What to Expect

Therapy opens our minds, expands our consciousness, improves our relationships, and helps us to live the happiest, most fulfilled life we can. I believe everyone can benefit from therapy. But, sometimes it takes a lot of courage to make the call and show up to your first appointment. So, I’ve put together some information to take the guess work out of it, so you know what to expect.

Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation

Studies show that the number one factor leading to a successful outcome from therapy is a good therapeutic relationship. So, it’s vitally important you find a therapist you click with and feel you can trust. I provide a free 15 minute phone consultation to all prospective clients. This is a chance for us to connect and see if we may be a good fit. If I’m not the best fit for you, I can provide referrals to other therapists in my network. I run a Facebook group for therapists in San Diego with over 550 members currently and I know many of them personally so I can recommend someone who may be a better fit for you.

During your free phone consultation, I’ll ask you to briefly share some information about what brings you to therapy. I’ll also share some information about the type of therapy I use (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and provide some logistical information about my fee and how I work. I’ll invite you to ask questions and I may ask some further questions for clarification. At the end of our conversation, you may choose to think about whether I may be a good fit for you or go ahead and schedule while on the phone. Schedule your free 15 minute phone consultation now.

What if I’m Ready to Schedule Now?

If you don’t want to connect first for a free 15 minute consultation and are ready to schedule your first appointment now, you can click on the BOOK NOW button on the lower right side of the site.

Complete Intake Forms and Set Up Payment Online

After you schedule your initial appointment, I will send you an email through my secure, encrypted, HIPPA compliant practice management software, Simple Practice. Just click the link in the email and choose a password to access your client portal. Once in the client portal, you will be asked to enter some information and to complete your new client paperwork electronically. Please complete this paperwork at least 24 hours prior to your first appointment. Allow 20-30 minutes to complete the paperwork.

Online Therapy

Due to Covid-19, I offer therapy online only, not in person. Online therapy is proven to be as effective as in person therapy and clients like that it's more convenient.

First Appointment

During your first therapy session, the most important task is to begin to develop rapport with your therapist. I will try to create a warm and inviting environment where you can begin to feel safe and secure so that we can establish trust. Please make sure to read information about confidentiality and limits of confidentiality in your new client forms you sign before your first appointment on the client portal. Since you sign ahead of time, I will assume you have read all information provided in detail so we will not review all the forms in detail during your session. Instead, we will jump right into the topics that brought you into therapy to make the best use of our time together. I will ask you for more information about what brings you in and share some more information about my therapeutic process. If you are coming for couples therapy, I will ask each couple to share, ensuring that both partners feel heard and understood equally.

Process

I am trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques which I’m able to draw from depending on the particular issues brought into therapy. That said, for couples counseling and premarital therapy, I exclusively use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), because it is believed it to be the most effective couples counseling technique. For singles or individual relationship therapy, I draw on Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Psychodynamic Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and a variety of other therapies I’ve been trained to use.