Yes! I offer a free, 20-minute consultation by phone or video. Therapy doesn’t work well if you don’t feel comfortable with the therapist. “Feeling comfortable” doesn’t mean that the therapist never asks hard questions, or that difficult emotions won’t come up. On the contrary, good therapy often takes us to challenging places. But you should feel safe, accepted, and respected — a sense of partnership is key.

A conversation is the best way to get a feel for what it’s like to work with me, or with any therapist. To schedule a call, contact me by phone, text, or email, or click “Schedule a consultation.” When you click the button, it will take you to BAPTI’s client portal page, where you can choose “I’m a new client” and select my name from the menu. If none of the available appointments work for you, please email or text me, and we’ll find another time.

The first step is for us to have a free initial consult call, either by phone or video. This helps me understand what you’re looking for, and gives you a chance to ask me questions. If we decide to work together, we’ll schedule your first session. Then I’ll email you some paperwork to fill out.

At your first session, I will focus on getting to know you, and on building comfort and trust. That takes time! One thing we won’t do is dive straight into your trauma on day one. My approach is trauma-informed, so we will slow down and go at a pace that works for you. Over your first few sessions, we’ll identify your goals for therapy and make a plan to work towards them. The process is warm, relational, and non-judgmental.

Remember, it is always up to you whether, when, and for how long you attend therapy. Booking one session does not mean you’re committed to working with the therapist long-term! It is ok to try a session or two and then decide whether you want to continue. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to try something new, and trust your instincts. If you can do that, odds are that you’ll be able to find a therapist who’s a good fit.

Both! I see clients in person at BAPTI’s comfy, accessible offices in downtown Lafayette, California. I also offer secure Telehealth (video) sessions for clients anywhere in California.

While I am grateful for the convenience and flexibility that Telehealth sessions provide, there are some times when Telehealth sessions aren’t appropriate. For example, if you don’t have a reliable internet connection or a safe, private place to talk, then Telehealth sessions are not feasible. Additionally, for safety reasons, I ask that clients not be driving during sessions (sitting in a parked car is ok, as long as you are in a secure place and your connection is strong enough). Lastly, there are a few cases in which I will recommend in-person sessions because they are the most effective treatment for the particular issues that you are dealing with. In all cases, your safety and well-being are my top priorities!

My fees are $170 per 50-minute session for individual therapy, and $180 per 50-minute session for couples/ relationship therapy.

Sliding Scale: I offer a limited number of managed sliding scale slots for those unable to afford my regular fee. My goal is to make therapy as accessible as I can while still maintaining my practice. The availability of sliding scale rates varies based on my caseload at a given time — I will not always be able to offer a fee that fits everyone’s needs, but I’m always happy to talk through your options and offer referrals. If you are in need of a sliding scale fee, please ask!

Sometimes, folks feel uncertain about whether it’s appropriate to request a sliding scale fee. As a rough guideline:

• If you are able to comfortably meet your basic needs every month and have disposable income, the sliding scale is not intended for you.

• If you are financially stressed about meeting your basic needs but you still achieve them, consider requesting a fee in the mid-range of the sliding scale.

• If you are frequently financially stressed about basic needs and don’t always achieve them, consider requesting a fee at the low end of the sliding scale.

If you’re curious to learn more about the origin of this approach and the philosophy behind it, check out the Green Bottle Method.

Good faith estimate: Under the law, health care providers must give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare, including psychotherapy. You can ask your health care provider for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

I do not accept insurance. However, I can provide a superbill upon request. A superbill is a detailed receipt which, depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to submit to your insurance company to request reimbursement for out-of-network services.

To find out if your insurance offers reimbursements for out-of-network therapy services, please contact your plan directly. Be sure to ask if your plan covers out-of-network mental health services by an Associate therapist.

Please bear in mind that if you seek insurance reimbursement for psychotherapy, the insurer will require documentation of a formal diagnosis, and may potentially wish to review your therapy records.

If you need to cancel or reschedule a session, I ask that you give me at least 24 hours notice. If you skip, cancel, or reschedule a session with less than 24 hours notice, you will be billed for the full session.

That said, I understand that life is complicated and emergencies happen. For that reason, I offer each client one, one-time fee waiver for a missed session cancelled less than 24 hours before the appointment.

Communication is important to me, so I do my best to respond to messages within two business days. Generally, I don’t respond to messages during evenings, weekends, or holidays. Holding this boundary helps me stay grounded and resourced so that I am fully centered for my clients.

If you need to speak with someone right away for immediate mental health support, there are crisis lines available 24/7:

• 988 Lifeline: Text or call 988 for support from a counselor.

• Crisis Text Line: Text “Home” to 741741 to chat with a trained volunteer.

Additional sources for support outside of scheduled sessions are listed on my Resources page.