FAQs

Each session lasts between 45 to 50 minutes. The client and I will establish a schedule based on availability, needs, and preferences. Some people attend counseling for a few months, and other clients attend for a few years. You can end treatment at any time.

The first session lasts 60 minutes, and I learn more about your therapy goals, background and relevant history, and how you want to grow and change. I'll ask follow-up questions from your intake form. If necessary, I'll talk more during the first session to help you feel more comfortable. We'll review the Informed Consent document and office policies. The first session is NOT indicative of what therapy will be. The state of Illinois makes it very procedural. I do my best to make it suck less! :-)

Weekly sessions are the most effective investment, both in time and money. Each session lasts for 50 minutes, and we will pick a time that is the same every week.

Initial Consultation (60 min) - $ 200

Individual Session (50 min) - $175

I am an out-of-network provider for most PPOs. However, many clients decide not to use their insurance benefits because of the following advantages:

Your information remains private. Your insurance company doesn't have access to treatment records or notes, and you don't have a diagnosis permanently attached to your medical history.
We get to decide the course and treatment length based on your need and my professional recommendations instead of what the insurance 'allows.'

I offer appointments Monday through Thursday at various times to best accommodate busy schedules. I save session slots for each client; you may have to start sessions at a less than ideal time to get started.

Your readiness, my schedule availability, and the star patterns lining up can be tricky. Starting counseling on your terms is ideal. If you’re unable to commit to a weekly session at times I have available, let me know so I can help you find someone who can better accommodate your availability. Established clients get first shot appointment time slots as they become available. “I call shotgun!" 

If you start to feel sick more than 48 hours before our appointment, let me know, and I’m happy to take you off my schedule! It’s easier for me to fit in with another client who needs to meet when you give us enough advanced notice.

If your appointment is on Monday, you must cancel by Wednesday at 5;00 PM to avoid paying for your session,

You are not expected to pay for the missed session if I am sick or cancel.

My expertise is with teen girls (15+) and twenty and thirty-something women ready and willing to invest in themselves.

I do not work with men or anyone under 15 years old.

Meeting weekly allows us to keep moving forward and pick up speed. Meeting every two weeks is less productive, as most of the session time is spent catching up on the past rather than moving forward.

Clients who move to bimonthly after the first four sessions have a higher rate of therapy dropout than clients who meet weekly. However, with commitment and determination, clients can see benefits from meeting every two weeks.

I'm not the best therapist if you want to meet less than every two weeks.

I got you! A great option is to tack on some additional time so we can meet for 70 minutes!

Sometimes there’s a big event coming up, or one of us has been out of town for two weeks. If you feel there’s more going on than we can comfortably cover during a 10-minute parent check-in, or your session feels too rushed to cover everything that happened, we might benefit from doing an additional 30 minutes now and then.

After-school hours are the most in demand. Once an afternoon session time becomes available, I give first dibs to current clients. If you can start with a non-preferred session time, I may provide you with dibs when your ideal time opens up. Let’s set up a phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit, and then we can discuss scheduling options. 

Suppose you can only make it after schoolwork; I have no afternoon slots available. In that case, I am happy to provide referrals to other therapists or counselors in the St. Louis area who may have a more flexible schedule.
And, sometimes in the year, our schedule opens up, and we’re easily able to accommodate.

While we usually notice a clinical improvement by session two or session 3, it takes time to sustain that positive growth. That’s the goal - that you or your teen can handle challenges and stressors long-term - not just feel better once the crisis has passed.

I have specialized training to work with clients 15-30 years old. I do not work with anyone under 15 years old except on a case-by-case basis.

That's a common question from parents. Parent participation can be one of those critical factors in teen counseling. I generally like to keep parents in the loop on the issues we're addressing, progress, and attendance, and I imagine there are many things you probably want to know. Also, it's essential to hear your side of what is going on since you may have unique views regarding your teen's challenges.

I keep confidentiality regarding specific details discussed in counseling as long as they don't put your teen or someone else at risk of harm. I will discuss this with your teen before talking to you when there is specific information that would benefit your teen for you to know. I will get their consent and inform you of this information so that everyone is comfortable. If I share many details with you without their permission, it can damage the counseling relationship and cause them to stop sharing and being open. It sometimes ruins counseling for them, and these effects may last a lifetime. I do everything I can to keep parents in the loop, which is usually not an issue.