The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food.
-Dean Ornish
Connecting with me
1
Decide If I’m the Right Fit for You
Counseling can be a lot like dating - you have to find the person you can connect and be vulnerable with. You will find an overview of my approach to counseling and how I work with clients under the “Services” section of this page. After reviewing this information, if you feel I’m the right fit for you, move on to Step 2.
2
Schedule an Initial Consultation Below
This is a 15-minute phone call that allows me to hear a little bit about your needs and ensure that I am the best person to help.
3
Attend Your First Appointment
During our first appointment, we will discuss in greater detail your personal and health histories, your current challenges, your current strengths and skills, and begin developing a plan to get you where you would like to be.
My Therapeutic Approach
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Attachment-Focused Therapy
Research shows that our attachment styles as children and the care we receive from our caretakers create a template that significantly impacts our attachment styles as adults, particularly in romantic relationships, as well as our ability to regulate our emotions and connect and relate to others. An “insecure” attachment style has been associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and chronic loneliness. Trauma also interrupts a healthy attachment system.
I primarily utilize an Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) approach to assist clients in identifying their attachment style and work to overcome the challenges associated with it to improve their ability to form secure, meaningful relationships with themselves and others.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. This may include traumatic memories, depression, and anxiety.
In addition, I am trained in specific protocols for EMDR to treat substance use/compulsive behaviors as well as attachment issues.
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Gottman-Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy
Gottman Method: Couples will increase closeness and friendship behaviors, lean to address conflict productively, and partner around building a life of shared meaning together. The Gottman Method involves customizing principles from years of research to each couple’s particular patterns and challenges.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy works with couples to take control of the dances of disconnection and conflict and increase security, closeness, and connection in intimate relationships by learning to express and respond to each other’s emotional needs.
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Brene Brown Theories & Methodologies
I love Brene Brown and use a lot of her philosophies and research on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy to help clients feel happier, increase self-esteem, get through difficult experiences, and improve their relationships with others and themselves.
What to Expect From Working With Me in the Words of My Clients:
M. W. :
“Thanks for being a safety net for me and for helping me process through and find my way. This is not easy - but at least in you I have found safety & trust.”
M. R.
“I appreciate when you challenge me and when you actually make me think. I also appreciate your humor and sarcasm - thank you for bringing who you are (I assume) in the outside world into the therapy room because it makes it so much easier to build rapport with you.”
Counseling
FAQs
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While I do accept most major insurances, please be aware that choosing to utilize your insurance does come with some risk. Primarily, it means that you will need to meet “medical necessity” for services and be given a mental health diagnosis. This may also mean when you go to get life insurance or apply for a job that requests your medical records as part of the background check process, they may use your diagnosis as a way to say, “this person needs to have higher premiums because of their potential emotional state,” or “we don’t trust this person to manage (blank) task because they have xxx diagnosis.”
If you do choose to utilize insurance, I use a company named Headway to manage my billing and admin work so I can place all my focus on our work together. Headway manages everything related to payments and insurance to make things as easy as possible .
Before your first appointment, the Headway team will reach out via email to help you set up your account and add your insurance and payment details. You’ll see your cost/session ahead of time and can check your benefits at any time.
If you decide not to use insurance, my rate per individual counseling session is $150 per 50-minute session and $200 for relationship therapy.
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Yes. My office is located on Prince Avenue in a medical park directly behind the Village Drug Shoppe. Furthermore, my office is easily accessible through the Athens-Clarke County bus system.
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Therapy varies depending on the personalities of the counselor and client, as well as the particular concerns brought forward. Sometimes the chemistry between the counselor and client or the counselor’s style or approach just isn’t a good fit. The relationship between the client and the therapist is of utmost importance. Therefore, I work to create a safe environment where open and honest communication is encouraged so that concerns or questions about treatment or the relationship can be addressed in session. This often benefits the therapeutic process and deepens the therapeutic relationship.
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During therapy you will begin to discuss and share your feelings, thoughts, and reactions in order for you to begin to gain insight, develop new thinking patters, coping skills and overall improved quality of life. It is natural to feel uncomfortable about opening up at first but this process because much easier after a few sessions. Since self-growth is possible through commitment and work I will encourage you to practice the things you discuss and learn outside of session.
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The number of sessions needed is different for everyone depending on a number of factors including but not limited to your goals, severity or intensity of your concerns or symptoms, how long you’ve been dealing with your concerns, current levels of stress, and the progress you make towards reaching your short or long-term goals.
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In general, all communications between a client and counselor are confidential and can only be released with the client’s written permission. However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:
When there is a reasonable suspicion of child/dependent abuse or of an elder adult.
When the client communicates a threat of bodily injury to others.
When the client is suicidal.
When disclosure is required pursuant to a legal proceeding