Initial Phone Consultation

A brief 10-15 minute phone consultation is completed prior to scheduling an initial intake assessment so that I can gather information about your concerns and current situation. During the call I will ask you some basic questions and you will have the opportunity to ask me any questions that you may have. In addition, we will discuss fees and scheduling, and I will provide you with recommendations for next steps. At the end of the phone consultation, if we conclude that working together could be a good fit, we will schedule an initial intake assessment.

Preparing For Your First Appointment

Prior to your scheduled intake assessment I will ask you for your full name, DOB, and email address to create an account for you in my client portal. Next, you will be emailed a link to practice, confidentiality, and therapeutic documents through this secure online system. The packet includes important documents that should be reviewed and completed prior to your first appointment, including consent forms, Good Faith Estimate (GFE), an intake questionnaire and brief symptom measures.  You must sign and return the confidentiality documents, practice documents, and GFE prior to our intake assessment. Please contact me if you have questions or they will be addressed in the intake session.

Intake Assessment Session for Individuals

The intake assessment session for individual clients is an 80 minute session. This first session allows me to learn about you in greater detail, including: concerns, goals for treatment, and personal/relational history. At the end of this session I will share my impressions, including relevant diagnoses, and recommendations. Next, we will collaboratively develop a personalized treatment plan and schedule psychotherapy sessions.

Ultimately, the process of assessment and case conceptualization in CBT is an ongoing process throughout the entire therapy. We are constantly evolving, experiencing new thoughts and experiences, and constantly making sense of the information while building up tentative ideas about what processes are important. Psychological research has consistently shown that an important predictor of successful treatment outcome is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship consists of 3 factors: 1) rapport, 2) agreement on treatment goals, and 3) agreement on treatment plan - all of which begin to develop during the initial intake assessment and continue to evolve over the course of treatment. Thus, I consider the intake session an invaluable time for us to get to know one another and decide if we are a good fit. I strive to provide the highest-quality care, and if we determine that your needs do not align with my expertise, I will help you connect with another provider in the community who is better suited to help. 

Psychotherapy Sessions

Psychotherapy sessions are 45-50 minutes and typically occur weekly. The overall duration of your treatment will depend on the nature of your presenting concerns and treatment goals. Together we will determine the course of treatment, and we will regularly evaluate treatment progress to help guide treatment planning and duration.

Particularly in the early stages of treatment, weekly sessions are recommended as this allows us to work consistently on overcoming challenges and skill building. Less frequent or irregularly scheduled sessions make adhering to a treatment plan and skill acquisition more difficult, as there are fewer opportunities to receive support and engage in collaborative problem-solving. I will do my best to work with you to accommodate your schedule. More or less frequent sessions can be arranged when appropriate, based on treatment needs and availability.