Frequently asked questions
What are your rates?
My rates are currently $175 per 50-minute session. You can double-check this on my rates page in case there has been a recent change.
Do you accept insurance or submit superbills?
Unfortunately not. Since my specialization is in Somatic Experiencing (and before that, therapeutic bodywork) rather than talk therapy, I don't have the licensure required to bill for insurance, nor would most insurance companies accept my superbills.
I do, however, often offer sliding scale slots.
Do you offer sliding scale sessions?
Yes. I try to keep at least one or two sliding scale slots available to be as accessible as I can be while still maintaining a stable income.
I generally recommend clients do sessions either weekly or every other week, so if you'd like to request a sliding scale, simply e-mail me ([email protected]) and let me know a fee you'd be able to afford for weekly sessions, as well as the fee you could afford for twice monthly sessions. I can then add you to my list, or potentially have immediate slots available.
How often do you recommend I come?
I like to compare SE (Somatic Experiencing) to physical therapy or personal training: You come in to train, building strength and new abilities in your nervous system. Because it's training over time I recommend you come consistently enough that your body can build off of what we did last session.
To that end, I recommend you come either weekly or every other week, if possible.
What's the difference between talk therapy and Somatic Experiencing? You mentioned you aren't a therapist?
Correct. I'm not licensed as a LMFT, LMHC, or LICSW; in short, I'm not a talk therapist. Instead of deciding to go that route, I trained for 3 years as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner through the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (now Somatic Experiencing International).
Talk therapy takes many different forms, but essentially a talk therapist can help you make sense of your life, let go of your limiting beliefs, and work on improving your relationships.
A Somatic Experiencing Practitioner works less with your mind and more with your nervous system: I help you retrain your nervous system so you can feel safer, less anxiety/panic, more vitality and focus, more effortless boundaries and drive, easier access to feelings of happiness and connection.
Somatic Experiencing can actually be great at helping people get more benefits from talk therapy, as it helps your body feel safe enough to explore the complex thoughts and memories which may arise in talk therapy, and it may also give you access to the courage needed to make certain requests from your therapist.
What do you do in sessions? What does it look like?
In some ways it looks like talk therapy, especially in the beginning of the session: We may chat a bit about your week, we may talk about your goals and challenges.
However, the focus is different. As we talk, we are looking for the moments when your body has an experience.
For example, as you talk about your overbearing boss, you may feel your heart speed up and some heat in your face. Or you might notice you are angry. I'll invite us to pause the story at that point, and we'll pay attention to the experience, and how it changes.
Using different mindfulness tools, movements, or experiments, I'll help you support your system in moving through the activation and back into something that feels comfortable, resourceful, and comparatively safe.
Gently going through these waves of activation and settling can help build your nervous system's ability to stay resourceful and comfortable in the intense moments of life.
How long will it take?
My annoying response to that is, "How long will it take to do what?" If you're coming in with something very specific, perhaps "I feel activated/stressed/panicky whenever I _____", then we may be able to at least begin making noticeable progress in under ten sessions, depending on the severity of what you're dealing with.
If it's more broad, like "I want to feel happier" or "I want to be better with boundaries" then the question is more about how far you want to take it.
My clients often notice something positive changing in 4-8 sessions, but then they end up coming for anywhere from 6-24 months or longer, because they continue noticing new and surprising improvements in how they are able to navigate and enjoy life.
My rule of thumb is: If you start noticing that the changes and improvements are slowing down, let's touch base. Maybe there's something we can shift in how we are approaching our work to make it more effective, or maybe it's time to either drop frequency or take a break from the work.
My rates are currently $175 per 50-minute session. You can double-check this on my rates page in case there has been a recent change.
Do you accept insurance or submit superbills?
Unfortunately not. Since my specialization is in Somatic Experiencing (and before that, therapeutic bodywork) rather than talk therapy, I don't have the licensure required to bill for insurance, nor would most insurance companies accept my superbills.
I do, however, often offer sliding scale slots.
Do you offer sliding scale sessions?
Yes. I try to keep at least one or two sliding scale slots available to be as accessible as I can be while still maintaining a stable income.
I generally recommend clients do sessions either weekly or every other week, so if you'd like to request a sliding scale, simply e-mail me ([email protected]) and let me know a fee you'd be able to afford for weekly sessions, as well as the fee you could afford for twice monthly sessions. I can then add you to my list, or potentially have immediate slots available.
How often do you recommend I come?
I like to compare SE (Somatic Experiencing) to physical therapy or personal training: You come in to train, building strength and new abilities in your nervous system. Because it's training over time I recommend you come consistently enough that your body can build off of what we did last session.
To that end, I recommend you come either weekly or every other week, if possible.
What's the difference between talk therapy and Somatic Experiencing? You mentioned you aren't a therapist?
Correct. I'm not licensed as a LMFT, LMHC, or LICSW; in short, I'm not a talk therapist. Instead of deciding to go that route, I trained for 3 years as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner through the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (now Somatic Experiencing International).
Talk therapy takes many different forms, but essentially a talk therapist can help you make sense of your life, let go of your limiting beliefs, and work on improving your relationships.
A Somatic Experiencing Practitioner works less with your mind and more with your nervous system: I help you retrain your nervous system so you can feel safer, less anxiety/panic, more vitality and focus, more effortless boundaries and drive, easier access to feelings of happiness and connection.
Somatic Experiencing can actually be great at helping people get more benefits from talk therapy, as it helps your body feel safe enough to explore the complex thoughts and memories which may arise in talk therapy, and it may also give you access to the courage needed to make certain requests from your therapist.
What do you do in sessions? What does it look like?
In some ways it looks like talk therapy, especially in the beginning of the session: We may chat a bit about your week, we may talk about your goals and challenges.
However, the focus is different. As we talk, we are looking for the moments when your body has an experience.
For example, as you talk about your overbearing boss, you may feel your heart speed up and some heat in your face. Or you might notice you are angry. I'll invite us to pause the story at that point, and we'll pay attention to the experience, and how it changes.
Using different mindfulness tools, movements, or experiments, I'll help you support your system in moving through the activation and back into something that feels comfortable, resourceful, and comparatively safe.
Gently going through these waves of activation and settling can help build your nervous system's ability to stay resourceful and comfortable in the intense moments of life.
How long will it take?
My annoying response to that is, "How long will it take to do what?" If you're coming in with something very specific, perhaps "I feel activated/stressed/panicky whenever I _____", then we may be able to at least begin making noticeable progress in under ten sessions, depending on the severity of what you're dealing with.
If it's more broad, like "I want to feel happier" or "I want to be better with boundaries" then the question is more about how far you want to take it.
My clients often notice something positive changing in 4-8 sessions, but then they end up coming for anywhere from 6-24 months or longer, because they continue noticing new and surprising improvements in how they are able to navigate and enjoy life.
My rule of thumb is: If you start noticing that the changes and improvements are slowing down, let's touch base. Maybe there's something we can shift in how we are approaching our work to make it more effective, or maybe it's time to either drop frequency or take a break from the work.
