FAQ

Friends care about you – but they also have opinions, emotions, and agendas in the mix.

A therapist offers professional insight, contained guidance, deep neutrality, and a space that’s confidential, consistent, and focused entirely on you, rather than on a friend who also wants to share about themselves.

In addition, a friend may at times not be able to maintain the neutrality which is so deeply required in this work for it to be safe for you, the one in need of healing.

Unfortunately, this cannot be stated on a general FAQ page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them.

The time it takes for therapy to help you accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place.

Please call to discuss this topic in relation to your specific case, and let me know what you hope to explore and experience.

Some people feel relief quickly. Working deeper takes more time. When it comes down to it, unless there is an insurance directive to meet, you can stay in therapy as long as you want. I recommend trying therapy for at least six months to a year, especially if you want a lasting change. Ultimately, it depends on your goals, openness, consistency, and what brought you in. Sessions are tailored to fit you.

This is also why it may take several months to uncover how you can work through the pains of the past, and growth is a lifelong process. We can constantly refine. That being said, my only goal is to make myself obsolete in your life so that you can eventually thrive on your own without me. Therapy is rarely as short as people hope and never as long as they fear.

Empathy, clear communication, firm boundaries, cultural humility, active listening, flexibility, and ongoing learning all contribute to better therapeutic outcomes. Above all, you should feel safe to get into the dark and messy corners of your mind, your heart, and your soul to be witnessed. And most importantly, we therapists hope to be patient as you come to understand yourself with our support on this transformative journey.

Yes, it’s completely normal to feel uncertain, especially when starting therapy. Open communication with your therapist about your feelings can help strengthen the therapeutic relationship.

You’re welcome to ask me any questions you may have. That being said, my answers will always be only in service to you and your goals. Our time together is about you, so if something in my personal story can help you grow, I will certainly share that.

Start with the About page. Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call. You’ll get a sense of my style, and I’ll help you determine whether it’s a good match. If not, I’ll offer referrals if I do not support the types of goals or strategies you want to explore in our work together.

Sorry, I don’t have any videos yet. Feel free to message me via email or text with any questions you may have.

Start with a consultation call. What do you have to lose?

My favorite way to get to know you is to book a consultation call. Sure, it can be scary to talk to a total stranger about the pit of despair in your heart or tensions that keep you up at night.

Still, we have to start somewhere, and a call is a gentle way to give you a chance to get a feel for who I could be in your life and ask questions. I think you will find me to be warm, interested, and kind, maybe a little funny at times.

If the rest of my site resonated with you, I have no doubt we will start working together soon.

Regardless, please leave a message or schedule a discovery call to find out more.

That’s easy! I had a perfect childhood, and I want everyone else to know what that’s like! Seriously, though, most therapists come to this work because we have overcome and healed from life’s struggles ourselves, and we feel called to support those who continue to suffer.

As daunting as it may seem, please try calling me. If not, please text me, and I’ll be happy to get in touch with you. Or you can schedule a consultation through the website here . During the call (whether scheduled or not), we’ll discuss for 15–20 minutes to determine whether we’re a good fit.

Primarily online – depending on my location. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I offer secure online therapy in California and Wisconsin, with limited in-person availability in the East Bay. Additionally, I provide private investment coaching sessions on the beautiful trails of Pleasant Hill, CA. Please call for investment responsibility.

A 50-minute session is considered a standard “therapy hour.” You are investing a full hour, or 60 minutes, 10 minutes of which are for your therapist to document and reflect on your case. The other 50 minutes are for the contact in the session, where you put yourself in the safe container of the therapeutic relationship to explore what you have been stuck on.

Short answer: yes. Weekly sessions are a key component of the psychodynamic work process; in fact, a similar process called psychoanalysis can occur for an hour, up to four days a week.

Think of it this way: would you say you’re in a “close relationship” with someone you see for one hour once a month? Therapy works similarly; we need some form of contact to establish a trusting relationship. Then, and only then, can we truly explore what is happening in your life and how it affects us both.

Therapy is a standing weekly commitment; this is part of the model most psychodynamic and relational therapists work from. Sometimes, we make exceptions, but please note that the work proceeds more slowly.

If you miss a session for any reason and cancel less than 48 hours before, the full fee applies.

Please provide a 48-hour notice by text or voicemail at (510) 269-4808. I’ll confirm your cancellation and your next scheduled session within 24 hours.

A somatic approach helps you get out of your head and back into your body – the place where clarity, intuition, and emotional regulation actually live. I teach simple regulation skills, and I encourage you to start exploring them right now and try some to find the one that works best for you.

The ones I teach are designed for busy lives that need slowing down, with seemingly little time to spare; just three minutes a day, over time, is transformative. Once you have developed the capacity to notice sensations, track patterns, and cultivate genuine interoceptive awareness, we will delve into the painful, dark corners of your heart that are aching or trembling.

The goal includes self-trust, embodiment, and making choices from a grounded place rather than from reactivity. Controlling this INTERNAL system is the key to reducing many symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and emotional reactivity due to past unprocessed intense experiences. Let me help you discover this inner world for yourself.

It’s your ability to sense what’s happening inside your body; any mindfulness practice will support you in doing this – recognizing your heartbeat, breath, tension, and emotional cues – and using that information to guide decisions, set boundaries, and regulate your emotions.

Most people don’t realize this is the foundation of self-control, confidence, and relationship stability until they learn it. This is directly tied to the self-regulation mentioned in the last question.

Together, we can help you gain control over this system that is out of control.

It’s therapy that looks beneath the surface. After we can reach that regulation system, we will dive into the meaning-making machine of your inner world. Imagination meets reality sometimes, as we don’t always see the whole picture through our pain, these patterns and processes that hold us back and spin us out of control.

Psychodynamic work, the holding space, and the mystery that happens in that “hour”* is a mystery to us both before it begins. Still, together this precious time helps us understand your patterns, so you can stop repeating them.

It’s insight-oriented, relational, and deep – but still practical. We help you make sense of the story behind your reactions so you can change them in real time, at your own pace. This process is best conducted within the sacred container that adheres to the established rules and ethics.

*A therapy hour is typically 50 minutes; traditionally, it is what we learn as a part of this deeper work; however, it is still called an “hour.”

My goal isn’t for therapy to last forever. It’s for you to reach a place where you have the tools and self-trust to navigate life without me. That’s how I know our work has really done its job.

The other reason we think privately investing in your mental health is better than seeking payment from an insurance company is that the insurance provider gets to determine something called “medical necessity.” So, unless you want a label from the DSM-5 to get medication, there is no reason to attach any particular meaning to your suffering other than human.

A psychiatrist needs to help with that anyway, so there is still no need to allow these systems to determine anything regarding your precious inner life.

Although I don’t bill insurance directly, many clients use out-of-network benefits. I can provide a superbill for reimbursement. (Know that if you submit, your insurance may request access to clinical notes.)

You will pay for each session according to the latest policies in the on boarding documentation. Most of the time clients pay session by session via a HIPAA secure payment method.

Yes, I keep a limited number of reduced-fee slots/pro bono spaces. It is part of the therapist’s ethical standards to keep at least a few reduced fee spaces in their case load.

My June 2026 Blog post can answer that better than a short response here. Please find it here.

No. Court involvement compromises the safety and neutrality of the therapeutic process.

No. Letters like that function more like medical evaluations or legal documentation, and they belong in the hands of providers trained to do them. My job is to support your healing and help you advocate for yourself with the right professionals – not to act as a prescriber or evaluator.

No. I don’t do forensic work, custody evaluations, or any court-related services. Court involvement alters the nature of therapy, compromises trust, and requires specialized training that I don’t possess.

My priority is the safety and integrity of the therapeutic space and I am happy to support you in getting these resources if that is of interest to you.

Maybe, first I want to know from you, do you find homework helpful? If so, we can discuss some homework, if not, no need.

Short answer: No. Why? We aim to create a space that closely mimics the experience of in-person therapy which means heading out of your house in your PJs. Some PJs are street worthy, sure, most are not.

Reach out and book a consultation call – I’m happy to talk.