FAQ

I see clients out of my office in Northglenn, which is easily accessible from 120th or 104th Avenue and I-25. There is ramp access at the West end of the building if you need to avoid stairs.

11166 Huron Street Suite 26Northglenn, CO 80234

Typical sessions are 45-50 minutes long.

To make an appointment, please call me for an initial 15-minute consultation: (720) 466-5667.

If it seems like I am a good fit to help you, we will schedule your first appointment at the end of our call.

If you don’t want to make the initial call and would prefer that I call you, you can send me a message instead.

I require 24 hours’ notice to cancel an appointment. This time allows the opportunity for someone else to schedule an appointment.

If you cannot give 24 hours’ notice, you will be charged the full amount for your missed appointment. Anyone who forgets their appointment will be considered a “no-show” and will be charged for their “missed” appointment using the credit card on file.

No, I am not heartless. I understand there are emergencies from time to time, which is why I allow one last-minute cancellation in a six-month period with no charge.

If you arrive late, your session may be shortened to accommodate others whose appointments follow yours. Regardless of the length of treatment given, you will be responsible for the “full” session.

The easiest way to pay is by credit, debit, HAS, or FSA card. You will be automatically charged after each session. You can also pay by cash or check.

No, I don’t. I stopped taking insurance, partially because it helps to ensure your confidentiality and privacy. I have found that insurance limits what treatment methods we can use in the session.

If you want to submit receipts to your insurance company, I can provide receipts for you. You may need to get advanced authorization from your insurance provider to ensure the sessions will be reimbursed.

Please be advised that if you get reimbursed by insurance, your insurance may request copies of your therapy notes, which are records of what occurred in each therapy session. While I ensure strict confidentiality in my practice, I have no control over how they use your information when it is in their possession.

Additionally, if you choose to use your out-of-network benefits for reimbursement, I will be required to label you with a mental health diagnosis (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, etc.) to prove “medical necessity” for therapy. This diagnosis may become part of your permanent record. Just because you attend therapy does not mean that you have an illness or a disorder that requires a permanent label.

I primarily treat adults of all ages, but have made exceptions for older teens-it depends on what they want to work on. I accept people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, belief systems, and religions to my practice.

I recognize that there are cultural or religious factors that may influence your decisions and how you live your life. While I generally may have some knowledge of these factors, I encourage you to share how they show up in your life specifically.

Not at all. Everyone needs help now and then.

You already have some strengths that you’ve used before, but, for whatever reason, they aren’t working right now. Perhaps the problem in front of you feels overwhelming and makes it difficult to remember those strengths you’ve leveraged in the past.

In our work together, I’ll help you identify what those strengths are and how effectively use them again to address what is happening now. You will also benefit from learning new skills for this new challenge.

Your therapy sessions will look and feel like a conversation with a purpose. We will keep in mind the goals you have for coming to therapy. I ask questions. You think and respond. You ask questions. I think and respond.

We explore distinct patterns and themes that come up while you’re talking. If you have something specific you want to talk about and work through, great! Let’s talk about that. If not, that’s okay, too. I will keep us on track with your therapy goals. You show up and stay open to exploring what comes up.

Since no two people are identical, I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs; therefore, no two sessions are alike. I will provide education on topics as needed and explore different exercises and activities that you can work on outside of our weekly sessions. The goal is to take what you learn in those 50 minutes and apply it to your daily life. In between sessions is where you will see the most improvement.

We will discuss difficult topics; and you may feel sadness, anger, and other emotions during our sessions. This is normal, but it can also be scary to let yourself feel strong emotions. I will be there with you, though. I will walk you through how to experience the emotion, figure out why you’re feeling that way, and help you manage the emotion. (Tip #1: Avoiding emotions doesn’t help them go away.)

My clients have said that they leave sessions feeling relieved, lighter, hopeful, optimistic, more energized, motivated, and empowered. By the time we have completed our journey together, you will have gained insights into yourself, tools to help you manage challenges that come up, and more peace and contentment in your life.

It really depends on your goals and needs. Ideally, your goals and the end of therapy will be part of an ongoing discussion that we have together. I often like to ask when you know you will be “done” with therapy: What does the “new you” look like, what will you have accomplished through therapy, and how does the “new you” behave?

Some people choose to stay in therapy for many months as a support to ride the ebb and flow of life. Some may just need a little time and support to address a specific issue when it comes up.

Generally, I recommend sessions weekly or every other week to start. Once you get some momentum toward achieving your goals, we increase the amount of time between sessions until you have come to a point where you believe you have accomplished what you wanted to out of therapy and gotten the results you were looking for. That’s when we terminate therapy.

My approach uses various tools and techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), person-centered therapy, existential therapy, Gestalt therapy, and, when appropriate, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

You might laugh in session with me, too. Clients tell me that I am approachable, warm, caring, and compassionate, and that they feel respected, understood, safe, and hopeful, in sessions with me. They would also tell you that I can be direct at times but that this comes from a place of caring and empathy… and a passion to help you reach your own goals.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado, a Licensed Addictions Counselor in Colorado, and an EMDR-Consultant-in-Training. I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Loretto Heights College in Denver and my master’s degree in Counseling from Regis University in Denver.

I have worked with children, teens, and their families; couples; and individuals, including veterans and homeless clients – all from different backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual preferences, and religions.

I have worked as a therapist in various settings (many in downtown Denver), including outpatient treatment centers, high schools, a detox center, and transitional residential treatment.

I have also taught therapy groups for teens and adults, and I’ve managed two substance abuse clinics. I am proud to have helped create and pilot a program with the Colorado Quit Line for pregnant mothers who want to stop using tobacco during pregnancy. I have also provided clinical supervision for aspiring counselors, and I enjoy mentoring new therapists.

I believe learning is a lifelong endeavor, and I regularly seek out new methods and trainings to ensure I am using the most recent and relevant therapy methods possible.

Clients who get the best results:

• Want to change and/or improve their life but might not know what to do or where to start.
• Are taking steps to improve their world (starting therapy counts!).
• See inward reflection as beneficial.
• Are open to feedback or will learn to become comfortable with it.
• Are committed to meeting together and doing the work needed to see changes, including trying new things that we discuss.
• Are open and honest, even if it doesn’t make them “look good” and especially if they don’t understand something I say.

Definitely not. We will work together to find what is missing in your life, whether it is peace of mind, managing your emotions, figuring out how to navigate a new challenge, learning skills to lower your stress levels, or something else.

You will still be you, and with less of what you don’t want and more of what you do want for your life. You will uncover the better version of you and learn to be comfortable being your true self. And not who I think you need to be, but who you want to be. Sound exciting?

I enjoy our conversations, too. But if I am doing my job right, I am helping you build the skills and resources within yourself to tackle life’s challenges, so you won’t need to be in therapy forever. My goal is for my clients to gain independence and control over their life satisfaction without becoming reliant on one thing or person.

Of course, if you need a refresher on skills or if other problems come up that you would like to work on, you are welcome to resume services.

Besides, is staying in therapy forever what you want, or do you want to find friends and supports in your life who “get you”? Now THAT is a great counseling goal for us to work on!

It rarely happens; however, it is possible our paths may cross at a store in town. If we ever did see each other out in public, I will not acknowledge you unless you speak with me first. I do this to protect your privacy and to avoid the awkward “so how do you know her” questions from others.

Feel free to say hello if you like, but please save any “therapy” talk for session time.

It’s natural to be curious about your therapist since you are spending so much time talking about your world and know so little of the person sitting across from you. In therapy, this is a good thing.

Therapy is about you, and it’s the time of the week where you are encouraged to be selfish and think only about yourself.

Though you are welcome to ask any questions you would like, know that I will only answer questions that serve a direct benefit to you and your treatment.

I am human, so, yes, I have tough times, too. We all go through difficult periods in life, as well as various life transitions that can shake us up a little or a whole lot.

I rely on supports and tools that work for me to get through tough times. Together, we will find what works for you.

On the other side of the tough times is usually a great insight or lesson, but you can’t get to that unless you go through whatever it is that you are struggling with. I will provide support and offer ideas as you get through your personal struggles.

Definitely not. I wish I could have my whole life figured out, but I don’t know if that is realistic. (Again, the human thing.) I am a work-in-progress.

I have unfinished projects and goals, experience conflict with loved ones at times, have health issues, and deal with whatever else life happens to throw at me. I like having things to work on; otherwise, I think I would be bored.

I will support you as you look for your own answers on how to live your best life.

I would have a hidden library with a nook for reading and napping. It would also have a balcony with a telescope for viewing stars at night.

… maybe a disco ball and good sound system, too, in case I wanted to dance.

And a chocolate fountain for sure!

Keeping my orchids alive, yoga, walking, reading, playing with my dogs, and playing computer games.