Q: How do I start therapy?

A: The first step is to reach out to let me know you are interested in starting therapy and for us to schedule an initial consultation call. You have a few options:

1. Click on the Contact Me page and follow the link to my online scheduler. There you will provide some information and schedule a time for an initial consultation call.

2. Text me (number at the bottom of the page). I’ll text you back and we will find a time to schedule an initial consultation call. 

3. Fill out the Contact Me form on my Contact Me page. After I receive your message, I’ll contact you to schedule an initial consultation call.

Q: What is an initial consultation call?

A: During the call I will share information about me and my practice so you can make sure therapy with me is a good fit. I’ll also have you share what you want to work on in therapy, what you have been experiencing, and any past experience you have had in therapy. You can also ask any question during the initial consultation call that will help you make sure that I am a good fit. If you want to know more about me and my identities or experiences please ask those questions. The call typically lasts 5-15 minutes. At the end of the call, I’ll give you the option to move forward with scheduling the first intake appointment or you can take time to think through whether it is a good fit. If I'm not the right fit and you want referrals I'm happy to provide those.

Q: How much does therapy cost?

A: This depends on whether you are using your insurance and what your insurance covers. If you don’t know what your insurance covers a good place to start is to call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask them what your out-of-pocket costs for outpatient mental health therapy are. Insurance most often is broken up into two different types: 1) there is a copay that you have to pay at each session 2) you have a high deductible plan and have to pay for the full price of each session until you have met your deductible amount, which varies with each plan. I currently take Wellmark/Blue Cross Blue Shield and HealthPartners insurance. More information about cost and insurance is located on my Contact Me page. Before your first intake appointment, I will check your insurance so I can share what I think your costs will be. If you’d like this information before we meet for the intake let me know during the initial consultation call.

Q: How do I find the right therapist for me?

A: Start by searching for therapists who take your insurance (if you are using insurance) and specialize in what you want to work on. Read their bio and if you feel like they might be a good fit reach out. You can reach out to as many providers as you want. When you reach out ask if they offer free consultations so you can ask more questions. Trust how you feel after talking or meeting with someone. The number one factor that makes therapy effective is the client having a good relationship with their therapist. One of the ways you can figure out who is a good fit is by asking questions.

Q: I struggle to talk about what I'm going through or have no idea what I'm supposed to talk about, is therapy a good fit for me?

A: Yes! Struggling to open up about your feelings is totally normal and something we work on in therapy. It is my job to meet you wherever you are, whether you are very comfortable talking, are anxious to open up, or somewhere in between. The very first goal in therapy is to create safety and trust and ease into talking about things. I often ask people to talk about things they love and can nerd out about so they can start to feel more comfortable sharing about themselves. I also use prompts and questions to help you talk about specific topics so you don’t feel like you have to know what to talk about. Just be yourself you can’t do therapy wrong.

Q: How often will we meet? 

A: I suggest that people start with weekly appointments so that we can get to know each other and you can start to become comfortable opening up. If meeting weekly does not work in your schedule or you can’t afford to meet weekly due to having a high deductible plan, let me know and we can schedule every other week. Once things are feeling a bit better and you don’t have things to talk about every week we can move to meeting every other week or try taking a break from therapy.