Faq

Great Question! I have transitioned into a fully remote practice since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Since going remote and solely offering virtual services I have seen the benefits for not only myself, but also my clients. Remote sessions offer greater flexibility with scheduling and have opened up inclusive and informed services to people from all walks of life. 

I offer coaching services, workshops, and groups virtually to people throughout the United States. It has been an incredible growth experience and I look forward to continuing to offer services via telehealth for years to come. 

In general, I do not work with insurance companies.

Under certain circumstances I will consider insurance, but I am currently considered “out-of-network.”

However, if you would like to seek reimbursement on your own, I am happy to provide a “super bill” with the necessary information.

Insurance companies are a bit too bossy for my liking. They limit whom you can see, the amount of sessions you can have, the length of the session, and they pay clinicians a fairly low rate. My experience is that they treat my clients as case numbers and diagnoses instead of dynamic human beings.

For insurance to be used, the treatment must be “medically necessary.” This means that someone must diagnose you with a mental health disorder AND prove that it is impacting your health on a day-to-day basis.

Many of life’s problems, especially relationship problems, are not mental health disorders. Many people seek treatment before their issue would meet criteria for diagnosis as a mental health disorder, which is exactly what you should do!

If you’d like to read about this issue further, please read the following article.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/why-managed-care-hurts-you/

These are my standard rates at this time:

$150 per 45-minute individual session.

$200 per 60-minute session for couples.

An additional 30 minutes can be added to your couple’s session for an additional $100. Many people prefer this 90-minute option anytime there is more than one person in the session.

I do offer a sliding scale on a case by case basis.

Well, right below I have a handy contact me form, it sends an email directly to me. You can also text or call (973) 498-8353. I will always answer unless I am unavailable in session.

If it is about a schedule change then text or email is perfect. I always say better to speak in person if things are a bit more serious – my general policy is that email or text is for logistics only.

The simple answer: because it’s scary.

Society values displays of toughness and strength over displays of vulnerability. It views vulnerability and asking for help as weaknesses rather than courageous and brave steps forward out of darkness.

That makes all changes and transitions difficult because we are expected to just handle them without help.

Culturally, I understand the battle you may be facing internally. You are told that you shouldn’t share with people outside the family or that therapy is for “los locos.”

This isn’t helped by the fact that the prospect of coming to therapy is likened to “hitting rock bottom.”

No one can exist in isolation. We are here to help one another. Therapy is a place to find support.

When you think of therapy you might imagine lying on a couch, staring at a ceiling, and talking to someone who is just taking notes.

I’m happy to tell you that therapy has evolved and that is nothing like what the sessions with me will be like. For more detail, I welcome you to view my “What to Expect” page.

Therapy is for everyone and anyone wanting to understand themselves better and get relief from any overwhelming emotion.

Let’s dispel the myth that therapy is for crazy people. It is for everyone brave enough to be vulnerable, open, and search out help when they need it.

Therapy offers you a choice:

We can unconsciously keep playing out the same patterns, stuck in our own habits and shackled by our upbringings. Or we can step back, open our perspective, and gain insight and awareness into our actions.

That is how we change—by active dedication to ourselves, our growth, and our happiness.

For me its all about connection. I enjoy helping others and accompanying them on their journey to wellness. Connection is at the forefront of everything I do. Everyone I work with brings something new and different to the process and reinvigorates my passion for this field.

I am more than friendly: I am a proud, open member of this community.

I welcome every opportunity to work with the LGBTQ+ community. My practice is a member of the New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce and I actively participate in Pride and other LGBTQ+ events in both New Jersey and New York.

I have a 48-hour cancelation policy.

If the session is not canceled at least 48 hours prior to the session time or if you do not show for a scheduled appointment, the session fee is charged.

This is void in the event of a true emergency.

This is a great question that I get asked very often when scheduling an initial appointment.

I understand that there are various reasons for wanting every-other-week sessions, but I believe that psychotherapy is most effective with a weekly session.

For this reason, I request that we meet weekly for a minimum of 6 weeks when we begin working together.

This allows us to develop a strong sense of trust in the relationship and increases momentum toward your goals. After that, we can check in and see what feels right for your needs moving forward.

The duration of therapy looks different for everyone.

For some, six months following an acute stressor (such as a breakup or loss of a loved one) is adequate.

For others looking to change deeply rooted patterns and belief systems, the process may take longer.

On average, I see my clients for minimum 12 months. You can trust that you and I will keep checking in throughout our work together to determine if it feels appropriate and timely to end therapy.

Put simply, therapy (also called psychotherapy or counseling) is the process of meeting with a trained and credentialed professional on a weekly, ongoing basis to help you recognize and change deep-rooted and potentially self-sabotaging mental and emotional behaviors, thoughts, and patterns that are keeping you feeling stuck, in pain, and away from the life you want to live.

Completely and totally.

What you share with me in our sessions is completely confidential except in the case of (1) immediate threat of harm to self or others or (2) suspicion of child or dependent elder abuse.

We’ll discuss all of this and my other office policies during your initial intake session.

I work with individuals, couples, and teens of all different identities and ethnicities.

Many of my clients are professionals and I also work extensively with graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, too.

While my clients’ professions, ages, ethnicities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, religions, family backgrounds, and lifestyles vary widely, all of them share something in common: they are people who are in pain and who are at a point where they’re willing to commit and invest in themselves and in therapy in order to change and create something different in their lives.

Individual therapy sessions are 45 minutes in length.

Couples therapy sessions are 60 minutes in length.

Often my clients will book a session of 90 minutes if they are experiencing a crisis or acute stress in their lives that week. These 90-minute sessions are also preferred by most couples that I work with as it allows time to dig deep when there is more than one person in the room.

As your therapist, I work to create a safe and warm environment where, for 45 minutes each week, the world can slow down and together we can compassionately explore, understand, and transform behaviors, thoughts, and patterns that may be holding you back from ultimately living the life you want to live.

My style as a therapist is caring, challenging, direct, transparent, and engaging.

I’m also relationally-oriented. What that means is that I truly believe that it is through our early relationships that certain patterns get established and certain wounds created. Then, it is only through relationships that these patterns and wounds can shift and be healed.

When we work together as therapist and client, it’s actually our relationship that becomes the therapy—in addition to the all of the ways we explore, address, and clarify the content you bring into the space.

Therapy is a financial commitment.

It’s an investment in yourself and your ability to become aware of self-sabotaging patterns and more capable of practicing new, more effective thoughts and behaviors.

This ability to think and behave more effectively can profoundly and positively impact your future relationships, your work, your health, and even your finances.

If you’re like most of the individuals I’ve worked with, you’ve likely already invested a lot of time, energy, and money into your education, career, home, and physical health. I believe that investing in therapy as an act of self-care can be a continued investment in your overall well-being and success in life.

So many are willing to pay hundreds and often thousands of dollars toward personal trainers, diet programs, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massages and all manner of activities related to physical health, but they often exercise caution before investing in their mental health in the same way.

Your mental health is as important as your physical health. Don’t be afraid to invest in ALL of yourself.

I think there’s a big misconception out there that therapy means just talking and talking about the past without ever taking action on the present.

I certainly don’t operate that way as a therapist.

While we will always create space to talk about your past and the feelings that surface as we explore this, I’m a very direct and engaged therapist. That means I actively work with my clients to design interventions, exercises, and thoughtful action steps if that’s what you’re looking for as part of therapy.

I get this question all the time. The answer is many and counting.

I love them and might even have more by the time we meet!