Yes and no.  It may resemble what many people think of when they see therapy done on TV where the client/patient is sitting on a couch while the therapist sits in their chair taking notes.  I do my notes after our session, not during it.  It is important to be as present and engaged with you as I can be.  If my face is down in my notes, I may be missing important details you are saying and what your body language may be trying to tell me.  With EMDR and SE, a huge part of the work is connecting and having you felt seen and understood.  I may have you work with your breath and have your body move or change positions as well as employ meditation and mindfulness techniques. Most of the time the client is sitting and talking.

Adults aged 18-60.

I specialize in trauma (PTSD and C-PTSD), Chronic Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.  I do work with Bipolar I and II, and occasionally personality disorders like BPD. Frequently I find I’m working with family members of people who have those conditions, especially Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and need support with the challenges those conditions can bring. 

I have worked with a wide range of people from very different occupations and backgrounds.   In my nearly 15 years of doing this, I’ve worked with teachers, students, CEOs, pilots, fire fighters, paramedics, stay at home parents, engineers, electricians, other therapists, and veterans.  Everyone has their stuff that life has thrown at them, and no one can go it alone.

This question, although common, is impossible to truly answer.  Real change takes time and effort. I have seen EMDR and SE create major shifts in only a handful of sessions, but that is rare.  I do try to be sensitive to the cost of therapy, especially since I do not take insurance. That said, therapy tends to become more and more effective the longer we work together.  So, I will try to get you to the point where you no longer need my services as soon as we can without cutting any corners.  Frequently the person comes in crisis, and we work to get them out of it and then it gets to a point where it’s time to end or turn it into an ongoing wellness practice.

No, but some people choose to bring a notebook and take notes down prior to our appointment about things they wish to discuss as well as to take notes on what we talk about during the session.  Sometimes we can cover a lot of ground and it’s not uncommon to feel fatigued afterwards, especially if we are doing EMDR.

Usually not, the sessions themselves are where the work is largely done and taking time to rest afterwards can be just as important as the session itself.

This allows for 10 minutes should we need it or if traffic delays things or something unexpected happens.  Also, I do not necessarily stick to the 50 minute timeframe.  Sometimes a session can go on and then near the end of that time a huge trauma may surface.   I strongly believe it is inappropriate to just tell you the time is up and good luck until next time. If time permits, I’ll ask you if you wish to keep going a bit longer.  Other times the opposite happens, and we may feel the session is completed well before the time is scheduled to end.  In that case I may ask if you feel the session is concluded and end early rather than potentially run into another problem that might be best addressed in our next session.

Ideally once a week.  Meeting once every two weeks is also an option.   Many clients start off once a week and then as they improve, we move to once every two weeks, and then once a month or on an as needed basis.

I do offer telehealth, but I have found it is frequently less than ideal.  Telehealth can work just as effectively for some clients and not others. It can in some cases be an excellent option if you live far away from my office or are unable or unwilling to leave your home.