Frequently Asked Questions

I'm happy to! This is the most exciting idea I've had in awhile, and I really hope it catches on! If this becomes a normal thing we all do (as normal as going to a yearly physical, getting yearly cancer screenings or taking your car in for oil changes!) it has the power to prevent marital dissatisfaction, resentment and divorce!

The idea is this: keep your relationship healthy and happy by coming in once a year for a 90min appointment. 

During this appointment, we will review and assess the areas of your relationship (things like, parenting, emotional needs, household division of labor, intimacy, each other's individual mental health). We will talk through any areas of concern or disagreement, which may or may not involve communication strategies.. I will then guide you through a 'relationship enhancement' conversation, which will end on setting goals for yourselves and your relationship in the next year. 

We will end by scheduling your next yearly check-in!

These sessions can be done online or in person. They aren't 'therapy' in its technical definition (as in, the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorder). It would more accurately be described as relationship enhancement, divorce prevention, or a preventative marriage well-visit!

• INDIVIDUAL THERAPY (AFTER FIRST APPT)
• $160 per 45min
• $185 per 45min if being seen individually in the course of couples therapy

COUPLES THERAPY  (AFTER FIRST APPT)

• $185 for 45mins 
• $370 for 90mins
• $555 for 135mins (recommended for best results; couples who come for extended sessions every 2-4 weeks have better results than couples who come weekly for 45min)

MARRIAGE MAINTENANCE (YEARLY CHECK-IN)

• $300 for 90min 

THE FIRST TIME YOU COME FOR AN APPOINTMENT

• the first 45min session is an assessment which is at the rate of:
  • $185 for an individual
  •  $210 for a couple
• you can schedule for a 45min assessment immediately followed by a 45min session for a total of 90min
• if you are coming as a couple, you can schedule a 45min assessment immediately followed by 90min session for a total of 135min session. This is recommended for best results in general, but especially when a couple is coming in crisis (as in, after a big argument, after a threat to separate/divorce, or after discovery of an affair) 

I accept cash*, check*, Zelle and credit cards.  

NOTE: There is a 4% discount if paying by cash, check or Zelle. The above costs reflect this discount, so paying credit card, the cost will be 4% higher.

Yes, you are welcome to come in person if you schedule for at least 90mins. 

As stated above, 135min sessions are recommended for couples therapy, but 90min is the next-best option. 

This answer is that it depends.

• Therapy is covered by insurance as long as there is a mental health disorder diagnosis.  This is true of any therapy. (Coaching is not covered by insurance as there isn't a mental health disorder being treated.)
• I am not an in-network provider so you would pursue reimbursement through your out of network benefits. Please ask your insurance company about your out of network benefits for either 'individual therapy' or 'conjoint therapy.'
• Your HSA can be used to cover the costs of therapy.
• At your first appointment, please discuss with me your desire to use your insurance so that I know I need to provide you with a reimbursement statement with all the necessary codes. 

The assessment session has four parts.
1) We will review the paperwork that I sent to you via email.  I will answer any questions you have and then I will ask questions about you, your relationship, and your goals for counseling.  
2) I meet with one partner individually for a short period of time. 
3) I meet with the other partner individually for a short period of time.
4) I will provide you with initial impressions about what is happening in the relationship and we will collaborate on what we will focus on in future sessions.

Yes and yes!

Yes, even though my licensure has "marriage" in the title, I am a relationship therapist, couples coach and mediator. I help people with the important relationships in their lives regardless of legal definition. I also help people come to agreements on difficult subjects whether or not they were legally married.

Yes, I do see people individually. 

The first fundamental difference is that while other counselors are educated about and treat the psychology and behavior of individuals, an MFT learns about relational dynamics and intervenes at a relational and systemic level.  (Sometimes, well-meaning therapists attempt to do couples therapy, but because they are not well-versed in relational therapeutic models, they wind up alternating between the two partners, providing individual therapy to each instead of providing couples therapy to the couple.) 

Another significant difference is that during my training program, I received both live and video supervision for two years.  This means  that AAMFT Approved Supervisors either watched me work from behind a one-way mirror, or they would review the videotapes of my sessions that I recorded each time I saw an appointment. This ensured that I was becoming competent with basic practices of therapy, and becoming skilled at more complex therapeutic interventions.  This type of supervision was an extremely challenging and humbling experience, but I would not be the therapist I am today without this very beneficial requirement in my training program.