A first session is mostly you talking about why now - what brought you in, what has been hard, and what you would want to be different. There is no test to pass and nothing to prepare. Sessions run fifty minutes, usually weekly at the start, spacing out as things settle. Most people who stay find the work takes somewhere between a few months and a year, though that varies a great deal by what brought them in.
It is completely normal to try a therapist for a session or two and decide they are not the right fit. That is not a failure on your part or theirs - it happens often, and a good therapist would rather hear it directly than have you quietly not come back.
Confidentiality, and its limits
What is said in session stays in session. Nothing is shared with a partner, a family member, or an employer without written permission. There are three narrow exceptions, required by law rather than judgment call: a credible risk of serious harm to yourself, a credible risk of serious harm to someone else, or a report of ongoing abuse of a child, elder, or dependent adult. Outside those specific situations, confidentiality is not negotiable and not partial.
Ways of working
Structured, skills-based work: A practical approach that looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behavior, with specific skills to practice between sessions. Tends to suit people who want a clear structure and homework, and who are dealing with anxiety, low mood, or a specific problem to work through.
Trauma-focused work: A slower, carefully paced approach for processing a specific difficult experience or pattern rooted in the past. Tends to suit people whose current struggles trace back to a particular event or period, where talking alone has not been enough to move past it.
Exploratory talking work: A more open-ended conversation that follows where things lead rather than a fixed agenda, looking at patterns in relationships and how the past shows up in the present. Tends to suit people who are less interested in a quick fix and more interested in understanding themselves over time.
Fees and insurance
Individual and couples sessions are $165. The intro call is free.
This practice is out-of-network with insurance plans, but a superbill (an itemized receipt) is provided for every session on request. Many PPO plans reimburse a meaningful portion of out-of-network fees - it is worth a call to your insurer to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefit before your first session.
A limited number of sliding-scale spots are held for anyone for whom the full fee is not workable. There is no application or proof of income required - simply say so on the intro call, and a fee is worked out together.
Cancellations need 24 hours notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed outright, are charged the full fee - the time is held for you alone.
Formats and scheduling
Individual and couples sessions, offered in person or by telehealth. Weekday daytime and evening slots are both available, for people whose schedules do not allow a daytime appointment.
If you are in crisis
This practice is not an emergency or crisis service and does not monitor messages outside business hours. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For urgent support any time, day or night, call or text the demo crisis line at 555-0100.
