FAQs

Yes! I do currently I accept the following insurances:

New York: Excellus BCBS (most Excellus, Empire, BCBS plans!) and Cigna
Maine: Cigna, Aetna, Optum, and Community Health Options
Colorado: Cigna, Aetna, & Optum

Every year insurances change contracts, rates, and requirements so it is possible that I may decide to not renew a contract at the end of the year. If this is the case, I will inform you months ahead of time so we can find a way to best support you in the process. Ideally, this isn’t something I would have to do, but if we do have to cross that bridge we can be prepared. 

Out of Pocket Costs

At this time I am an out-of-network provider for insurances that are not listed above. Individual sessions are $135 per hour. I do offer sliding scale fees for those who need it, although I have a limited amount of these slots.

If I don’t accept your insurance, you may be able to get reimbursed for your out-of-pocket therapy expenses. This means that you are responsible for your up-front therapy expenses at the time of service. I can then provide you with a detailed invoice (called a “superbill”) that you can send to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement. It may be a good idea to reach out to your insurance company to determine their process in handling out-of-network providers.

Currently, I am seeing ages 8+, specializing in tweens & teens as well as young adults. There are so many transitions, changes, stressors, and big things that happen in this age range, so I have completed specific training to help support this age group.

Much of my work with children and teens requires substantial time from parents as well both in session and through parent coaching.

I use a combination of approaches (often described as an eclectic approach) that best fit each individual. This means that you are a big part of the decision-making for what approach works best for you!

Most often, I use a blend of EMDR, CBT, IFS/Parts Work, Mindfulness, Strengths-Based, Person-Centered, and Creative Arts Therapy approaches in our work together. Again, therapy is tailored to you — so we can explore whatever modality sounds good to you within my specialities.

You can learn more by reading through my latest blog post about EMDR here.

“EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes. 

EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.” (EMDR.com, 2020).

There are incredible benefits to using creative and expressive modalities in therapy.

The creative arts therapies and expressive therapies focus on supporting people explore and process their emotions through a variety of artistic mediums. These mediums can include things like music, art, storytelling, sandtray, writing, games, and even Dungeons & Dragons. When using this approach, it is always about what you feel comfortable with. Something of importance – you do not have to be an “Artist” or “Musician” to be able to benefit from creative arts therapy! I often blend evidence-based practices such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, mindfulness approaches, and others alongside expressive modalities to support emotional processing.

Sometimes we aren’t able to put things into words and this is where play, music, art, sandtray, video games, board games, mindfulness, and other creative experiences can come into the picture. Therapy looks different for every individual and the focus is on creating a space that is unique to you!

Therapy can support individual who are struggling with a range of issues – including anxiety, stress, panic, low self-esteem, relationship issues, trauma, and more. If you find that you are struggling with something in your life and you’re feeling stuck – therapy can be a great place to work out some of those things with a supportive listener.

I can provide in-person sessions at my office in Pittsford, New York.

I can provide telehealth services to anyone in New York State, Maine, and/or Colorado.

At this time I am an out-of-network provider for insurances that are not listed above. Individual sessions are $135 per hour. I do offer sliding scale fees for those who need it, although I have a limited amount of these slots.

If I don’t accept your insurance, you may be able to get reimbursed for your out-of-pocket therapy expenses. This means that you are responsible for your up-front therapy expenses at the time of service. I can then provide you with a detailed invoice (called a “superbill”) that you can send to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement. It may be a good idea to reach out to your insurance company to determine their process in handling out-of-network providers.

I recommend weekly therapy for consistency.

Quite often, clients move to a bi-weekly frequency once they’ve progressed through their treatment goals. Eventually successful treatment can be terminated and some clients even prefer to have check-in sessions once every few months for a “tune-up”.

Assessment: Our first few sessions will be dedicated to getting to know each other. This is a time where I will complete an assessment based off of information you have given me and information you’ve completed in the intake paperwork. An assessment will help us form a solid idea of what is going on for you or your loved one and guide us in determining our path moving forward with treatment and goals.

Treatment: Using our goals as a guide, I will continue to support you or your child by continuing to utilize preferred experiences (play, music, games, anime, tabletop gaming, verbal processing, mindfulness, reflection, etc.) throughout our treatment. During this time, it is my job to take notice of thought patterns, emotions, behaviors, and other concerns that arise within these experiences. Using evidenced-based practice, I will use empathy, authenticity, insight, interventions, and/or practices that can lead you or your loved one towards growth.

Again, the foundation of therapy is creating a space where you or your loved one feels safe and wants to be there. Therapy is a place to feel empowered and it’s my job to walk alongside you as we navigate the best path forward.

Termination: Once we’ve completed our goals and you are ready to move on from therapy, we make a plan to terminate. Usually at this point, you are feeling confident with your skills to manage anxiety and don’t need as much support in your day to day. You’ve found the relief.

From here we may move to bi-weekly sessions, monthly sessions, or “tune-up” sessions depending upon your needs. Eventually we make a plan for our last session where we celebrate all of the hard work that you have done!

From here I am always only a phone call away if things get tough again and we can do a “tune-up” session or schedule a few sessions as needed.