Frequently asked questions

Understanding yourself

Many of the questions that bring women to therapy have deeper answers than you might expect. Understanding where these patterns come from is often the first step toward lasting change.

Why do I feel anxious even when nothing is wrong?

Many people feel confused because their lives look stable on the surface, yet their mind and body remain on high alert. This often happens when your nervous system learned earlier in life that it needed to stay vigilant to stay safe or maintain connection with others. Therapy helps you understand where these patterns developed so your nervous system no longer has to stay in survival mode.

Why do I overthink everything even when I know I'll be okay?

Overthinking is often a protective strategy your mind developed to try to prevent mistakes, rejection, or conflict. If your system learned that getting things "right" was important for maintaining approval or avoiding criticism, your mind may constantly scan for potential problems. Therapy helps you understand the deeper fears driving this pattern so you can respond with more confidence instead of constantly anticipating what might go wrong.

Why is it so hard to stop people-pleasing?

People-pleasing is rarely just a habit. It’s usually a protective strategy that developed earlier in life when maintaining connection with others felt essential. If expressing needs or boundaries once led to conflict, criticism, or disconnection, your system may have learned to prioritize others’ comfort to keep relationships stable. Therapy helps you understand these patterns so expressing your needs and setting boundaries begins to feel safer.

Why do I understand my patterns but still can't change them?

Many people who seek therapy already have strong insight into their patterns. They may know why they struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, or people-pleasing, yet still feel unable to respond differently in the moment. Insight is important, but it doesn't always change how your nervous system responds in the moment.

Approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR help address the deeper experiences driving these reactions so change happens emotionally, not just intellectually.

Why do I feel so responsible for other people’s emotions?

Many people learned early in life that managing other people’s feelings helped maintain peace or connection in their relationships. Over time, this can create a strong sense of responsibility for how others feel. Therapy helps you understand where this pattern developed so you can stay connected to others without feeling responsible for managing their emotions.

Why do small situations trigger such strong reactions?

When a reaction feels bigger than the situation itself, it’s often connected to earlier experiences that shaped how your nervous system responds to certain cues. Therapy helps uncover those connections so your reactions begin to feel more proportional and manageable.

Why do I feel successful on the outside but still struggle internally?

Many women appear calm, capable, and successful on the outside while privately struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, or constant pressure. When achievement became tied to feeling accepted, valued, or safe earlier in life, success can begin to feel like something that always has to be earned. Therapy helps you untangle those patterns so your worth no longer depends on how much you're accomplishing.

Why does perfectionism feel impossible to turn off?

Perfectionism is often driven by a deeper fear of criticism, rejection, or not being "enough." Even when part of you knows your standards are unrealistic, another part may still believe perfection is necessary. Therapy helps you understand where that pressure came from so it no longer has to run your life.

Why do I keep repeating the same relationship patterns?

Many relationship patterns develop early in life when we learn what’s required to maintain connection with others. If emotional needs were dismissed, criticized, or ignored, you may unconsciously recreate familiar dynamics in adult relationships. Therapy helps you understand why these patterns developed so you can begin creating relationships that feel safer, more secure, and more fulfilling.

Choosing a therapist is an important decision. These are some of the questions people often ask as they're deciding whether my approach feels like the right fit.

What if I've already tried therapy before?

Most of my clients have participated in therapy before and gained valuable insight into their patterns. What they're often looking for is an approach that helps create emotional shifts, not just intellectual understanding.

Rather than focusing only on coping strategies or talking through problems, I use approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR to help you understand and heal the deeper experiences that continue to shape your reactions today.

Do I have to talk about my childhood?

Not necessarily. While early experiences often help us understand where certain emotional patterns developed, we don't need to revisit every detail of your childhood for therapy to be meaningful.

We'll focus on the experiences that feel most relevant to what you're struggling with today and move at a pace that feels emotionally safe. The goal isn't to stay stuck in the past, it's to understand how it may still be influencing your life so you can create meaningful change in the present.

What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy approach that helps you understand the different parts of yourself that developed through life experiences. For example, one part of you may become anxious, another may people-please to avoid conflict, while another pushes you toward perfection.

Rather than trying to get rid of these reactions, IFS helps us understand why they developed and what they've been trying to protect you from. As those patterns begin to feel understood, they often soften naturally, allowing you to respond with more confidence, clarity, and self-trust.

Learn more about ifs →

How do I know if EMDR is right for me?

EMDR can be helpful if you feel like certain experiences continue to affect how you respond today, even when you logically know you're safe. It can be especially effective for processing unresolved experiences that still contribute to anxiety, perfectionism, relationship struggles, or emotional reactivity.

Whether EMDR is the right fit depends on your goals and what you're hoping to work on. During your consultation or intake, we'll decide together whether EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or a combination of both would best support your healing.

Learn more about emdr →

Can therapy really help me change patterns that I've had for years?

Yes. Many of the women I work with have spent years understanding their patterns without feeling able to change them. Insight is important, but lasting change often happens when we begin working with the emotional experiences and nervous system responses underneath those patterns.

Over time, many clients notice they feel less reactive, more grounded, and more able to respond intentionally instead of automatically. While healing isn't about becoming a different person, it can help you feel more like yourself.

Starting therapy doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Here's what you can expect from the process if we decide we're a good fit.

How do I know if we’d be a good fit?

Finding the right therapist is an important part of the process. During your free consultation, we'll talk about what you're hoping to work on, answer any questions you have, and explore whether my approach feels like the right fit for your needs.

The consultation also gives you a chance to get a feel for how I work before deciding whether you'd like to move forward.

What’s the process to get started?

You can begin by reaching out through the contact form on my website. I'll respond by email and offer times for a complimentary 20-minute consultation.

During that conversation, we'll talk about what's bringing you to therapy, answer any questions you have, and determine whether working together feels like a good fit. If it does, we'll schedule your intake session and get you set up in the client portal.

What happens during the first session?

Your first session is a one-time, 60-minute intake session designed to help me get to know you and better understand what's bringing you to therapy.

Rather than feeling like an interview, the intake is designed to feel conversational so we can begin identifying patterns, clarifying your goals, and building a foundation for our work together.

I ask that all intake paperwork be completed at least 24 hours before your appointment so I have time to carefully review your history beforehand. This allows us to spend more of our session focused on meaningful conversation rather than gathering background information.

What if I've never been to therapy before?

That’s okay! You don't need to know exactly where to start or have everything figured out before reaching out.

We'll move at a pace that feels comfortable, and you're never expected to share more than you're ready to. My role is to guide the process, answer your questions, and help you feel supported from the very beginning.

How long does therapy usually last?

There's no set timeline because therapy looks different for everyone. Some clients come with a specific goal they'd like to work through, while others are looking for longer-term support as they continue understanding themselves and creating lasting change.

We'll regularly check in about your goals to make sure therapy continues to feel helpful, meaningful, and aligned with what you need.

What are your fees?

20-minute consultation: Free

60-minute intake session: $300

60-minute therapy session: $300

90-minute therapy session: $450

Ongoing therapy sessions include a personalized post-session summary.

Payment is due at the time of service. Major credit and debit cards are accepted, and HSA/FSA cards may also be accepted depending on your plan.

Why do you offer 90-minute sessions?

Earlier in my career, when I primarily offered 60-minute sessions, I noticed the same pattern again and again—we'd spend the first part of each session reconnecting to where we left off, making sense of what happened since we last met, and discovering what felt most important that day. Around 40 minutes in, we would finally get to what mattered most, but it was already time to wrap up.

I intentionally designed my practice around 90-minute sessions as my signature format. They give us more time to settle in naturally, follow what's unfolding without feeling rushed, and stay with the work long enough for meaningful exploration.

Many clients tell me they accomplish more in a single 90-minute session than they felt they could over multiple shorter sessions. The time between appointments also gives them space to reflect, process, and integrate what we've explored.

I also offer 60-minute sessions, and we'll determine together which format best supports your needs, goals, and preferences.

How often will we meet?

Sessions are scheduled weekly or biweekly, depending on your needs, goals, and preferences. You'll have a consistent, recurring appointment time on the same day and at the same time according to your agreed-upon schedule.

We'll decide together on the frequency and session length that best support your work.

Do you offer therapy intensives?

Yes. In addition to ongoing therapy, I offer therapy intensives for clients looking for a more focused, immersive experience.

Some clients choose to begin with an intensive, while others start with ongoing therapy and schedule an intensive later. During your consultation, we'll talk through which option best fits your goals and circumstances.

Learn more about intensives →

Do you accept insurance?

No. I'm a private-pay, out-of-network provider, which allows us to structure therapy around your needs rather than insurance requirements.

If your plan includes out-of-network benefits, I can provide a superbill for possible reimbursement when an appropriate diagnosis and billing codes can be established. Reimbursement is determined by your insurance plan.

Can I use my out-of-network benefits?

It's possible! Many insurance plans offer out-of-network mental health benefits that may reimburse a portion of your session fee. Because every plan is different, I recommend contacting your insurance provider to ask about your specific coverage.

When an appropriate diagnosis and billing codes can be established, I can provide a superbill for you to submit for possible reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement are determined by your insurance plan.

Still have questions?

If you didn't find the answer you were looking for, I'm happy to help! Reach out anytime, and we can talk through your questions to see whether working together feels like the right fit.