FAQ
“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Where is your office located?
My office is in a very quiet, shaded courtyard of a small office complex called Snug Harbor Village in Sarasota, Florida.
It is so close to the water that you could kayak here. It is far enough from the road that you cannot hear a car. Can you tell I love my location?
7727B Holiday Drive
Snug Harbor Village, FL 34231
Do you accept insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider, so I do not accept insurance directly.
I can supply you with a monthly receipt called a “Superbill,” which you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement, depending on your plan and benefits. The best way to find out if you have benefits is to call your insurance provider directly.
Here are some questions to ask when you call:
- Do I have out-of-network benefits for outpatient mental health services delivered through telehealth?
- What percentage of my bill will be reimbursed for services from an out-of-network provider?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- How do I get reimbursed?
Why aren’t you on any insurance panels?
I prefer not to work with insurance for several reasons.
Insurance companies require a diagnosis, which then becomes a “pre-existing condition” that can stay with you for life. This can be problematic when applying for life insurance or future employment and, even more troubling, can influence how you view yourself.
Also, insurance companies have access to your confidential records. They dictate how many sessions you can have, how many minutes per session, and whether it’s medically necessary. Some even dictate exactly how a provider should treat you!
I strive to provide you with a confidential experience completely tailored to your needs (and not dictated by the tight restraints of in-network managed care).
By paying out of pocket, you’re in control of your experience and whether your information is released to your insurance. I am happy to discuss your specific situation during your initial consultation.
Also, working with insurance companies used to take up an enormous amount of my time. I committed to spending my time and energy on my clients and on developing my skills as a therapist.
What’s your cancellation policy?
I am dedicated to helping you make meaningful and lasting changes in your life. To do this, I set aside time especially for you.
If you cannot attend your scheduled appointment for any reason, you must give me at least 24 hours’ notice so that you are not billed.
How do I set up an appointment?
Simply give me a call or send me an email, and I’ll get back to you about scheduling a free 20-minute consultation. During the consultation, you can tell me a little bit about your challenges and what’s important to you, and ask me any questions you may have. From there, we’ll decide if I’m the right fit for you. If so, we’ll schedule your first appointment and get started.
Can you provide an estimate of my total costs?
What if I don't know what my goals are for therapy?
Do you work with people from culturally diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and religions?
How would you describe yourself as a therapist?
I have been told that I am calm and grounded, tend to be direct and upfront, and that I am playful.
My experience tells me that we heal in relationship – to ourselves and others. I am very comfortable being honest with you, and pushing you when I feel it will be helpful, but making sure that you feel comfortable and safe and that you are not pushing past what you can integrate.
Therapy is all about attunement, about healing and growing through an attuned, honest, playful relationship with me: Good therapy is an art.
What can I expect in a therapy session?
During sessions you are expected to talk about the primary concerns and issues in your life.
A session lasts 60 minutes, but some people request longer sessions. Usually weekly sessions are best at the beginning, and then when you feel comfortable, we move to every other week, then once a month.
Many people check in occasionally for a “tune up.” Some people who are in crisis or extreme distress want more than one session per week, at least until the crisis passes. The most important thing to know is that you are always in control of how often and for how long we meet.
I will ask you on a regular basis whether a session was helpful, why, and what would have made it even more fruitful. You are always in control of the process.
During the time between sessions, it is beneficial to think about and integrate what we discussed. I’ll often suggest that you take certain actions outside of the therapy sessions, such as practicing a new habit, noticing how critical the voice inside your head can be, or listening to a relevant podcast or book.
Therapy is effective when you are an active participant, both in and outside of the therapy sessions. It’s a little bit like taking music lessons – the practice between sessions is where much of the important work of change occurs. What you practice, you become.
What benefits can I expect from therapy?
It is often helpful to know that someone understands. Therapy can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution, or simply help you to feel safe and at home in your body and mind.
Many people find therapy to be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, and the hassles of daily life. Of course, what you gain from therapy depends on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. The benefits from therapy often include a deepening of your capacity for:
- Peace and equanimity
- Remaining open and expansive instead of contracted and shut down
- Seeing clearly the habitual patterns of thinking, speaking, and acting that cause you and others harm
- Intimacy and kindness toward yourself and others
- A sense of joy and wonder
- Awareness and capacity to be present
- Attunement to your body and to the rhythms and beauty of nature
- Laughter and playfulness
What exactly is Mindfulness, and why will it help me?
Put simply, mindfulness is paying attention with kindness and curiosity to what is happening in the present moment – it is a very specific way of being aware and paying attention.
Mindfulness is the opposite of being lost in thought, worrying or ruminating, or judging yourself and others.
Cultivating an ability to pay attention with mindfulness allows you to be fully present for yourself and others, and for your life as you live it moment by moment.
Put simply, mindfulness practice helps us to see clearly how we cause ourselves unnecessary suffering and how to be happy and present right here and right now.