows me to do so. That being said, I will always speak with you first about what I plan to discuss with any outside parties.

A: I believe strongly in autonomy and I only work with clients that want to be in therapy. I will explain this to clients in our first session and, if they truly do not want to continue, this should be respected. Most of the time, however, resistant clients decide to continue once they realize doing so is their choice and that no one will snitch on them for what they say in therapy.

A: This depends. As long as the other therapist and I are not addressing the same concerns, you can work with both of us. For example, if you were seeing another therapist for eating disorder symptoms and me to address anxiety and trauma, then it is possible to work with both of us. In fact, other therapists often refer their clients to me when those clients hit a mental block in therapy. Those clients will see me briefly for accelerated resolution therapy, resolve their mental block, and resume working with their primary therapist. If you are working with another therapist, I do request a release of information from you to authorize me to consult with them to ensure we give you the best care possible.

A: I do not prescribe medication. Sometimes issues can be resolved in therapy without medication, but there are times that the combination of medication and therapy are the most effective. If I feel a client would benefit from medication, I would offer referrals to providers with whom I’ve seen great results.

A: This is a tough one. Both parents must consent to treatment, unless the court has stated you have the right to make medical decisions. Additionally, if both parents initially consent to treatment but later on one decides to pull that consent, I would have to stop seeing your child.

A: I exclusively offer in-person sessions, because I believe the connection I make with clients in person adds to their overall progress. Video sessions are only offered under unusual circumstances, such as those we dealt with during the pandemic.

A: If you attend college in the state of Florida, and we determine that video sessions are appropriate, we can continue meeting. If you attend college out of state, we will have to end therapy because I am only authorized to see clients physically located in the state where I am licensed.

A: Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, and therapists all focus on people’s mental and emotional health, but their areas of practice differ. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are medical professionals who are able to prescribe medication for mental and emotional concerns. Psychiatric professionals rarely provide therapy and typically only oversee medication management. Psychologists are PhD-level mental health professionals. They are often involved in research, academia, and psychological assessments. Some psychologists also choose to provide therapy. Most therapists are licensed mental health counselors (LMHC), as am I. An LMHC is a mental health professional with a master’s degree who has completed advanced training to hold a license to practice.