Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

FAQs

• How Does Online Therapy For Women Work?

  My role as a therapist isn’t to give you advice or tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. You know yourself best. Ultimately, you are the expert on you! My role is to work alongside you to help you process and overcome the challenges and struggles that are impacting your mental and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, we need someone to help us look at things in a different way or identify patterns or emotions that we can’t see in ourselves. I think of it like turning a kaleidoscope—it’s not about changing the pieces or taking away a part of you or a part of your past, it’s about changing the experience and how it impacts your present and your future. Therapy is a collaborative effort between you as the client and me as your therapist. Together, we set specific goals that you want to focus on in our work together.

• What is Telehealth or Video counseling?

  • Telehealth is where the therapist and client connect with a secure, HIPAA compliant service with video. It is live, in the moment conversation as if we are in the same room but through a computer or smart device like a tablet or cell phone. This means no driving, no sitting in traffic, no trying to find a parking place or rushing out the door to be on time. You don’t even need to put your shoes on. Research has shown that telehealth provides the same effective treatment and results for eligible clients.

• What Can I Expect For My First Online Therapy Appointment?

  Usually, the first session is spent discussing your history and reviewing the intake form that you completed before the first appointment. Spending time getting to know and understand you better helps give me a clearer picture of your situation. It helps us both identify the specific goals you want to address in your sessions. Right from the begining, we will start to explore where you are now and where you want to be. I beleive that you deserve to get the maximum benefits from the begining—not just for the hour of therapy but also for the week. We focus on specific steps you can take THIS WEEK to start to see results.

• How Long Do Appointments Last?

  Appointments are scheduled hourly and typically last about 55 minutes.

• How Often Do We Meet For Therapy Appointments?

  I have found that meeting with clients once a week has been the most beneficial for most as they work toward meeting their counseling goals. Together, we will find a time and day that works with your schedule and meet every week. Occasionally, if a client is going through a particularly difficult time and wants additional support we may decide together to schedule more than one appointment per week. As clients begin to make progress toward their goals, sometimes we will start spacing out appointments to every other week if that feels like a better fit. 

• How Much Do Online Counseling Sessions Cost?

  The initial appointment is $175. All individual sessions after the initial appointment are $150. (Couples sessions $175)

• Do You Offer Reduced Rates Or Sliding Scale Rates For Appointments?

   If you find yourself without insurance and are in financial need, please ask about a reduced rate in your initial consultation. I do keep a certain amount of appointments for clients with reduced rate needs, so if I have a reduced rate appointment time open, I can offer that to a client in need.

• How Does Online Therapy Work?

  I use a platform called TherapyNotes to meet with clients for online therapy. Each week, you will receive an appointment reminder with a link for you to click at the time of your scheduled appointment. You do not have to download any extra applications or software. A computer, smart phone, or tablet will work for your video therapy sessions. If you have a set of headphones with a microphone, those can be helpful as they help to cut out background noise and also provide an extra level of privacy for you.

• Since You Work With Clients Online, Can You Do Online Therapy With Clients In Any State?

  No, at this time, I am licensed in the states of Utah, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma, which allows me to work with clients who live in any of those four states. Occasionally, states will make exceptions or allowances for therapists to work with clients who live in a state that they are not licensed in, but this is not a typical practice. If you live in a state other than Utah, Arkansas, Florida, and Oklahoma and are interested in working with me for therapy, feel free to contact me and we can discuss if this is an option for you. 

• Do You Also Provide Therapy To Clients In A Traditional Office Setting?

  While I used to have an office-based counseling practice, right now my practice is completely online. I have found that online therapy gives my clients easier access to counseling services. Meeting online eliminates the struggle of having to deal with traffic to and from appointments, takes away the issue of needing childcare, and allows you to meet with me at a time and in a place that works specifically for you. 

• What about privacy? How does that work online? I’m a little worried.

  As a licensed professional counselor, I am bound by an ethical code of conduct that requires me to maintain client confidentiality and privacy, whether I’m working with clients in person or online. Therefore, when I meet with my clients, I ensure that I am alone in my private home office, away from anyone else, and I use a white noise machine to help block out any sounds. At times I also wear headphones to ensure that nothing you say can be heard by anyone else. The platform I use for sessions, TherapyNotes, is HIPAA compliant and encrypted, which ensures the highest level of protection and privacy for you. 

  It is also important for you to consider what steps you need to take in order to maintain your own privacy when we meet for your online therapy appointments. You will want to make sure that you are in a place that other people will not overhear our conversation. One of the greatest benefits of online therapy is that it allows you to meet with your therapist at a time and place that works for you. But, it is also very important for you to consider who may be around or nearby when you meet with me. Anticipating this and thinking through these concerns ahead of time will help to ensure that our sessions together are completely confidential. Wearing headphones adds a level of privacy for you as they prevent the things I say from being heard by anyone other than you. 

• What is the cancelation policy?

  • All cancelation requests need to be at least 48 hours in advance in order for the time to be filled by the next waiting client. If you do not cancel or request a rescheduled appointment at least 48 hours in advance then you will be charged $100. This is not refundable. Your time is valuable and so is the time committed to therapy. Exceptions can be made at the therapist’s discretion on a case by case basis.

• How long will counseling take?

  • What a popular question! In a world where we can look up the answer in an instant, we are all wanting to have an “end date” for most of our needs. Counseling works a bit differently. I do not beleive that most people in need to be in counseling forever or even for years at a time. This is done on a case by case basis based on what the goals of therapy are and what steps are taken both in session and outside of session. Therapy is both direct and supportive–it is a team effort. Some clients benefit from just a few sessions and others are here for longer to work through the crisis and the underlying stuff so that we don’t just put aband aid on missing limb. We work together until your goals are met and talking about the progress of where we are and how close we are to the end is an open conversation in the process. There is no secret finish line—you are clued in all the way.