Frequently Asked Questions

This is such a great question! I believe it is really important that the therapist you decide to work with, be one you feel right to be with! To find out whether I am the right therapist for you, be sure to ask questions related to your needs when we first talk about scheduling an appointment. I promise I will do my best to be open to whatever concerns might bring you to treatment and if I am unable to assist with your concerns, I would be happy to refer you to another therapist who might be more right for you. If you feel great about me in our initial talk, feel free to continue to evaluate my fit for your therapeutic needs. Ask questions in therapy or let me know of any concerns you have. Also, one of the best ways to know whether a therapist is a good fit or not is by talking about whether your goals in treatment are being addressed.

I do not provide email-only psychotherapy as I believe in-person visits are important to building the therapeutic relationship. Besides the vulnerability of protecting confidentiality over the internet it is also very difficult to judge emotional content through such a medium.

I take your right to privacy seriously and take steps to make sure your personal and private health information is kept confidential. Files are kept behind two locks, computers are encrypted, password protected, backed up and have firewalls to protect from attack. Security compliance measures are also in place in case of accident or natural catastrophe. There are many other ways I work to protect information including password protected secure phones/fax/email, SSL secure website, and more. If you have concerns about the privacy of your confidential health information, and want to know more about my privacy practices, please inquire!

Established clients (attending 2 sessions-in-person or more) have the option of scheduling phone therapy sessions with me, under extenuating circumstances. Phone sessions must be paid for in advance and may be established via PayPal. Phone sessions cost the same as the in-person session fee and prorated according to the time spent on the phone.

Your treatment depends on your particular mental illness, its symptom severity and what you and your doctor think will work best for you. Psychiatric medications do not cure mental illness, though they can alleviate symptoms. In some cases, a combination of treatments works best and medications may assist symptom management in the short term until you are better able to manage symptoms on your own. Whether you are on medications, considering their use, or against their use, psychotherapy can be utilized to more effectively manage your symptoms.

Change can occur in as little as one session. Though the length of therapy is generally determined by your goals and needs at the time. It is especially important that therapy is helping you to reach your goals. While some clients are satisfied with a few sessions, others may remain in therapy for much longer. It is also common for a client to establish a working relationship with a preferred therapist to assist with treatment options at any given time throughout their lifespan.

Cancellations- If you need to cancel an appointment for any reason, I require 24 hour notice. Otherwise you will be responsible for any fees incurred for missed appointments.
Late Cancels/No Show- If you don’t show for your scheduled appointment and you have not communicated with my office regarding the issue, you are considered a no show and will be responsible for session fees and co-payments.

A therapist generally bills for one hour increments of time, or therapy hour. For the therapy hour, 45-50 minutes of the hour is your session time and 10-15 minutes of the hour is utilized for paperwork and processing. It is possible to have longer and shorter sessions. For instance, 30 minute sessions are common for young children and 90 minute sessions are sometimes helpful for families and partnerships.

It is fairly common for therapy to occur once a week, though some clients prefer to come biweekly, triweekly or monthly. How often I meet with clients is client dependent so feel free to inquire.

My theoretical orientation is a mixture of Narrative and Collaborative theory. My orientation is strengths based in approach, which recognizes an individual’s unique, subjective reality as they are constructed through our interaction with socio-cultural beliefs and values. I honor clients as experts of their own lives and as a therapist, I serve as consultant to talk about client concerns with a non-judgmental, non-value assertion approach. Conversations are collaborative toward creating change through a conversational process that serves to emphasis client strengths and resources and enhance personal agency.  In fostering self-agency, I tend to be present-centered, solution focused, and to work with clients in fewer sessions.

For more information about MFT specializations, visit AAMFT:

http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Press/FAQs/Content/About_AAMFT/Qualifications.aspx

Clinical Sexology is the study of human sexuality in all of its facets; how individuals think, feel, and what they do sexually. Clinical Sexology recognizes and honors the richness and diversity of human consensual sexual expression and maintains, advocates, and educates a sex-positive attitude. Clinical Sexology is a multidimensional field that incorporates a bevy of disciplines, such as psychology, medicine, sociology and biology. Sexology incorporates the many attributes that comprise or contribute to human sexuality, such as the socio-cultural implications of sexology; sexual anatomy and physiology; health perspectives; sexual dysfunction; legal/ethical issues; and erotology. Sexuality is an integrated part of the human personality and identity and can affect overall mental health and happiness as well as interpersonal and social well-being. Maintaining sexual health includes upholding the sexual rights of all people and not simply the absence of sexual dysfunction.

—adapted from aasect.org 2008

The World Association of Sexology (WAS) developed the sexual bill of rights, as abbreviated below. These include the individual rights of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence, to:

• The right to sexual freedom.
• The right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body.
• The right to sexual privacy. The right to sexual equity.
• The right to sexual pleasure.
• The right to emotional sexual expression.
• The right to sexually associate freely.
• The right to make free and responsible reproductive choices.
• The right to sexual information based upon scientific inquiry.
• The right to comprehensive sexuality education.
• The right to sexual health care.

Sexual Rights are Fundamental and Universal Human Rights!

Adopted in Hong Kong at the 14th World Congress of Sexology, August 26, 1999

retrieved from http://www.worldsexology.org/about_sexualrights.asp

Clinical Sexologists who are also trained as psychotherapists, and who work with the treatment and diagnosis of sexual concerns and dysfunction may be referred to as sex therapists. Sex Therapy represents a subspecialty of psychotherapy that focuses on the concerns of human sexuality. In most states and provinces, Sex Therapy is not specifically regulated as a profession as a subspecialty profession. People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, partnered or single, and health status may benefit from working with a psychotherapist who specializes in this area.

Clinical Sexologists bring a unique perspective to psychotherapy that provides a sex-positive, compassionate environment for addressing the diversity of sexual expression, issues, and concerns.

adapted from aasect.org 2008

Client’s who experience concerns with arousal, performance, guilt and shame, as well as knowledge and understanding of one’s own body are likely to have some benefit from a sexologist. Although many functions of couple’s relationship satisfaction as well as individual personal satisfaction may be related to overall sexual health and well- being. Increased, decreased, mismatched and discrepant levels of desire or interest in sexual intimacy may result in the overall relationship satisfaction or quality of living. Sexuality issues are not age or gender specific and can occur at any age and with men, women, and transgender.

Additionally concerns about sexual trauma in one’s background, medical conditions that affect one’s sexuality, sexual pain disorders, concerns about gender identity or sexual orientation, and issues around sexual compulsivity or addiction are also further concerns for discussion with a Sex Therapist.

adapted from aasect.org 2008

Clinical Sexologists approach issues in human sexuality in similar ways as psychotherapy. A clinical Sexologist may further include education on how to achieve improved sexual health and well-being. Clinical Sexologists work from a bio-psycho-social model and in some cases, clinical Sexologists will work closely with a client’s physician or nurse to establish a greater understanding of the problem. Sexologists also consider and explore the social aspects of sexual problems such as underlying cultural implications that may influence an individual’s sexual well-being and satisfaction.

Depending on the diagnosis, a Sex Therapist may utilize various forms of education materials towards facilitating change and in conjunction with therapeutic discussion. Education materials may include reading materials, watching audio-visual materials, and attending workshops. Homework and exercise assignments are also useful for couple’s or individuals to practice in the privacy of one’s own home.

Sometimes having more information will allow the problem to resolve.  Sometimes more specific or intensive therapy will be needed. Homework may focus on communication exercises or specific sexual experience. This will depend on the progression of therapy and the individual level of comfort.

It is essential to inform that it is unethical and in some states a crime, to engage in any kind of sexual activity with a therapy client at any time or place.

adapted from aasect.org 2008