What You Can Expect
Process
A free 15-minute consultation call to see if we’re a fit for each other.
An intake to understand who you are, where you come from, and where you want to go so we can lay out a map for our treatment together. I typically spend 1-3 sessions on the intake process. At the end, we’ll discuss how long therapy should last and how we’ll evaluate your progress.
Ongoing therapy to make the changes you want to see. We’ll look at key patterns and themes in your life and discuss concrete skills that can help you live a fuller life.
Philosophy
Personalized. There is no “one size fits all” in therapy and you can be sure that I’ll make our work unique to who you are and what you need.
Proven. My full time job as a researcher makes sure that I’m on top of the cutting-edge science of therapy, so you get innovative, science-backed therapy.
Practical. Therapy isn’t an echo chamber. You can be sure that our time spent together will give you the tools you need to get you closer to your goals.
Personable. I use humor and build genuine relationships with all clients.
Approaches
There are countless different approaches to therapy out there and even more opinions about which approach might work best for you.
I provide a principle-based approach to therapy, which means that I draw on the core components from my training in multiple different theories and approaches (e.g., psychodynamic, cognitive-behavior, and emotion-focused therapy) to give you the best therapy possible.
I have also received specialized training in these specific treatments:
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), including the Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders, Exposure and Response Prevention, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. CBT helps you become more aware of your patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and how to change patterns that aren’t serving you well. Learn more about CBT here and here.
Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) for chronic depression. CBASP helps you learn how to solve problems in your life, one step at a time, and to build more genuine relationships. Learn about CBASP here.
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) for relationship distress. IBCT helps couples learn how to better listen to one another and build tools for navigating your unique pattern of conflict. Learn more about IBCT here.
Trauma-focused treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). CPT, PE, and WET help you to effectively process trauma in a safe, supportive environment. Learn more about trauma-focused treatments here.
FAQs
My training and expertise are well-suited to clients looking to navigate a number of life challenges and specific mental health concerns, including but not limited to:
Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Anxiety (worry, panic, phobias)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder
Substance use
Chronic stress and coping
Emotion dysregulation
Social disconnection
Relationship issues
Intimate partner violence
LGBTQ issues
Systemic oppression
Also take a look at my specialties (below) and my background for a better idea of how my experience may align with what you’re hoping to work on in therapy.
What concerns do you treat?
Do you offer in person therapy?
I currently only offer virtual services for clients physically located in New York State. I plan to offer in-person services in the near future.
What’s your fee? Do you take insurance?
I am currently an out-of-network provider with all insurance companies. You may have out-of-network benefits where your insurance will reimburse you. For example, many plans reimburse up to 80% of session fees. My fee is $300 per 45-50 minute session, which means you would end up only paying $60 per session after reimbursement. I know navigating insurance can be incredibly overwhelming, so I use a platform called Thrizer that helps you navigate out-of-network benefits easily. If you’re interested in working with me, please do not let my out-of-network status deter you. I will work with you to explain how to use your out-of-network benefits if you have never done that before. I’m also very dedicated to making sure the cost of therapy is reasonable for you, so please discuss sliding scale options with me if you need them. It doesn’t hurt to talk about the cost of therapy with me and this is part of every free consultation call I do.
When do you offer appointments?
I see clients part-time. I have afternoon/evening availability on Wednesdays and all-day availability on Fridays. I work full-time at CUNY doing research and training therapists, so I have limited availability outside of these hours.
How do I know if therapy is working?
My goal as a therapist, ultimately, is to put myself out of a job. This means I work to make sure that we’re not spending more time than you need on the progress you want to see. In my work with clients, I continually check in about progress both formally (via questionnaires) and informally (via discussions about how you’re doing). You can expect me to continually monitor how therapy meets your needs and to update your treatment plan collaboratively with you based on your progress.
How long and how often do you meet?
I typically offer weekly 45-50 minute sessions for individual therapy and weekly 50 minute sessions for couple therapy.
For some trauma-related concerns, I may offer an extended session (75 or 90 minutes), but I’ll let you know when we discuss your treatment plan if I think an extended session would be best for you.
Therapy tends to work best when you can commit to weekly appointments. However, depending on your needs and financial situation, I am happy to discuss alternative frequencies (e.g., every other week; monthly).
Specialties
Although I have well-rounded training to treat a variety of concerns (see above), given my unique expertise, I’m particularly well-suited for people wanting to improve in these areas:
LGBTQ+ concerns
As a queer therapist, I’ve dedicated my career to improving the mental and relationship health of LGBTQ+ people. I completed advanced fellowship training in LGBTQ-affirmative therapy at the Yale School of Public Health, where I developed specialized expertise in the delivery, supervision, and training of LGBTQ-affirmative therapy from the world’s leaders in this area. I train therapists and conduct research on how therapy can better address the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
Chronic depression
Many people who have struggled with depression for long periods of their lives feel like there’s no way out. I’m extensively trained in an innovative treatment specifically designed for people with chronic, longstanding depression. It’s called Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy and I’m among few providers who offer this treatment.
Relationship issues
Relationships powerfully shape who we are and how we see ourselves. Yet, no matter how much we love our partners, we sometimes get stuck in unhelpful cycles of conflict. I’ve trained closely with pioneers in the field of romantic relationships and regularly conduct research on how stress impacts relationships. Further, I have valuable experience studying and working with high-conflict couples who want to change destructive behaviors in their relationship.
Trauma and PTSD
Trauma comes in many forms and can fundamentally alter the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world. Having spent much of my training in Veterans Affairs hospitals, I have vast experience and expertise in state-of-the-art treatments for trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. This means you can trust that I can help you productively, safely, and effectively process the ways that trauma has impacted your life.
