frequently asked questions

You can expect to set aside 50ish minutes for each session unless we decide on a different length ahead of time. From there, what sessions look like will vary depending on your needs.

Your first session, called an intake session, is focused on getting a general understanding of your story. We may not go as deep right away, and I might take a few notes so I can keep track of what you share. I may ask about things like your relationships, work, medical and substance use history, and other background information.

Intake sessions often feel a little different from future sessions. As we continue working together, we’ll follow whatever threads feel most important or helpful to you. The pace is up to you.

I’m also mindful that your experiences don’t exist in a vacuum—culture, identity, and larger systems all shape how you experience yourself and your relationships.

Some sessions will feel heavier than others. I aim to help you feel grounded enough to return to your day, even after a tough session.

We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable for you. I’m attentive to what helps you feel safe enough to be present and open — and however long it takes to get there is the time I’ll be there with you in it.

For new clients, I typically recommend starting with weekly or biweekly sessions. Meeting more frequently early on helps me get a clearer picture of what's going on — we spend less time catching up and more time actually working.

As things shift, the frequency can too. Some clients move to monthly sessions once they've made progress on what brought them in, which can look like having consistent support through life's normal rhythms rather than working on something specific. And if something bigger comes up, I'm already familiar with your story.

As for how long — I'm honestly not able to give you a number, though I wish I could. The length of therapy depends on what you're working toward, and that's something we figure out together over time. What I can tell you is that I tend to do deep, relational work, and that kind of work usually isn't quick. It also tends to be the kind that lasts.

If you're asking because of cost, that concern is completely reasonable. If it feels like I'm the right person to help you with what you're going through but you're worried about affording long-term therapy, let's talk about it — we can figure out what's realistic for your situation. This conversation is always open, whether you're just starting out or we've been working together for a while. You can also take a look at my pricing page to see if it addresses some of your concerns.

One of the biggest indicators of whether we’re a good fit is simply whether it feels like a good fit. It might sound unscientific, but research consistently shows that the quality of the relationship between a client and therapist is one of the strongest predictors of meaningful change.

That being said, it’s not always obvious right away. Many people use the free consultation to get a sense of what it’s like to talk with me and to ask questions. You might notice whether you feel comfortable, understood, or able to be yourself. You can also check out my “are we a good fit” page.

If you’re unsure, it’s completely okay to take your time. Finding the right therapist can take a few tries, and you’re allowed to trust your sense of what feels right for you.

It's more common than you might think, and it doesn't mean therapy can't work for you.

Sometimes the fit wasn't right. Sometimes the timing was off. Sometimes something happened in the therapeutic relationship that left you feeling unseen, misunderstood, or like you had to work harder than felt sustainable. Whatever the experience was, I want you to know that I'll believe what you've been through — you don't have to convince me or package it a certain way before we can get started.

I also want to be honest that misses happen in therapy, including with me. What I can offer is a commitment to paying attention — to what's working, what isn't, and what you need in order to feel like this process is worth your time. And if we were to experience a miss, working through it together is part of the process, not a sign that it's broken.

You don't have to be a different person to try again. You just have to be willing to show up, and we’ll take it from there as a team.

Supporting clients as they heal from trauma is an area of speciality for me. I work with many different forms of trauma including:

• Complex trauma / CPTSD

• Childhood and developmental trauma

• PTSD from acutely traumatic incidents

• Religious trauma

Being trauma-informed means that I take your past into account when I try to understand your life as it is now. It also means I know the importance of moving slowly and working at a pace that helps you feel safe enough to explore what you’ve been through.

I use a somatic, experiential approach to working with trauma, and I also often incorporate parts work.

• Somatic means we’re paying attention to what happens in your body (or your “soma”), rather than just your thoughts.

• Experiential means some of the work is actively happening while we’re in the room together. For example, I might ask how something feels right now as you bring it to mind, rather than only asking how it felt at the time.

Parts work (similar to Internal Family Systems, or IFS) is one of the ways we can take an experiential approach. It involves connecting with different “parts” of yourself — especially the ones that are hurting or carrying something difficult — with curiosity and care.

One of the effects of trauma is that our nervous system can react as though something from the past is happening to us again in the present. For that reason, trauma often can’t be resolved through talking alone.

Somatic and experiential approaches help us work with trauma in a different way — gently and in a controlled environment — while your nervous system begins to recognize safety again, or maybe for the first time.