QUESTIONS ABOUT PSYCHOTHERAPY

Psychotherapy is a collaborative process for understanding and working with emotional, relational, behavioral, and life concerns.

Sometimes people begin therapy because something is clearly wrong. At other times, nothing is exactly wrong, but something is no longer working as well as it once did. You may be facing a transition, noticing a recurring pattern, questioning an old assumption, or wanting to understand yourself and your relationships differently.

Psychotherapy provides a confidential, professional setting in which we can explore what is happening, understand what may be contributing to it, and identify possibilities for meaningful change.

I provide individual psychotherapy for adults age 18 and older who are physically located in Missouri at the time services are provided.

My practice includes people across adulthood and across a wide range of backgrounds, identities, relationships, and life experiences.

I work particularly well with people who are curious about themselves and interested not only in feeling better, but in understanding what is happening and why.

People come to psychotherapy for many reasons. These may include anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, life transitions, identity questions, stress, effects of trauma, religious trauma, experiences of oppression, or periods when life simply feels more difficult or complicated than usual.

You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis—or even a particularly clear explanation of what is wrong. Sometimes knowing that something needs attention is enough place to begin.

My approach is integrative, strengths-based, and collaborative. Rather than applying a single method to every person, I draw from established therapeutic approaches according to the individual, the circumstances, and what we are trying to accomplish together.

I am interested in both the immediate problem and the larger context in which it occurs. That may include relationships, personal history, identity, culture, systems, patterns of thought and behavior, and the ways you have learned to understand yourself and the world around you.

Therapy with me tends to include conversation, curiosity, reflection, questions, and the occasional challenge to something we have begun taking for granted.

You are not a passive recipient of treatment. We are doing the work together.

The first session gives us time to begin understanding what brings you to therapy, what is happening in your life now, and what you would like to be different.

I will ask questions about your current concerns and relevant history, and you will have an opportunity to ask questions of me as well.

We do not need to understand everything in the first hour. The goal is to begin developing a useful picture of what is happening and to determine how we might work together.

It is also an opportunity for both of us to begin assessing fit. A good therapeutic relationship matters.

Most people begin with weekly sessions. I prefer starting that way in order to gain traction for therapy. Regular meetings give us enough continuity to understand patterns, develop momentum, and work with what emerges between sessions.

Over time, frequency may change depending upon your needs, progress, circumstances, and goals.

We will make those decisions together rather than following an arbitrary schedule.

I offer both standard (40-45 minutes) and extended (up to an hour) psychotherapy appointments.

The appropriate session length depends upon your needs, your insurance coverage when applicable, and what we determine is clinically appropriate.

We can discuss the best option when we begin working together.

My psychotherapy practice is entirely virtual.

Sessions are conducted through a secure telehealth platform, allowing you to attend from a private location that works for you.

Because psychotherapy licensure is based upon the location of the client at the time of service, you must be physically located in Missouri during your appointment.

Yes. I work with a number of insurance plans through Alma.

Insurance coverage varies by plan, so participation with an insurance company does not necessarily mean that your particular policy will cover services. Coverage, deductibles, copayments, and other out-of-pocket costs should be confirmed before beginning treatment.

Self-pay is also available for people who prefer not to use insurance or whose plans are not accepted.

Self-pay fees are currently $150 for a 60-minute psychotherapy session and $135 for a 45-minute session.

If you are using insurance, your financial responsibility will depend upon your individual plan, including applicable deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance.

You will receive information about fees and payment arrangements before beginning services.

Yes. Confidentiality is a fundamental part of psychotherapy.

Information shared in therapy is protected by professional ethics and applicable privacy laws. There are, however, specific circumstances in which a psychotherapist may be legally or ethically required to disclose information—for example, certain situations involving imminent danger or suspected abuse or neglect.

These limits to confidentiality are explained as part of the informed-consent process before treatment begins.

IteNo.

Symbolic Insight™ and psychotherapy are separate services with different purposes, structures, and professional boundaries.

Psychotherapy is a clinical service provided under my Missouri social work license. Symbolic Insight™ is a separate, non-clinical reflective practice and is not psychotherapy, psychological treatment, diagnosis, or mental health care.

Participation in one prohibits concurrent participation in the other.

No. My psychotherapy practice is for adults age 18 and older.

My practice is not an emergency or crisis-response service.

If you are experiencing an immediate mental health emergency or believe that you or someone else may be in imminent danger, please use an appropriate emergency or crisis resource rather than submitting a website inquiry or waiting for a psychotherapy appointment.

Ongoing psychotherapy may be appropriate after an immediate crisis has been stabilized.

You do not have to know before we meet.

Therapeutic fit involves more than credentials or a list of specialties. You should be able to feel sufficiently comfortable to speak honestly, sufficiently respected to be yourself, and sufficiently challenged for therapy to be useful.

My style tends to work well for people who appreciate thoughtful conversation, curiosity, directness, and a collaborative relationship rather than being told what they should think or do.

The beginning of therapy gives us both an opportunity to determine whether working together makes sense.

Begin by completing the Psychotherapy Contact form.

Tell me a little about what brings you to therapy, how you would like me to contact you, and any scheduling or insurance information requested on the form.

You might also schedule a free 15-minute consultation.

I will respond with information about availability and the next steps for determining whether working together is appropriate.

You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting me. Knowing that you would like something to be different is enough to begin.