Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy in Weston

The signs that therapy is working can be different for different people and depend on their goals for therapy. Generally speaking, you’ll know that therapy is working when you start noticing changes in your thoughts, feelings and behavior. Examples of this are feeling more grounded, less overwhelmed or more confident in your relationships. However, change does not happen overnight. Healing can take time, and consistency with your treatment is key. At the onset of our work together, we’ll collaborate to set goals for your treatment plan. This gives our sessions a sense of direction and purpose, and helps us measure your progress, so you’ll know whether therapy is giving you the results you want.

I offer Somatic Experiencing (SE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Brainspotting. These modalities focus on healing the mind, body and emotions (heart) by addressing the root causes of anxiety, stress and trauma. The goal is to help you feel more balanced, more connected to yourself and life around you, and more confident and in control. For more information of each of these approaches, click here for SE, here for IFS, and here for Brainspotting.

Therapy can be helpful for different things. If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or are struggling with difficult emotions, anxiety or trauma, therapy can be a helpful way to explore what’s going on and start healing. If you’ve tried coping on your own for a while, but still feel like something is holding you back from living the life you want, therapy can help give you some clarity and the space to work through what is standing in your way. Lastly, it can be helpful for understanding yourself better, improving your relationships and helping you manage stress. If you have questions about whether therapy would be right for you at this time, please reach out for a consultation.

Yes. I offer in-person sessions at my office in Weston, CT. If you’re physically close enough that you can come into the office, I recommend in-person sessions, as they eliminate distractions and the possibility of technological issues and interruptions, and allow for a deeper interpersonal connection between you as the client and me as your therapist.

My fee is $300 for a 50-minute individual session.

There are a number of reasons why I don’t take insurance. Having a private pay practice allows me to safeguard the privacy of your mental health information (meaning that, except for the confidentiality exceptions highlighted in the consent form that you’ll read and sign prior to starting our work together, I don’t have to share any information about your treatment with anyone unless you give me permission). It also allows me to have the freedom to choose the treatment method and length that will best serve you - insurance only covers certain types of treatment for certain diagnoses, leaving little room for a therapist’s clinical judgement on what might be helpful. Further, I am able to work with anyone who feels that they need support, whether or not they meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis or “medical necessity”, which insurance networks require, whether clients are using in or out of network benefits.

For that reason, I do not work with insurance companies on either an in network or out of network basis. I will provide a receipt for services rendered, which you may use for tax purposes. This is different from a superbill, which is submitted to insurance for reimbursement. Please be aware that insurance companies do not accept receipts for reimbursement consideration.

During the free 20-minute phone consultation, we’ll discuss what prompted you to look for therapy and what you’re hoping to achieve. If it seems that my approach is a good fit for your needs, I’ll share how I think I can be helpful and answer any questions you may have about therapy in general or about the methods I use (Somatic Experiencing, IFS, or Brainspotting). Once you get a feel for how I work, you can decide if you are ready to move forward and want to schedule an appointment. There is no pressure - the consultation is a chance to learn more and see what feels like the right next step. 

If you’d like to schedule a consultation, please click here.

In the first meeting, we’ll get to know each other and lay the foundation for our work together. In a typical first session, we will:

• Discuss what's brought you to therapy in greater detail. We’ll talk about how it’s affecting your life presently and touch briefly on any history that may be relevant and helpful for me to know so I can understand you better.

• Talk about your previous therapy experiences. If you’ve tried therapy before, I’d like to hear about it - what worked well and what didn’t quite click. This will help me tailor your treatment so that our work can feel helpful and effective.

• Implement experiential/somatic work. I aim to give clients a chance to experience somatic therapy in the first session. Because experiential/somatic work can feel very different from other types of psychotherapy people have done before, sampling it in the first session helps clients decide whether it’s something that feels right to pursue further or not. I’ll alsoanswer any questions you have on how I work and we’ll discuss how we’ll collaborate to help you feel better and reach your goals. 

• If we both feel good about moving forward, we'll find mutually convenient times for our next sessions.

Click here to read about the first session in more detail.

I meet with clients weekly at first, and then every other week or monthly as treatment progresses and the client’s needs change. This consistency allows us to maximize the impact of the work we set out to do, and make progress toward your goals.

The Good Faith Estimate is a document containing information on what you can expect to pay for therapy. By law, health care providers must give patients an estimate of their expected charges for medical services when they’re are not utilizing their insurance benefits to cover the cost of medical care. This includes mental health/psychotherapy services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining how much your mental health care will cost. You’ll be provided with this either before or at the time of your first appointment.

If you have questions or would like more information on your right to a Good Faith Estimate, please visit www.cms.gov/nosuprises