FAQS

Individual clients typically see me once a week for 45-minute sessions. Depeneding on my availability, I am able to see some clients twice a week. I allow long-standing clients who are approaching feeling ready to stop therapy to go down to once every other week or once a month before fully stopping. I typically see new clients on a weekly basis for at least the first two months.

Couples typically see me once a week for 60-minute sessions.

The length of time overall that we see each other is dependent on a number of things, including the severity of the presenting problem and your dedication to your own healing. A number of my OCD clients find that they have improved significantly after 15-20 sessions, but some choose to continue therapy to address other aspects of their lives. The length of time I see clients who come to me for anxiety and relationship issues varies significantly depending on whether they are going through a crisis or simply seeking to maintain long-term mental health.

I do not accept insurance directly, however, you may have the option of utilizing your insurance. If you would like to use your insurance, you can seek out-of-network benefits for our sessions together. Out-of-network benefits are usually quite easy to navigate.

For using insurance on an out-of-network basis, sessions will be charged directly to you at the time of our appointment. I will provide you with a receipt (called a “superbill”) which you can submit to your insurance company who may then reimburse you for some portion of the cost based on the coverage your plan has for therapy on an out-of-network basis.

When we talk, I’m more than happy to help you understand and navigate your out-of-network benefits as best I can. So that you can be equipped with the information about your plan, I also encourage you to call the member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask them about your out-of-network benefits. Typically PPO plans offer out-of-network benefits, while HMO plans do not, but that's a generalization so you should check with your insurance company. If you think it would be helpful to talk before you call them, don’t hesitate to reach out to me as a first step.

Also, please note that you can use an FSA and HSA card to pay for sessions.

The therapies I use with each client depend on their specific needs. I have specialized training in the following:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Inference-Based Cognitive Therapy (I-CBT)*

Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)

Rumination-focused ERP (RF-ERP)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Narrative Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy Relational Life Therapy (RLT)

I also utilize Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) and The Gottman Method for couples. I have been studying the Enneagram for years and use that with clients who are interested as well.

* I am one of the few clinicians in the United States trained by the creator of I-CBT, an evidence-based treatment for OCD. I also teach classes on I-CBT to other clinicians and provide consultation. (See Training section.)

All my sessions are over video so I am able to see people living anywhere in California, Florida, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Typically, clinicians need to be licensed in the state in which a client is physically located. Post-COVID, however, some states have adjusted their rules and may allow me to work with you even if you are in a state in which I am not licensed. If you do not live in Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, or California, please go online to your state's social work licensing board and find out their rules on providing telehealth with an out-of-state license. If it's clear on your state's website that I cannot provide you psychotherapy services, then we can discuss consultation and coaching services.

Actually, yes. Even before the pandemic, research found that teletherapy was an effective way of providing care for a range of issues with a variety of populations. Since the pandemic, the amount of research has skyrocketed and it is clearer than ever that teletherapy works just as well as in-person therapy and that, in fact, it has a lot of advantages that in-person therapy doesn’t. Clients don’t have to deal with getting off enough time at work to drive to a therapist’s office, find parking, have a session, and drive back. Instead, they can skip the commute entirely and use their lunch breaks or another time that fits with their work schedules.

Plus, people are generally more comfortable and more themselves in places they know well, like their offices and homes. I’ve also found there to be a huge benefit in seeing people in the places where they spend a lot of their time because it helps give me a fuller picture of what their day-to-day lives are like.

Typically, clinicians need to be licensed in the state in which a client is physically located. Post-COVID, however, some states have adjusted their rules and may allow me to work with you even if you are in a state in which I am not licensed. If you do not live in Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, or California, please go online to your state's social work licensing board and find out their rules on providing telehealth with an out-of-state license. If it's clear on your state's website that I cannot provide you psychotherapy services, then we can discuss consultation and coaching services.

While psychotherapists are only legally able to practice in the states in which they are licensed, coaches can practice anywhere because you don't need a license to be a coach. This means that if you wanted to try to get reimbursed for our sessions by your insurance company you wouldn't be able to because insurance companies don't recognize coaching as a legitimate service because literally anyone can call themselves a coach.

Getting licensed in a new state can be a painful, bureaucratic, and expensive process, so right now I'm sticking to Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, and California, but I may add a few more in the future.

Yes. I am able to offer one-on-one consultations for I-CBT to clinicians who specialize in OCD. My rate is the same as my fee for clients. (See above)

I will be offering a 9-week-long didactic course on I-CBT to help clinicians deepen their understanding of the what, why, and how of I-CBT. There will be two cohorts; one that starts in January and one that starts in May. If you would like to sign up for either of this, reach out to me ASAP because they are limited to 15 people per cohort. Each class breaks down to under $90, for a total of $800. (The course must be purchased in full.)

For more info, see here.