FAQs-

Tell me more about the trauma treatments that you provide to clients who have experienced .a traumatic event.

Trauma can change the way you think about yourself and/or the world. Unhelpful thoughts can get stuck in your mind and cause you to experience significant stress. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) helps you recognize and name trauma-based beliefs. It teaches you how to challenge these beliefs and replace them with thoughts that are more effective for living your life. You learn to evaluate your thoughts and decide whether there are more helpful ways to think about your trauma, yourself, and the world. By changing your thoughts, you can actually change how you feel. CPT is a time-limited therapy – typically completed in 12-14 one-hour sessions. After formal treatment is over, we can schedule periodic check-ins to see how you’re doing if desired.

Many people who have experienced a traumatic event want to avoid anything that reminds them of that event, but avoiding actually reinforces their fear. By facing what has been avoided, PTSD symptoms can be decreased because the person learns that the trauma-related memories and reminders are not dangerous and do not really need to be avoided. Prolonged Exposure (PE) teaches a client to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings, and/or situations that remind them of the traumatic event. PE is typically provided over a period of several months with weekly sessions. 90-to 120-minute sessions are usually needed in order for the client to fully engage in exposure and sufficiently process the experience.

I also provide PE treatment that has been specifically adapted for clients who are currently obtaining Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) treatment. For more information about what is involved in this treatment, please contact me.

What type of insurance do you take?

I do not file for insurance reimbursement. I’m considered an “out-of-network provider.” If you would like to use your insurance, I can provide you with a receipt for services, containing diagnostic codes required by insurance, for you to turn in directly to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Please contact your insurance provider and ask about self-filing options for “out-of-network providers.” See the handout entitled “Tips for Talking with Your Insurance Company Regarding Possible Reimbursement for ‘Out-of-Network’ Services” located at the Forms link – under Supplemental Reading – on this website. This handout provides recommended questions to ask your insurance company in order to determine what your out-of-pocket cost would be.

What forms of payment do you take?

I take cash, checks, or credit cards. Some HSA/FSA accounts allow for payments out of those funds and I can accept payment from a HSA/FSA card.

What if I need to cancel my appointment?

Please contact me at least 24 hours in advance of your session if you need to cancel and your appointment will be rescheduled with no penalty. Typically cancellations made without at least 24-hours notice, but prior to the start of the session, will be charged a $50 late-cancellation fee. if you do not show for a session or cancel after the start of the session, you will be charged the full fee for that session.

What about if I need to cancel my appointment because I’m having Covid-19 symptoms that just began on the day of my appointment?

Please do not come into the office for your appointment if you are having Covid-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, muscle aches, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea. There will be no penalty for late cancellation of an appointment if you are experiencing these symptoms. If your symptoms are mild and you feel well enough to engage in a video session, we can switch to a telepsychology session rather than in person. Please note that if there is a pattern of canceled appointments with no telepsychology session substituted, we will need to discuss how to resolve this issue and services may be terminated.

Any other questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have other questions.