Frequently Asked Questions

It's a chance for us to get to know each other more. I'll ask for more details about what's bringing you in and what you’re hoping for in our work together. This is a chance for the storyteller parts of you to shine because I’ll also ask a bit about your history and the key moments in your life. You don't need to come prepared with a tidy narrative, unless that feels helpful to you.

While I firmly believe that a diagnosis does not define you here. I understand that the system I work within requires a diagnosis for billing purposes, specifically if you are seeking insurance reimbursement.

For some folks, it is relieving to put a name to what they’ve been experiencing. For others, it feels limiting and pathologizing. No matter how you feel about diagnoses, you will be met as the whole person that you are. And I will handle discussing diagnoses with you thoughtfully and based on what actually fits your individual needs.

At the beginning of a therapeutic relationship, I recommend meeting weekly for those first 6 to 8 weeks. Consistency early on does real work. It helps us to build trust and gives us a steady rhythm. After that initial period, we revisit the cadence together. And, we can continue to discuss meeting frequency at any point during our work together to ensure that we are meeting at a pace that feels supportive to you and your needs.

To be completely honest, it’s both. My approach draws on IFS, somatic and polyvagal theory, and a relational lens. It’s okay if you do not know what any of that means. The frameworks I mentioned shape how I listen, the types of questions I ask, and how I conceptualize our work together. In the room, it will feel like a real conversation, not a worksheet. I bring my full self into the space, the warm, humorous, and sometimes direct person that I am.

Standard sessions are 50 minutes. I also offer 90-minute sessions, as availability allows, for folks doing deeper trauma work who benefit from more room to process without rushing their pacing to meet the time limit. Full details on session structure can be found on my Individual Therapy page.

You do not need to perform here, this is your space. If we’re meeting in the office, please grab a snack or a sparkling water. There is a blanket and fidget toys if you need them, and I welcome you to bring anything else you may need to feel comfortable.

However you arrive to the space, I will meet you where you are at. We may do some conscious breathing or grounding movement to get settled in. I have found that folks find therapy helpful when there is a thread that we are following from session to session. So, I may refer to themes or patterns that we discussed in previous sessions. Sessions may feel difficult or heavy, but I will collaborate with you to ensure there is a balance that feels helpful to you. Throughout therapy, I will check in to make sure you are supported and ensuring I am helping you reach your goals.

I offer both in-person sessions at Chicago Minds in the River North neighborhood of Chicago and telehealth sessions anywhere in Illinois and Colorado. You can switch between the two depending on your needs. I am flexible, even allowing folks to change the day of their session.

Healing does not fall on a linear timeline, nor does it fall on a timeline that matches anyone else’s. It’s specific to you and your needs. Some folks are looking for short-term support to learn skills or assist them in their growth. Others are looking for a more long-term relationship that encourages ongoing reflection and continued maintenance. Throughout therapy, we will collaborate to decide what feels supportive to you in reaching your goals.

For many of my clients, session cadence can ebb and flow based on their needs at any given time. As you make progress towards your goals and are feeling ready to take a pause or end therapy, we will discuss and prepare for that. As a therapist, I am honored to play a role in a chapter of your story. I understand that sometimes the work we do together builds a foundation for the work you do with someone else. And, for others, it feels comfortable to return to a familiar face after a pause. I welcome those opportunities to reconnect.

To make a long answer short, it depends on you and your needs which I will be with you every step of the way to decide what feels right for you and your healing.

As I do in all aspects of the therapeutic relationship, I approach the ending of our therapy work collaboratively. Endings can bring up all kinds of emotions. It’s so important to have a process for navigating them. Because of this, I recommend having a session to close out our work together with intention and with any rituals that help us make meaning of the time we spent together.

Yes, I provide GAC letters as part of my commitment to supporting transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive folks. My goal is to make this process affirming, respectful, and as accessible as possible. Reach out to talk through the process.

Yes, I do offer ESA letters for established clients. This is not something that I can provide in the first couple of sessions. Having an ongoing therapeutic relationship where I know you and your circumstances helps to ensure the letter is clinically appropriate and aligned with ethical guidelines for emotional support animal documentation. We can discuss timeline when you reach out.