Hospitalization is necessary when there is an imminent safety risk, such as active suicidal thoughts with a specific plan, intent, access to lethal means, a recent attempt, or highly risky impulsive behavior. Conversely, while self-harm is a sign of severe distress and poor coping skills, it is typically treated much more effectively in an intensive outpatient setting rather than an inpatient unit. My practice is designed to intercept these crises and build the coping skills necessary to safely manage distress outside of a hospital.

I make myself available by text and phone calls between sessions specifically for brief crisis intervention and coping skills coaching. I will return your call within an hour. In fact, I occasionally encourage clients to reach out between sessions to increase accountability and intercept problems before they turn into a full crisis. However, if there is an imminent risk of harm, you must call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Please note that coaching calls exceeding 20 minutes will be prorated at the standard session rate.

The initial evaluation is a 90-minute session focused on getting a comprehensive understanding of the client and their family. We will review social, medical, psychiatric, and academic functioning, along with significant life events that impact mental health. From there, we map out the exact situations, behaviors, triggers, and environmental factors keeping you stuck. By the end of the first or second session, we will have a clear, targeted treatment plan with measurable goals.

Yes. My specialty is complexity, and complex cases require a coordinated team. With your consent, I actively collaborate with psychiatrists, educational consultants, and school counselors, and other specialists to ensure our clinical strategy is aligned across all areas of your life.

For therapy to be fully effective, the young adult must be an active participant. While part of the initial work is helping to reignite their motivation for change, outcomes will be hindered if they remain completely disengaged. At that point, we can consider terminating or shift to working directly with the parents for support, consultation, and coaching. Through targeted parent coaching, we identify how the environment might be unintentionally accommodating their avoidance. We work on understanding and validating your child, while also setting highly effective boundaries, reducing your own burnout, and shifting the home environment in a way that often motivates the young adult to eventually engage in treatment.

This depends on the age of the client. If the client is a minor (under 18), parents are involved throughout the process and can join for joint sessions or check in at the beginning or end of a session. If the client is a young adult (over 18), individual sessions are strictly confidential to ensure a safe, trusting clinical environment. However, I often encourage my clients to include their parents, or schedule separate parent strategy sessions or bring parents into a joint session when it is clinically indicated and agreed upon by the young adult.

No. As a Clinical Psychologist (Psy.D.), my expertise is in advanced behavioral and psychological interventions (CBT, DBT). If I believe medication could aid our work, I will refer you to a trusted psychiatrist and we will collaborate closely on your care.

I am an out-of-network provider, which means I do not bill insurance directly. However, I provide a "superbill" (an itemized receipt) at the end of our sessions that you can submit to your insurance company for quick reimbursement. I recommend calling your provider prior to our first session to ask about your specific "out-of-network mental health benefits."

I require 24 hours' advance notice for cancellations to avoid a no show or any fees. For no-shows, I utilize a "three strikes" policy. If a client fails to show up for a session for a third time, you will be charged the full session fee.

I offer secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or SimplePractice to provide the convenience of highly accessible therapy. Virtual sessions are effective for both individual therapy and parent strategy sessions, allowing you to fit treatment into a demanding schedule without commuting.