Frequently Asked Questions

Do you accept insurance?

• Yes, I am in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare. I also accept private pay for patients not using insurance. If you have out of network benefits, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Please contact your insurance provider directly to confirm your mental health coverage, deductible, and any copays.

What are the first steps?

• You can schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, texting, or using the “Book Now” feature on the patient portal. Once you reach out, I will ask a few brief questions to ensure the service is a good fit and then schedule your intake session. I will also send paperwork for you to complete before your first session. If you would prefer to start with a free 15-minute consultation, that is always an option. 

What can I expect in the first and future sessions?

• The first session focuses on getting to know each other and identifying what you would like to work on. I will ask questions about your past experiences and current concerns. Together, we will set goals and outline some initial steps. If I believe your needs would be better supported elsewhere, I will be honest and provide referrals. In ongoing sessions, we will work toward your goals and adjust as needed. As therapy progresses, sessions often decrease in frequency as you build confidence managing challenges on your own.

Is what I share in sessions confidential?

• Absolutely! I am a mandated reporter so the only time information is shared without your consent is if there is a safety issue involving you or someone else. Outside of those situations, everything shared in therapy is confidential. If we decide sharing information with someone else would be helpful, we will discuss exactly what you want shared and what you do not. I will only release this information with your written permission.

Can I switch from individual to couples therapy later?

• This is something we can discuss together to decide what makes the most sense. Occasionally, it may be helpful for a partner to join sessions. However, it is considered a conflict of interest for a therapist to provide both individual and couples therapy, as it may prevent your partner from feeling equally supported. Therefore, I may recommend working with a separate couples therapist and I can help you find someone and coordinate care if you choose that route.

Do you accept insurance?

• Yes, I am in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare. I also accept private pay for patients not using insurance. If you have out of network benefits, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. Please contact your insurance provider directly to confirm your mental health coverage, deductible, and any copays. Please note that insurance does not cover extended session times, so any additional time beyond the standard session length must be paid for out of pocket.

What are the first steps?

• You can schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, texting, or using the “Book Now”feature on the patient portal. If you use the “Book Now” feature, please note that it defaults to one hour sessions so in your message, indicate if you are requesting a couples session or an extended session so I can confirm the appropriate time. Once you reach out, I will ask a few brief questions to ensure the service is a good fit and then schedule your intake session. I will also send paperwork for you to complete before your first session. If you would prefer to start with a free 15-minute consultation, that is always an option. 

What can I expect in the first and future sessions?

• The first session focuses on getting to know each other and identifying what you both would like to work on. I will ask questions about your past experiences and current concerns. Together, we will set goals and outline some initial steps. If I believe your needs would be better supported elsewhere, I will be honest and provide referrals. In ongoing sessions, we will work toward your goals and adjust as needed. As therapy progresses, sessions often decrease in frequency as you and your partner build confidence managing challenges on your own.

Is what I share in sessions confidential?

• Absolutely! I am a mandated reporter so the only time information is shared without your consent is if there is a safety issue involving either of you or someone else. Outside of those situations, everything shared in therapy is confidential. If we decide sharing information with someone else would be helpful, we will discuss exactly what you want shared and what you do not. I will only release this information with your written permission. In couples counseling, the couple is the patient so I cannot keep information from one partner. However, we can talk about how to approach sensitive topics together.

Can I switch from couples therapy to individual therapy?

• This is something we can discuss together to decide what makes the most sense. Occasionally, it may be helpful for one of both partners to attend individual sessions, with consent from the other partner. Please note that in couples therapy, the couple is the patient so this means any individual sessions are not considered confidential from your partner. It is considered a conflict of interest for a therapist to provide both individual and couples therapy, as it may prevent a partner from feeling equally supported. Therefore, I may recommend that one or both of you work with a separate individual therapist and I can help you find someone and coordinate care if you choose that route. 

What if my partner is not interested in couples counseling?

• Therapy is most effective when you are ready to engage in change so you do not need to convince your partner to attend. Sometimes relationship dynamics can improve when one partner begins doing their own work. I am happy to talk with you about whether that would be a good fit for your situation.

Do you accept insurance?

• This service is not covered by insurance and must be paid for out of pocket. Payment plans are available but the report will not be released until the balance is paid in full.

What are the first steps?

• You can schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, texting, or using the “Book Now” feature on the patient portal. If you use the “Book Now” feature, please note that it defaults to one hour sessions so in your message, indicate that you are requesting an immigration evaluation so I can confirm the correct session length. Once you reach out, I will ask a few brief questions to ensure the service is a good fit and then schedule your two, hour and a half sessions. I will also send paperwork for you to complete before your first session. If you would prefer to start with a free 15-minute consultation, that is always an option. 

What can I expect in the sessions and when will I get the report?

• Both sessions focus on understanding your past experiences and how your immigration situation has affected you and your family. If I believe your needs would be better supported elsewhere, I will be honest and provide referrals. The completed report is typically ready within four weeks of your second session for you to share with your legal counsel. If you need it sooner, we can discuss your timeline and whether an expedited report is possible for an additional fee.

What if I speak a language other than English?

• If you prefer to complete the sessions and paperwork in another language, I will provide resources for professionally trained interpreters but you will be responsible for scheduling and covering their cost.

How is this different from therapy and can you provide therapy?

• An evaluation focuses on documenting how life events have impacted you. While the first part of therapy often involves similar questions, therapy is an ongoing process focused on healing and growth. It is a conflict of interest to provide both an immigration evaluation and therapy at the same time. Once your case is closed, I can provide therapy if you choose to begin treatment. I strongly encourage anyone navigating immigration challenges to seek therapy and I am happy to help you find a provider.

Is what I share in sessions confidential?

• Absolutely! I am a mandated reporter so the only time information is shared without your consent is if there is a safety issue involving you or someone else. Outside of those situations, everything shared in therapy is confidential. If we decide sharing information with someone else would be helpful, we will discuss exactly what you want shared and what you do not. I will only release this information with your written permission. For immigration evaluations, I work closely with legal counsel to ensure documentation meets legal standards so I will ask you to sign a release to share information with your attorney. If you are not comfortable doing that, we can talk more about your concerns.

Do you accept insurance?

• This service is not covered by insurance and must be paid for out of pocket.

What are the first steps?

• You can schedule an appointment by emailing, calling, texting, or using the “Book Now” feature on the patient portal. If you use the “Book Now” feature, please note you are requesting supervision. Once you reach out, I will ask a few brief questions to ensure the service is a good fit and then schedule your first appointment. I will also send paperwork for you to complete before your first appointment. If you would prefer to start with a free 15-minute consultation, that is always an option.

What can I expect in sessions?

• The first appointment focuses on getting to know each other and identifying what you would like to work on. We will talk about your professional development goals and tailor the work accordingly. If I believe your needs would be better supported elsewhere, I will be honest and provide referrals. In ongoing sessions, we will work toward your goals and adjust as needed.