FAQs

I’m available Monday through Thursday, with the earliest appointment being at 9:00 am and the latest appointment at 4:00 pm. I meet with clients by video conferencing using a HIPAA-compliant app. I’m not doing in-person sessions at this time.

I’m sorry, I do not have evening or weekend availability. An option that many busy professionals utilize is to schedule an appointment around their lunch time (i.e., between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm). Sessions are 50 minutes long, so they still have 10 minutes to finish their lunch if they have a one hour lunch break. Another option is to simply talk with your boss about your need for therapy in order to stay healthy; offer to come to work early or leave late to make up the difference. Therapy does not have the stigma that it used to have.

I do take HSA/FSA cards and, of course, credit cards, but I don’t bill insurance. But I’m happy to provide you with documentation that you can turn in to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. If you have questions, I’m glad to help.

While it’s understandable that some people want to use their insurance benefits, CSAT therapists are not normally in-network with insurance. I often have new clients come to me and say that they wasted a lot of time and money seeing a therapist who wasn’t trained in issues around sex addiction, infidelity, betrayal trauma, etc. They’ve come to realize that they need a therapist who has this specific training.

Therapy sessions are 50 minutes long, and the cost is $160. 

Therapy is offered by appointment only. 

That is why I am here – not only to offer hope, but to get you to where you need to be. I offer non-judgmental, compassionate, and expert guidance for those struggling with out-of-control sexual behaviors.

You may feel “crazy” at times if you can’t stop what you’re doing, despite the consequences, but I can help you get to a stable, sane place in life. Most therapists are not trained in sex addiction; I have advanced expert training. I offer individual therapy and facilitate a weekly group for male sex addicts. Learn more about sex addiction here.

A Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. CSATs are trained in the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of sexual addiction, sexually compulsive problems, and intimacy disorders. We are also trained to effectively work with the partners of addicts and their other family members. CSATs are trained by the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP).

CSATs are also trained to understand and consider the impact of trauma, mental illness, emotional illness, and relationship issues on sexual behavior. The extra training that I receive as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) means that you can be assured that you are getting some of the best treatment for sexual concerns available.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful psychotherapy technique which has been very successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, post-traumatic stress and many other emotional problems. EMDR is not hypnotism; the client is fully aware and fully in control.

When disturbing experiences happen, they are stored in the brain with all the sights, sounds, thoughts and feelings that accompany it. When a person is very upset, the brain seems to be unable to process the experience as it would normally. Therefore, the negative thoughts and feelings of the traumatic event are “trapped” in the nervous system. Since the brain cannot process these emotions, the experience and/or it’s accompanying feelings are often suppressed from consciousness. However, the distress lives on in the nervous system where it causes disturbances in the emotional functioning of the person.

I work with you, the client, gently guiding you to revisit the traumatic incident. When the memory is brought to mind, the feelings are re-experienced in a new way. EMDR makes it possible for you to gain the self-knowledge and perspective that will enable you to choose your actions, rather than feeling powerless over your re-actions. This process can be complex if there are many experiences connected to the negative feelings. The EMDR therapy sessions continue until the traumatic memories and emotions are relieved.

Yes, your privacy is very important and protected by law. The only exception is certain laws where I have a duty to report, such as:

–Cases where a client poses an imminent threat to their own safety or to the safety of others

–Cases where a minor is suspected of being abused, neglected, and/or exploited

–Cases where a disabled or elder adult is suspected of being abused, neglected, and/or exploited

Other than these types of extreme circumstances, nothing we discuss is shared with anyone else without your permission. All your information is stored securely and confidentially.

If you feel that your safety or the safety of others may be in jeopardy or if you feel that you need immediate support to prevent harm from occurring, go directly to the nearest emergency room. If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself, you can also call 1-800-273-8255, the national 24-hour Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Once your situation is stable, current clients are encouraged to follow up with me afterward for continued support.

I offer online therapy sessions, also known as e-therapy or teletherapy, in which a therapist can provide services over the Internet. I use a HIPAA-compliant app (similar to Zoom), which allows us to see and hear one another. It also allows us to easily pass documents to one another.

Teletherapy is quite convenient for clients due to location, comfort level, and/or mobility. It makes therapy a practical option for many since they don’t have to waste time driving to and from a therapy office. It eliminates the possibility that one will run into a co-worker or acquaintance in the waiting room.

Teletherapy also works well for those who have worked with the same therapist for years but run the risk of having to start new with someone else due to relocation.

Research over the past 50 years consistently demonstrates that psychotherapy is very beneficial. On average, the person that goes through treatment is better off than 80% of those without therapy.

Therapy can help take you from the ‘dark night of the soul’ into a new place where what used to hurt is now part of what makes you strong. Some clients come to therapy to heal from addiction and learn how to stop self-destructive behavior. Other clients seek therapy for help in dealing with anxiety or in separating their experience from the painful past. Couples request therapy to change long-standing and hurtful dynamics in their marriages.

I look at therapy as a way to help you develop skills, relationships, and assets that you don’t know how to get on your own. Some of my clients have found that as they heal in therapy, they find themselves intuitively handling situations that used to overwhelm or confuse them.

It can be difficult to be open with anyone about your personal life, but sometimes it’s actually easier to talk to someone who is not involved in your situation. And there’s value in connecting with someone who can be objective and is somewhat removed from your situation. We all have blind spots, and it can be helpful for a third party to help us see those.

In therapy, you learn to trust yourself and your own instincts. Friends and family, even with the best of intentions, can sometimes create more discomfort. My philosophy is that you are the only one who will be living with your decisions; therefore, you are the only one who can make them. As a therapist, I strive to give you space to do that.

Yes, it is. We tend to ignore our problems until they get too tough to deal with, and at that point they start costing us in other areas of our lives. When our primary relationship suffers, we tend to struggle in work, in other relationships, and we can experience a wide range of negative emotions. We have usually tried everything by this point, and ignoring our issues seems to stop working.   

Reaching out for help takes courage and risk. It’s not easy to trust another person with the things most important to us. However, you deserve more than what you are experiencing, and you need life to work better than it is now. If you’ve tried everything but are still stuck, starting therapy is a great choice and opportunity.