Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

If you decide to commit to the process of therapy with me, we’ll schedule a time to meet together and discuss the issues you’re facing. You’ll sit on the couch in my office, and I’ll help you feel as comfortable as possible. I’ll ask you lots of questions, because I want to understand everything about what’s going on. We’ll continue meeting on a weekly basis until you’re feeling more confident in your ability to overcome life’s obstacles.

Most of the time our conversations will feel like just that, conversations. We might laugh; we might cry. I might give you homework. I might teach you a skill. I might ask you to reconsider your perspective on something. I might not do any of these things. I will regularly check in on your goals, and encourage you to work very hard to meet them. I will get to know you as a whole person, and seek to provide you with support and encouragement as you walk through life.

Excellent Customer Service

Because your life is hectic, I want to make it as easy as possible for you to commit to therapy. I offer the following services at no additional cost to you:

  • Evening and lunch appointment times
  • Same-day appointments, when available
  • Automatic appointment reminders
  • Secure email correspondence
  • Convenient office location in Five Forks Simpsonville

Respect

Unsolicited advice is easy to come by… just ask your parents, coworkers, the TV preacher... But you're TIRED of advice. Psychotherapy with me is so much MORE than advice; it's about finding solutions that make sense for YOU. My first goal in therapy is to create a space where you feel accepted, respected, and supported. Then we’ll explore solutions collaboratively.

Holistic, Systemic Treatment

Thanks to my unique training in systems, you’ll find that my perspective on people if very different than that of other professionals. I believe that you are a whole person, not a case number. You are the summation of your mind, body, spirit, family, relationships, past, present, and future; these parts of you are so important.

Collaboration

To ensure that you receive the best care possible, I'll regularly collaborate with other professionals who might be involved in your treatment. With your permission, I’ll consult with your doctor, psychiatrist, OB-GYN, teacher, school counselor, past therapist at no additional cost to you.

Adolescents and their parents.

I love working with teenagers and their parents. That stage of life is SO HARD to navigate… for both parties. And I am able to empathize with the plights of both in order to help families work together and understand each other.

Family Caregiving

I love working with family caregivers, those who must provide care for their aging parents. What a tough transition in life, to suddenly find yourself in the role of caregiver to the one who changed YOUR diapers. You may have kids at home and a demanding job, on top of caregiving tasks. You might need some extra support, understanding, and resources to get through this life stage with strength and dignity.

Anxiety

I love working with adults and teens who struggle with anxiety. With anxiety, every day is a battle. In prior times, anxiety might have helped you survive; now it just keeps you from thriving. I want to help you learn to manage your anxiety. You can learn to take control of it, rather than it having control over you

For those of you who want to know more about how therapy actually works, read a little about my favorite models of therapy below. Hopefully this helps you understand what I believe about WHY problems occur, what it MEANS about us when we have problems, and how therapy can help provide a solution.

(However, I should note that research consistently shows that the RELATIONSHIP between client and therapist better predicts positive outcomes than the actual approach the therapist uses.)

Family Systems

Everything I do as a therapist is informed by the notion that we are relational organisms, not individuals functioning inside of a vacuum. We develop patterns of behavior with one another, sometimes functional patterns and sometimes hurtful ones. When relationship patterns become problematic, they can be shifted with the help of a family therapist.

Transgenerational Family Therapy

Have you ever noticed that problems run in families? They really do! Sometimes, we can find relief in understanding that problems we currently face were experienced by our parents and grandparents, and we have the power to change those patterns so that our children don’t experience them as well.

Structural Family Therapy

Sometimes the structure of a family gets out-of-whack, and problems present due to a power imbalance. For example, kids need rules, boundaries, and consequences. Sometimes well-intentioned parents give their kids too much power, and a child starts to test the boundaries. The child might become difficult to control, anxious or depressed, or divisive. In therapy, I work alongside the parents, helping them to provide appropriate structure and nurture for their children. Once balance to the family structure is restored, problems dissolve away.

The Social-Constructionist Approaches, like Narrative Therapy

We construct our perspectives together based on how we view each other and the world, and the way we talk about ourselves and our problems. Sometimes, a simple shift in the way we talk about our problems produces change in our understanding of them and our ability to fight them. Consider the difference between “I’m just an anxious person” and “I have anxiety that I’m learning to manage.” Which expression indicates belief in power over problems?

Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy

We are biologically wired to create bonds with others. These bonds encourage us to take care of each other, and they remind us that we are safe, secure, and valuable. Sometimes couples need help fostering that type of attachment to each other so that they feel secure and close, rather than distant, lonely, and unimportant.

Gottman Method Couples Therapy

We can learn to implement behaviors into our marriages that are based on decades of research about what specific actions make healthy, happy, and committed couples function so well. For example, happy couples have a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative interactions. That means that if you need to make a complaint to your spouse, feel free to do so, but balance it with FIVE positive interactions!

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness

Our thoughts contribute to our problems when we don’t have them under control. If I begin the day believing it will be a bad day, I’m going to look for ways to confirm what I know to be true. I spill my coffee, and I think, “I knew it. This just isn’t my day.” Rather than allowing our negative thoughts to dictate our lives, we must learn to take control of them by giving power to some, and letting others pass by. Are these thoughts true? Are they helpful? If not, let them fly by and focus on other things.

Yes, what you say in my office generally stays between us. The information you share in therapy is protected health information under HIPAA and is normally confidential. There are some exceptions to confidentiality set by state and federal law, my professional code of ethics, and specific court orders. There are as follows:

  • If I have reason to suspect that a child, an elderly person, or an otherwise protected person is being abused or neglected, I must inform the proper authorities.
  • If you are in danger of harming yourself or someone else (like threat of suicide or homicide), I must inform the proper authorities.
  • If I think that your mental or emotional condition makes you unable to take care of yourself or those for whom you are responsible, I must inform the proper authorities.
  • I must disclose if you are in need of hospitalization. For example, if you have a heart attack in my office, I must call the hospital and tell the paramedics your name.
  • If a judge orders me to share your information, I have to comply.
  • I may disclose information in order to defend myself against legal action or LLR actions arising from therapy.
  • I may share specific information if I have a signed release from you to do so. You might sign a release for me to consult with your doctor, psychiatrist, or school counselor.
  • I may disclose information necessary to the billing process.

Unfortunately, most insurance plans do not cover true couples therapy.

Insurance generally covers couples therapy when one partner has a mental health diagnosis (like an anxiety disorder), and the focus of therapy is on treating that diagnosis, while the other partner is there for support.

I find that most couples want therapy for help with conflict-resolution, infidelity, trust, emotional distance, communication problems, etc. etc. etc. Most insurance plans do not cover this type of couples therapy, because they don’t believe it’s “medically necessary.”

To find out what your specific health plan covers, call your insurance company and ask the following question:

  • Does my plan cover the service code, 90847 (Family Psychotherapy with patient present), with the diagnosis code, Z63.0 (Relationship distress with spouse or intimate partner)?
    *Understand that both codes must be covered for your plan to reimburse.