Common questions

Use the secure inquiry link on the request page. It opens SimplePractice in a new tab. The form asks for your name, email, phone, date of birth, and state, the service you want, and how you heard about the practice. You can also pick the main reasons you are seeking care from a list. You can add an optional short note about what's prompting you to reach out. A sentence is plenty, such as 'anxiety,' 'couples,' or 'problematic gaming.' This website has no form and stores nothing you type. Even so, please save diagnoses, medication lists, and detailed health information for intake. I reply as availability allows. I am accepting new clients, with limited openings. If we're not the right fit, I'll do my best to suggest other resources. For supervision, select 'Clinical supervision (RMHCI)' so the request reaches the right place. Once we start working together, intake, scheduling, secure messaging, and billing all happen in SimplePractice, under a signed HIPAA Business Associate Agreement.

Your first session is an intake, usually 60 minutes. We cover three things. First, what's prompting you to reach out and what you've already tried. Second, relevant history, such as symptoms, past treatment, and life context. Third, what would make therapy useful right now. By the end, we share a working understanding of your goals and a first plan for the next few sessions. We also take care of the practical pieces: consent forms, confidentiality, the fee agreement, and safety planning. That way, later sessions can focus on the work itself. If we find during intake that we're not the right fit, we'll talk about it openly and I'll help with referral options.

I currently work with Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UnitedHealthcare behavioral health, Ascension SmartHealth, Quest Behavioral Health, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Original Medicare. I do not accept Medicare Advantage plans unless I say otherwise in writing. Coverage varies by plan. Copays, deductibles, authorization rules, and telehealth coverage all differ, so please check your benefits with your insurer before starting care. Evaluations have self-pay prices. Some parts may be billed to Medicare or an in-network plan, and forms for employers or testing programs are usually self-pay. Under the No Surprises Act, you have the right to a written Good Faith Estimate if you have no insurance, if you choose not to use your private insurance, or if a service is not covered by your private plan. It does not apply if you have Medicare. If you have Medicare, I tell you in writing before you schedule which parts Medicare covers and what any other part will cost. See the fees and insurance page for full pricing and the Good Faith Estimate notice.

It depends on what you need the evaluation for. The ADHD evaluation is for adults and teens 12 and older who think they may have ADHD, want a clear answer, or need documentation for a prescriber, school, or employer. It comes in two versions. The diagnostic evaluation supports treatment planning. The version with accommodation documentation adds standardized testing and a report that follows the testing program's published documentation standard. The bariatric pre-surgery evaluation is for people whose surgeon or insurance requires a behavioral-health evaluation before weight-loss surgery. Disability and workplace evaluations cover FMLA certification, ADA workplace accommodations, and private short-term or long-term disability claims. Social Security (SSI/SSDI) evaluations are not offered. If you are not sure which one fits, send a secure inquiry. Tell me what you need to document, who is asking for it, and any deadline.

Read more: ADHD evaluation · Bariatric pre-surgical evaluation · Disability and workplace evaluations

It depends on who will read the report, so ask them first. Each school, testing program, employer, surgical program, insurer, and agency sets its own rules about the documentation it needs and who may write it. The Florida LMHC license covers clinical assessment and diagnostic evaluation. Even so, some insurers and surgical programs require a psychiatrist or a licensed clinical psychologist for certain evaluations. Before you schedule, ask the organization what it needs and whether it accepts a report from a licensed mental health counselor. The organization that receives the report decides whether to accept it and how much weight to give it. For SAT accommodations, College Board decides each request. Fees do not guarantee a diagnosis, a particular report conclusion, or approval of a request.

It depends on the evaluation. These are the timelines listed on each evaluation page. ADHD evaluation: the written summary comes within one week of the last session, and the whole process takes about two weeks from intake. Bariatric pre-surgery evaluation: the report is usually ready 3 to 5 business days after the evaluation session, and it goes to your surgical team with your signed authorization. Disability and workplace evaluations: 72 hours to 7 business days, depending on the type and scope. FMLA forms are the quickest, and private disability insurance documentation takes the longest. If you have a deadline, such as a surgery date, a test date, or an employer due date, mention it when you reach out.

Sometimes, in part. The evaluation prices on this site are self-pay prices. If you have Original Medicare or a plan I am in network with, please ask before you schedule, because some parts may need to be billed to your plan. Forms for employers or testing programs are usually self-pay. If I am not in network with your plan, I can give you a superbill to send to your plan. Whether a plan pays anything varies and is not guaranteed. If you have no insurance or choose not to use your private insurance, you get a written Good Faith Estimate for any part you pay for yourself. If you have Medicare, I tell you in writing before you schedule which parts Medicare covers and what any other part will cost. The fees and insurance page lists every evaluation fee.

Read more: Fees and insurance · Good Faith Estimate notice

Integrative. The work balances three things on purpose. Insight means understanding the pattern that keeps the problem going. Skills are tools that work outside the session. Integration is a plan that fits the life you go back to between visits. I draw on psychodynamic, insight-oriented work for patterns and meaning, and on CBT-informed skills for changing thoughts and behavior. For couples, I use EFT-informed strategies, behavioral and integrative couples-therapy principles, and Gottman-informed tools. I do not promise transformation. I do offer a structured way to understand what keeps the pattern going, and a plan that we revisit as you change. The pace and approach follow your goals, not a one-size-fits-all manual.

There is no fixed length. Some clients come for focused, short-term work on one issue and finish in 12–20 sessions. Others work longer on long-standing patterns, personality dynamics, or trust repair in couples work. Sessions are usually weekly, especially early on or during active repair work. Every other week often makes sense as the work settles. We check progress from time to time and adjust the plan as needed. You're free to stop at any time. The honest answer to 'how long' is that it depends on what you came for. Focused skill-building moves faster than pattern work, and pattern work moves faster than repair after a serious rupture.

Yes, when outpatient telehealth is clinically appropriate. The work is paced and pattern-focused, with attention to both insight and concrete skills. Personality disorder presentations, such as borderline, narcissistic, or avoidant patterns, often come with anxiety, depression, or relationship stress. We'll work on what's most pressing while also looking at the longer-running patterns. Some situations need a higher level of care than outpatient telehealth can safely provide. Examples include active suicidality that needs crisis stabilization, severe self-harm, or ongoing court-ordered treatment. In those cases I'll talk with you about appropriate options. What decides it is whether outpatient telehealth can safely hold what you're carrying, not the diagnostic label.

Therapy takes place by telehealth. Evaluations are virtual by default; in-person testing components are arranged when an exam or instrument requires them. Telehealth anchors the practice for three reasons. It reaches clients across Florida without a commute or a move. It keeps care going through work travel within Florida, a temporary move, or a busy schedule. And the energy you'd spend getting to a session goes into the session itself. Sessions use SimplePractice's HIPAA-compliant video. On a computer you join in your browser; on a phone or tablet you use the free SimplePractice telehealth app. State licensure rules require you to be physically located in Florida at the time of each session. We'll confirm your location and an emergency contact when you start care. For most adults, video therapy works about as well as in-person care, especially for anxiety and depression. Early research on video couples therapy is promising.

This practice is not set up for emergencies or imminent-risk care, and this website is not monitored for crisis messages. If you need immediate help, call or text 988 (the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). If you are in immediate danger, call 911. When you start care, we agree on how to handle emergencies and confirm an emergency contact. If you're a current client in crisis between sessions and you are not in immediate danger, you can also message me through the SimplePractice client portal. It is not a 24/7 channel, though, and it should not be your only safety plan. If high risk is ongoing, a higher level of care than outpatient telehealth may be the right fit.