Q: What do you specialize in?

A: As a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, we are qualified to treat a range of problems and conditions.

Some of our specialties include:

• Couples problems, such as affairs, poor communication, chronic arguing, extended family problems, parenting problems, and problems with housework, finances, and careers that affect a relationship.
• Emotional problems, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, anger, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recovery from difficult childhood or past relationship experiences, and harmful or unproductive use of food, substances, sex, work, or money.
• Dating problems, such as unsatisfying or painful dating patterns, difficulty with commitment, and inability to meet appropriate partners.
• Sexual problems, such as sexless relationships; problems with sexual desire, arousal, or orgasm; unsatisfying, boring, or painful sex; use of pornography, internet sex, and strippers/prostitutes; and sexual violence, assault, or abuse.
• Blocks to having happy and satisfying life, meeting goals in career or personal life, meeting weight and fitness goals, experiencing personal or spiritual growth.
• Career and life adjustment problems, such as abusive work environments, career indecision, career change, workaholic patterns.
• Emotional aspects of physical problems, such as chronic fatigue, chronic pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

Q: How long are sessions? What are your hours?

A: Sessions are available for 50, 75, 90, and 110 minutes.

We schedule appointments:

    Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
    Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Q: How long does counseling last?

A: The length of time in counseling depends on the nature and severity of the problems you want to work on, as well as your goals for counseling. Counseling never lasts longer than is necessary for you to achieve your goals. You are free to stop attending at any time.

• We try to get to know you (and your partner) well in the first few sessions, and then we can give you some ideas about how we might work together to meet your goals. This includes an estimated number of counseling sessions.
• You may determine the frequency and length of your sessions; however, if you are scheduling sessions in a way that prevents you from achieving your goals, then we might discuss how you can get the most out of your counseling.
• You can have a direct influence on the length of your counseling by being completely honest during your sessions and following through with homework assignments in between sessions.

A: In couples counseling, you and your partner attend the first session so that we get to know each other, and I can learn about your concerns from each person’s point of view. After that, I often meet with each partner individually for one or two sessions, to get to know each of you better and ask you some questions about your family and past relationships that are better discussed in private. Generally, couples attend counseling sessions together, but at certain points in our work together, if we think it would be helpful, we may ask either or both of you to attend some sessions individually.

Q: What if my partner refuses to attend counseling?

A: Often, one person in a couple can make substantial changes in the relationship by learning about the relationship’s dynamics, how they may be contributing to the difficulties, and what they can do differently to put the relationship on a solid footing. With time, patience, and effort, relationships are often healed by one person. This does not mean that every relationship can be saved – and only over time, with patient effort, can you know for sure how receptive your partner will be.

Q: Do you work with individuals as well as couples?

A: Yes, we work with individuals on a regular basis. Some of the goals of individual counseling include:

• Clearing whatever is getting in the way of having a full and happy life, including relationships, career, family and parenting, and personal growth.
• Building skills and know-how to improve relationships with their partner, children, extended family members, or colleagues.
• Resolving issues from childhood, past destructive relationships, or adverse life experiences.

Q: Is the fee the same whether one or two people attend?

A: The counseling fee is based on the length of time we meet, and not on the number of people who are in attendance.

Q: Do you take insurance?

A: Many insurance companies will reimburse you for the fees you pay for counseling.

• For couples, most insurers will not pay for counseling that is designed to improve your relationship, heal from an affair, or improve your sex life. However, if one or both partners has a diagnosable mental health disorder, then if the couples counseling focuses on treatment for that disorder, insurance companies are often willing to reimburse for a portion of our fees.
• For individual counseling, if you have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and if the counseling focuses on treatment for that disorder, insurance companies are often willing to reimburse for a portion of our fees.
• If your insurer will reimburse you, it will be for “out of network benefits,” meaning that we are an out of network provider.
• Regardless of whether your insurance will reimburse you, our policy is for full payment at the beginning of each session. For your convenience we accept cash, personal checks, Visa, Master Card, and Discover.

Q: How do I make an appointment?

A: To make an appointment, contact us to schedule a free phone consulation so we can discuss your concerns and determine if our services are a good fit for you.