Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach to counseling that helps people to open up, be present, and take meaningful action in their lives. Acceptance is about making space for our experiences, and commitment is about taking action that is rooted in our values. If you find yourself trying so hard to avoid depression, anxiety, anger, grief, or any other experience, ACT is for you. If you have no idea what your values even are, ACT is for you.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an empirically based treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This structured approach will address your beliefs about why the trauma happened and how it affected you. As you change your unhelpful thoughts, your feelings change and PTSD symptoms decrease.

Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) is an empirically supported treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that helps clients to confront their obsessive thoughts and fears and learn how to effectively manage the distress without rituals and compulsions. Often these core fears are linked to our beliefs about ourselves and the world, and by confronting them with ERP, we can develop a healthier and more adaptive approach to life that is consistent with our personal values and goals.

Yes! Reach out to me about what you’d like to work on and I’ll get back to you. You can also schedule with me directly if you’re ready to get started.

Please note: If you book an appointment directly, we will still need to communicate directly prior to our appointment time in order to confirm that I would be an appropriate fit for your counseling goals at this time. I will reach out to you after receiving your appointment confirmation.

I see clients Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 4 PM. To see my current availability, click here.

My fee is $165 per 45-50 minute session, and you can pay via credit card. Payment is rendered at the time of service unless previous arrangements have been made.

My clients pay me at the time of each appointment, but if you want to pursue your out-of-network insurance benefits for potential reimbursement, I would be happy to provide you with a superbill. Please note that insurance will only cover services that are medically necessary and correspond to the treatment of a medical diagnosis.

You can also contact your insurance company directly and ask questions like:

• Do I have out-of-network coverage for mental health services like individual counseling?

  • If so, how many sessions are covered?

• How am I reimbursed for services?

• Am I reimbursed directly?

  • If not, can I put this money towards my deductible?

For more information on why many therapists opt not to accept insurance, check out Propublica's recent piece Why I Left the Network.

The best session is one that you can attend and participate in meaningfully. If you are able to make the time to come to the office, I’m happy to meet with you in person! If you are able to find a place where you feel comfortable to speak and will free from interruption (and you are physically located in Missouri at the time), meeting online is a great option.

We can meet one way all the time, or we can switch back and forth based on your needs and schedule.

For additional information, see my blog series on why to consider video counseling, how to prepare for a video session, and what to expect during a video session.

As your therapist, I will help you to work on what YOU want to work on so that you can move closer to the vision that you have for your life. It's not about figuring out who or what is to blame; counseling is about who you want to be.

You might have had something happen in your life that left you feeling hurt, confused, lonely, or stuck. It could be that you have something big and newcoming into your life and you want to equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to be successful (new baby, new relationship, new job), or it could be that you have lost something meaningful to you (your health, your position, your sense of self) and you're not quite sure where to go from here.

For example:

• You might be asking yourself if you have low self-esteem or if everybody in your life will always treat you unkindly or show disregard for your boundaries. We can process what has happened and consider what may continue to happen in your life if the current circumstances persist.

• You may be wondering if you are anxious or depressed or burned out. We can certainly discuss diagnoses and labels that you may have been given by a medical doctor or that you might suspect fit your experience.

• You might be preparing for a significant change, whether that’s a change in who you are, what you do, or how you relate to the world around you.

Whatever is on your agenda, we’ll tackle it together.

When you’re ready to get started, contact me or schedule your first appointment.

A first appointment is just that: a first appointment. It will be your opportunity to share more in depth about yourself and your goals for counseling. I will listen to you and ask questions when appropriate to make sure that I'm understanding your story.

Throughout our conversation, I will likely offer some suggestions and resources that I think could help you with your specific wants and concerns. At the end of that first session, I'll ask you to think about how you felt while we were talking and to decide if you'd like to set up another appointment.

As long (or as short!) as you want! Because therapy responds specifically to you, there is no set number of sessions that you "must" attend. Because I do not take insurance, there is also no limit to the number of sessions we can work together. Every counseling session should be your choice, and a choice that you feel moves you towards wellness.

Many of my clients start off working with me on a weekly basis and then move to every other week or monthly sessions as they are able to put new ideas and skills into action. Each session is 45-50 minutes long.

It is always a good idea to see your physician on a regular basis to monitor your health and well-being. Depending on what you are experiencing, I might suggest consulting with your regular physician or a psychiatrist for additional insight.

If a friend gives you advice, that usually means that you asked them “What would you do in this situation?" and they gave you their opinion of what you should do.

As your counselor, it’s not my job to tell you what to do. That would be taking away your autonomy and acting as if my life experience could predict yours. My role is to help you recognize different options and resources and guide you through the process of determining what YOU see as the right thing to do.

I might give feedback on what I’ve observed,

I might share information,

I might present options to try,

but I will never tell you what you have to do. That is your call.