How much does the therapy cost?
My fee is $100 per hour. If this fee is out of range, you may call to discuss other payment options. I take credit card payments (VISA and MasterCard only) for those who need a payment plan. For information about low fee counseling clinics for children, adolescents,adults, and/or families, contact the United Way Help Line, at 227-HELP.

Do you take insurance?
I am not on any insurance panels and I do not file insurance claims. If your insurance company covers mental health care, they might reimburse you for my services. (Some will, some won't.) Call your insurance company to find out. Click here for a list of questions to ask your insurance company. If you plan to use insurance, be prepared to file your own claims.Your insurance company will mail reimbursement checks directly to you. I require cash, check, or credit card payment at the time of service.

Why aren't you a provider for lots of insurance companies?
Insurance companies have developed a reputation for doing a poor job of managing the needs of both patients and the health care providers. Unfortunately many are geared more towards denying rather than approving needed mental health service. Many will request very personal patient information before pre-approving sessions, information which becomes a part of the patient's permanent medical record - for better or worse!

Are you a Medicaid, Medicare, or SS Disability provider?
No.

How long are sessions?
Sessions are customarily scheduled for 1 hour (50 minutes), 1.5 hours (80 minutes), or 2 hours (105 minutes). I personally prefer the longer sessions and encourage clients to come for 1.5 or 2 hours each time we meet. Longer sessions cost more in the beginning, but because they tend to be more efficient, the overall treatment may cost less in the long run. The length of sessions may be determined by the phase of treatment, the treatment goals, and financial considerations. Ultimately it is up to each client to decide how long the sessions should be.

How often are sessions scheduled?
Sessions are typically scheduled for once a week to once every two weeks. Clients who cannot come often, or regularly, may wish to schedule long sessions. The frequency of sessions may be determined by the phase of treatment, the treatment goals, and financial considerations. Ultimately it is up to each client to decide how often sessions should be scheduled.

Do you provide between-session phone support?
I have a small private practice. The remainder of my time is devoted to teaching the DNMS to other therapists around the country. That involves frequent travel. About one week a month I am out of town giving a workshop or attending a conference. When I am in town I have some availablity for between-session phone support, but when I am out of town, I do not. Clients who have frequent crises, or who need a lot of between-session therapist support, will be referred to therapists who are more available for that level of care.

Will I need your Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS)?
If you had any unmet childhood needs, the DNMS may be just right for you. Humans grow in developmental stages, from the earliest womb experiences to late adulthood. Each developmental stage builds on the next, for example, we must learn to walk before we can learn to run. To grow into a well-adjusted adult, our childhood developmental needs must be met by our caregivers. These include physiological needs (food, water, sleep, etc), safety needs (protection from harm and threats of danger), belongingness needs (love, secure attachment, connection to others), and esteem needs (respect from others, recognition, appreciation, etc). If these important developmental needs were not adequately met you may still be stuck in the past... reacting now with child-like fear, anger, or insecurity instead of adult confidence. The DNMS is aneeds-meeting therapy protocol, to help clients get unmet needs from each developmental stage, met now. As these crucial needs get met, clients become unstuck from the past, and symptoms (such as insecurity, depression, anxiety, rage, self-destructive behaviors, etc) disappear. Developmental traumas desensitize automatically as the needs for safety and protection are met in the present. The ego strengthening and trauma processing happen at the same time. The DNMS provides for attachment and attunement needs, builds self-esteem, furnishes a powerful container for processing strong emotions, integrates dissociated parts of self, and can be used as a effective tool for affect regulation. It is a very effective way to heal old wounds of all kinds. Click here to see a 20-minute slide show about the DNMS.

When would you use EMDR?
EMDR is a fast and efficient protocol for resolving single-incident, adult-onset traumas, that do not link back to unmet developmental needs. If you have had a recent trauma, such as a car accident, house fire, or flood, and your developmental needs were largely met in childhood, you may be a candidate for EMDR therapy. For more information about EMDR therapy, click on www.emdr.com .

I want to start therapy, what do I do now?
Call or e-mail me. I interview everyone who wants to start therapy with me, to ensure that I am the right person to provide the requested help. At those times I cannot take new clients, I do keep a waiting list. If we talk on the phone and decide to begin therapy, I will ask you to print out and fill out the following intake forms, and bring them to our first session.
As a Word file: intakeforms.doc
As a pdf file: intakeforms.pdf