Frequently Asked Questions

GETTING STARTED

  • Contact me today to set up your free 15-minute phone consultation. This call gives us a chance to meet one another and discuss your therapy needs. If you decide you want to move forward, I’ll get your account started in the system and we’ll schedule an appointment.

  • I provide couples and sex therapy to couples and individuals in Grand Rapids and all over the state of Michigan. Each session is held over a secure telehealth network.

    You may be located anywhere in the state of Michigan and work with me, as long as you have reliable access to a computer or phone and Internet. I do not offer in-person sessions at this time.

  • I’ll take the first 5-10 minutes to go over informed consent and share a few other housekeeping items that orient you to my practice. For the majority of the time I’ll be asking you questions to get to know you and make sure I understand how I can help. To wrap up the session, I'll give you my preliminary thoughts about what tools I can offer and how my expertise can guide the therapeutic process. For more details read my blog, My First Appointment is Approaching…What Should I Expect?

  • This largely depends on your preferences and schedule. I have clients that come weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly. Many clients start therapy at a weekly frequency and then taper down as they make progress. Others prefer to be consistent with a bi-weekly or monthly attendance from the very beginning. I’ll collaborate with you to determine what works best for your goals, schedule, budget, and lifestyle.

ABOUT ME

  • Therapy with me is rooted in a Cognitive-Behavioral perspective. I help my clients manage problems by changing unhelpful or unhealthy thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This is a goal-oriented and structured approach, and also one of the most common and best researched methods of psychotherapy.

    I also infuse elements of Existential Therapy into my work. This approach considers the universal conflicts we all face about the human existence: death, freedom, responsibility, and the meaning of life. Existential therapy is the key ingredient to my therapy and identity as a healer of the human spirit.

    Additionally, for couples therapy I use Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. These are research-based orientations that help me work with you on building friendship, addressing conflict, and increasing emotional safety for open and honest communication.

  • In 2021, I completed the Sexual Health Certificate Program from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. At the end of this year-long program, I was awarded a certificate in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education after 192 hours of training.

    Prior to this certificate, I accumulated over 3,000 hours of experience and supervision to become a dual-licensed psychotherapist. More than 1,000 of these hours were spent directly working with couples and families.

    Additionally, during my doctoral training, I co-taught more than a dozen sections of family therapy, sex therapy, and counseling techniques classes at the graduate level.

    You can read more about my training and educational background here.

  • My sex-positivity begins with supporting everyone's right to explore, indulge, and learn about their bodies, gender, and sexuality. Our sexual competence should begin with accurate, accessible and age-appropriate sex education and lead to affirming sexual exploration that is safe and without shame. My work is my contribution to building what I hope is a society that values informed consent, autonomy, communication, and pleasure in healthy and mutually gratifying relationships.

    Other values I hold as a sex-positive human are:

    • showing respect to different views of sex

    • understanding that a lack of desire is not inherently dysfunctional and that not everyone is a sexual person

    • marriage and monogamy are not values held by all

    • you deserve to explore your fantasies and enjoy sensations in your body

    • it's important to set healthy sexual boundaries for yourself and others

    • there are potential positive and negative impacts of sexual activity

    • you do not need to be in a committed relationship to exercise your right to sexual autonomy

INVESTMENT

  • Individual sessions: $225 initial intake; $205 per session thereafter

    Couples sessions: $260 initial intake; $240 per session thereafter

    All sessions are 50 minutes unless otherwise specified. See below for information about extended sessions.

  • In addition to the standard 50-minute session, I also offer extended sessions to all my clients. Many clients prefer these extended sessions because we can cover more ground and really explore the conversation without having to rush or cut it short because we ran out of time.

    The clients that take advantage of these extended sessions tell me they notice they get deeper into the root of the issues during session and feel they get more out of their therapy investment.

    I highly recommend trying an extended session, especially if you are here for couples work!

    Individual therapy:
    2 hours (110 minutes) = $410
    3 hours (170 minutes) = $615

    Couples therapy:
    2 hours (110 minutes) = $480
    3 hours (160 minutes) = $720

  • Due to confidentiality and the sensitive nature of this work, I am not in-network with any insurance companies. However, I am considered an out-of-network provider, and will provide you with an invoice called a superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement based on your plan. Many insurance companies will provide you with 20% to 80% reimbursement for your sessions.

  • If you choose to apply for out-of-network benefits by submitting superbills, you may first want to reach out to your insurance company and ask the following questions:

    • What is my out-of-network deductible?

    • Is there an annual limit to the number of sessions or total amount that is reimbursable?

    • What is the rate of reimbursement for CPT codes 90834 and 90847?

    • Can I be reimbursed for sessions that are conducted via telehealth?

    You can also ask your insurance company or HR representative about using a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flex Spending Account (FSA). If you choose to submit superbills for reimbursement, I will need to provide a diagnosis. If you have questions or are unsure about this process, we can discuss further details in your phone consultation.

    Please note that insurance will not reimburse for extended sessions.

  • When you schedule an appointment, that time is reserved just for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule your session, I require at least 24 hours notice from your scheduled appointment time. All appointments that are canceled without 24 hours notice and all no-show appointments are charged the full cost of the session. No exceptions.

  • Payment is collected at the time of service via credit card. Fees for late cancelations and all no-show appointments are processed on the date of the appointment.

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