If you are experiencing thoughts of actively & immediately hurting yourself, please contact a local crisis center or the national suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255. You can also text “HOME” to 741741 for free, 24/7 crisis support.

Typically if you are struggling with actively self-harming or you have strong suicidal urges, teletherapy will not be the best option for you. In-person therapy will give you more access to your therapist & treatment team, and allows you to feel more supported than just meeting with someone through video.

Telehealth for the treatment of Post-traumatic stress disorder is not always appropriate. If you are experiencing flashbacks, phobias, physical reactivity in response to memories or triggers, an intense emotional overwhelm, in-person therapy is likely a better option for you because the therapist will be able to assist you more effectively in grounding exercises and in reading your body language in order to assess your level of emotional activation.

Additionally, if you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder you may need to consider in-person therapy instead of video. Bipolar 1 disorder causes one to feel “on top of the world” for about a week or two, in which one may end up needing to be hospitalized for safety reasons. There is often then a switch to feeling “the lowest of the low” where one may have suicidal urges or attempts during this low point. Again, an in-person therapy experience can provide more services than video therapy, and can offer more support if you or your loved one are seeking therapy for bipolar disorder.

Intimate Partner Violence or Domestic Violence is not appropriate for telehealth. This includes emotional, verbal, and physical abuse. Conducting therapy in your home where the abuser lives can jeopardize your privacy and your safety. Please visit https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/domestic-violence/map.shtml for a list of DV shelters in Florida (only visit this site if you can ensure your internet searches are not being monitored).

I schedule a 10-15 minute consultation call with prospective clients before booking any appointments in order to assess whether my specialty and services are appropriate for your needs. If the issue you’re seeking help with matches with my specialty, and other factors such as age, preferred treatment style (telehealth, in-person, etc.), price, and personality seem to be a match, we will go ahead and schedule the first session from there. Some therapists will accept any type of client issue, however I have found that in doing that, you as the client may not be getting the best quality of services. This is my professional opinion, and quality of care is why I specialize versus treating any and all issues.

I accept the following insurance plans: United Healthcare, Oxford Health Plans, Aetna, Optum, UMR, Oscar, UHC Student Resources, AllSavers UHC, Harvard Pilgrim, Allied Benefit System, Meritian, Nippon, Optum EAP.

We will verify your insurance coverage through my billing service Alma. This will take up to 24 hours.

The length one is in therapy for will vary greatly between individuals. Factors that influence the amount of time spent in therapy include: frequency of attendance, individual readiness for change, severity of symptoms, therapist’s approach to therapy (some approaches are considered ‘brief’ therapy), individual learning style, individual preference (some people like to use therapy for maintenance of results achieved), and more. I have had clients graduate therapy after 6 months and some who are continuing their therapy journey years later. There is a no right or wrong length of time to spend in therapy. I will say my goal as your therapist is to help you get to a point where you do not need therapy. I believe in encouraging independence and self-efficacy in my clients.

No. At this time, I am only able to offer video therapy. Telehealth has many perks, including being able to do therapy from the comfort of your own home, not having to worry about transportation, as well as not having to deal with traffic. It can be a huge help to parents who would otherwise have to obtain childcare to attend appointments. Because I service all areas of Florida, I am able to see those of you who otherwise would have to travel long distances to access mental health care.

I see clients 1x weekly. As treatment continues, if another schedule or frequency becomes clinically appropriate, we will discuss this at that time.

Please reach out to me via text, email, phone, or the contact form on this website to let me know you are interested in therapy with me. I will return contact within 48 hours (excluding weekends & holiday weeks; I also cannot guarantee a response if I am fully booked) and schedule a free consultation appointment with you during which you can ask any questions and I will provide more information on the services I offer. If it seems we are a good fit, and you are ready, we will go ahead & schedule your first therapy appointment from there. Please note that the consultation call is not a guarantee that I will become your therapist; if it is decided that I may not be the best fit for you, I will send you some referrals for other providers via email after our call. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out!

First, we will coordinate a time to have a 15 minute phone consultation to discuss your counseling needs, answer any questions you may have, and determine if we may be a good fit in working together. If either one of us feel we may not be the best match, I will provide you with referrals for other therapists whom you may contact on your own if you desire.

If we agree to work together, I will then send you a secure link to enter your insurance details and my billing service will perform an eligibility check to ensure your coverage is valid/check for any co-pays or co-insurances. Once the check comes back clear and we know what your financial responsibility will be, I will send my intake paperwork for you to complete and sign and we will get you scheduled!

Please note, I do require a credit card to be kept on file before any appointments begin. Payment is due at the time of service rendered.

No, I do not. My clients are typically ages 18-35.

Trauma-informed therapy is different from other therapy. It has to be. Trauma affects us on many different levels. Long-term exposure to stress, relationship issues, and adverse experiences can create trauma for an individual. Treatment does not simply “hone in” on the symptoms you experience, but will address you as a whole & complex being. It will focus on learning emotional intelligence, taking back your power, highlighting your resilience, & understanding the effects trauma has had on your connection with yourself and your body, your overall emotional wellbeing, your relationships, your communication style, your behaviors, and more.

Trauma doesn’t just “cause symptoms”. It can affect how well we are able to connect with others, the quality of our relationships, our job performance, how we view others & their motives, and much more. It’s important to find a clinician who understands trauma is not a “fix it & be done” issue. You want a trauma-informed therapist with experience, knowledge, and training who helps you recognize your resilience, regain your sense of power, reconnect with yourself, learn emotional intelligence, and more. Not knowing how to treat trauma and doing so any way can cause more harm than good- that is why I am very passionate about higher education for us therapists and advocacy for you as the client in asking the right questions when beginning therapy to ensure the therapist is licensed & well-qualified to treat trauma. Be wary of those who advertise trauma-informed therapy but do not have the experience, knowledge, qualifications, and training to back this up.

Also known as developmental trauma, relational trauma, or attachment trauma, complex trauma can occur when an individual has endured repeated exposure to toxic stress, unstable relationships, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, absent parental figures, or parental enmeshment, to name a few. It can manifest in similar ways as “classic, single event” trauma (war, car accident, tragic loss, etc.), in that it can cause us to want to avoid a person, place, activity, or feeling; it can result in us having nightmares & sleep disturbances, memory disturbances; and we also may struggle with keeping our mood stable and regulated. Additionally, complex trauma can cause us to devalue ourselves, as well as lead to difficulty in forming & maintaining relationships; it also often causes disconnection between us and our bodies, and can cause anger outbursts and other personality changes. Our view of the world often changes as well as a result of complex trauma.

There is a huge difference between therapy and coaching.

Therapists are required to be licensed as such under their state’s board of mental health. They undergo years of graduate school education in counseling or psychology, as well as clinical training that is supervised and must be approved in order to graduate. After graduation, they become provisionally licensed (also called “Registered Interns or Associate Licensed”) and must practice under supervision for an additional 2 years (or 3000 clinical hours, whichever takes longer) as well as pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) in order to become fully-licensed and use the title “Therapist”, “Licensed Therapist”, “Licensed Mental Health Counselor”, “Licensed Professional Counselor” or “Psychotherapist”. They then have to obtain continuing education credits each year to maintain their license*. Therapists then often continue their education through post-graduate training programs & certifications in order to specialize in certain mental health issues and/or trauma treatment.
*These are the requirements within the state of Florida; other states may vary but have comparable requirements.

Life coaching, or coaching, is a relatively new title for which individuals do not have to have a license to practice. There is an online certification they complete, however there is no regulatory board to ensure they do complete it and in some states they may not be required to complete any education at all. Life coaches teach general strategies for improving one’s life. They are not qualified to be processing or treating trauma or mental health concerns.

Please be cautious around any professional who advertises services they are not qualified to treat or uses titles they are not qualified for, therapists, coaches, and otherwise. Professionals treating mental health concerns should have an active, clear license in their state, which you can look up online to verify.