The Most Important FAQs for Potential Clients
-
Almost. I must be licensed in the state I am in (Connecticut), as well as the state my client is in. Because I’m licensed in the states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Kentucky, I can see you if you live — or are physically located — in one of these five states, or in a participating PSYPACT state (which at this point is most of the U.S.), at the time of our session.
-
I work with individual adults aged 25 to 65. I do not treat adolescents or children. I also do not provide family or couples therapy.
-
Please review the Specialties page to ensure that what you’re struggling with is an area of specialty for me.
-
$350 for the first two-hour session, $250 for subsequent 45- to 50-minute sessions.
No, I do not accept insurance. I have a self-pay arrangement with my clients, and accept payment in the form of a credit or HSA card.
If your insurance company offers out-of-network reimbursement, I can provide Superbills when appropriate.
You may obtain a Good Faith Estimate of charges upon request prior to scheduling.
-
I am in the office Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and see clients between the hours of 9:00 and 5:00.
I recognize that my hours may coincide with your work hours. However, my clients and I have found that, because they are able to log on remotely, they have been able to schedule a session during their lunch hour, or on a day when they’re working from home. Telehealth has proven immensely beneficial to many of my clients, allowing them to prioritize their self-care and fit therapy into their busy lives in a way a session that requires a commute does not.
-
I do ask all potential clients to review this information, in The Most Important FAQs for Potential Clients, to ensure that my policies are in line with your expectations. (If you reach out and you’ve read through these questions already, please mention it!)
If so, then we schedule an initial consultation call. Over a 20 to 30 minute phone call, you can tell me a bit about your specific situation, and I can talk with you about what working with me might look like. Then, we make sure we’re on the same page as far as logistics and, if we’re on the same page at that point, we can look at scheduling.
You can reach me directly by filling out the Contact form or sending me an email. I hope to hear from you soon!
Telehealth
-
You’ll get an e-mail 10 minutes before our session starts. If you’re on a computer, you click the link and the session opens in a new browser window. If you’d like to use your mobile device, you’ll need to download an app — Telehealth by Simple Practice — from your app store, and then when you click the link, the session will open in the app.
I’ll send you a User Guide before our session to walk you through the setup. (You’ll want to check your video and audio settings before our session.)
-
A strong internet connection, a computer or a mobile device, privacy, and time.
-
I did have a typical in-person therapy practice, in Cincinnati, Ohio. I initially added telehealth when I moved to the east coast and needed to be able to continue working with my clients from Cincinnati.
But, my clients and I both quickly discovered that the work was just as powerful as it had been in the office… and we now had the added bonuses of convenience, flexibility, and comfort. If you’re curious to learn more, check out the Why Telehealth page.
-
My clients are paying for my knowledge, training, and expertise, as well as the guidance and support to make powerful changes in their lives. The work I do is the same if it is in-person or online, and therefore the cost is also the same.
About Therapy
-
I’d recommend you check out my Specialties page and if you see yourself in any of those descriptions – and have been unable to make the changes or progress you’d like to make – then therapy may be a beneficial next step.
-
Therapy is an opportunity for true self-care. We, unfortunately, often think of self-care as a momentary pleasure — a day off work or a spa service, for example. But, true self-care must be practiced on the regular and has a much longer lasting impact.
We develop patterns that, may have served us well in the past, but are now getting in the way of us living as fully as we’d like. Therapy, therefore, is time dedicated to identify and work through patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that negatively impact your life, and to then create and practice strategies to change those patterns.
-
I suggest anticipating an initial time frame of three to six months.
-
I’ll forward documents for you to review, complete, and sign. Otherwise, simply look forward to the opportunity to share what’s on your mind, knowing that you are prioritizing yourself, and taking your wellbeing into your own hands.
Our first session will be two hours, while regular subsequent sessions are the typical therapy hour (45–50 minutes). The first session is longer because I prefer to have an uninterrupted opportunity to explore your history; in this session, I’ll ask you to tell your story. Who you are today is the result of all of the things that have happened to shape you along the way. So, we’ll explore your family, education, relationships, and career, and other meaningful areas of your life.
It's quite common to be nervous before your first session; just remember it’s the start of a great journey and indicative of you making a commitment to yourself. Also know that you and I will very much be in conversation together, rather than me firing questions at you, interrogation style.
-
I’d suggest having a means by which to take notes. Some people prefer a paper journal; others prefer to use a note-taking app (I recommend Google Keep).
-
My therapy style reflects my personality. I am a fierce, passionate, and enthusiastic person (in my personal life, and in my work)… which translates into an active, engaged, and quite participatory therapist. I believe we are in this together, you and I. I very much want to collaborate with you to figure out what is going on and what we’re going to do about it. I love giving you strategies to try, and to process with you whether they worked or not. I will cheer you on and get excited when you succeed, and provide support, guidance, and encouragement when you’re struggling.
-
Most definitely.
I often tell clients that therapy doesn’t happen in our one session each week… it actually happens during all the hours between sessions. It is in those hours when you have the opportunity to play around with, and practice, the concepts we discuss in session.
Homework is an opportunity for you to develop skills to command your own wellbeing and to direct your own happiness.
Working with Julia
-
I fully believe the mind-body connection is real and can be used as a powerful vehicle for healing.
I believe that the present moment is all we really have… so we need to learn how to make the most of it.
I believe that we often confuse our thoughts and feelings. And, I firmly believe that we are not simply our thoughts. When we learn to question our thoughts, to wonder if they’re actually true, we become much more in control of how we feel.
I believe we must struggle to grow. And, I further believe that your struggle is genuine, and that comparing (or perhaps minimizing) your difficulties to those of others less fortunate than yourself does not make your pain any less real.
I believe we all have the ability to reach our highest potential… but that it takes work — regular, consistent practice.
I also believe that our happiness is largely within our own control. The way we think, the way we talk to ourselves, and the way we interpret and respond to what happens to us is much more influential than what has occurred.
I believe that some of us have a leg up with this happiness thing, and that some of us have to work harder to be happy than others.
And, I believe we often prioritize the wrong things, that we strive for external validation, foregoing our own needs and ignoring our own voices, in order to do what “looks good,” and that striving causes significant suffering.
-
I only share information about myself that will benefit your growth or advance our work together. I’m clear that our relationship is about your journey, not mine. Therefore, I may share an example from my personal life, or my own feelings, but only when it is helpful to you for me to do so.
-
I once had a client whose fiancée desperately wanted to come to our sessions. She was so frustrated that my client told me things that he hadn’t shared with her. He told me that he was able to tell me such things because he knew I wouldn’t react emotionally, I wouldn’t be upset; he knew he could share anything with me and trust that I would respond with warmth, with support, and without judgment, and then help him sort his own feelings about it. His fiancée loved him and wanted to support him. But, what he shared with me would — understandably — have triggered an emotional reaction in her… because that information directly affected her life in a way it didn’t affect mine. And, I had training and expertise to help him figure out how he felt and how to work through it in a way that she could not. After we had done all of that hard work together, he was then able to tell her about it too.
It is hugely important to have loving, supportive people in your personal life. You may talk to them about the same things you talk to me about. But, a therapeutic relationship is entirely different because it’s wholly about you. It’s 100% about hearing you, supporting you, and helping you process what you’re experiencing.
-
Unequivocally, and in the most welcoming way, YES! Come as you are, and rest assured you’ll find a safe place to explore and grow.
I relish the opportunity to spend time with people different from myself in my personal and professional lives. I tend to operate in a direct manner generally, and find this approach translates well into working with diverse populations as well. I am willing to acknowledge what I don’t know, and will approach conversations with others who come from a different background than mine with openness, respect, and curiosity.
When I do not have the necessary training, knowledge, or experience to work with a specific population, however, I will be direct and forthcoming about that, and refer out.
Although I have much to offer in the room in the realm of psychotherapy, I find that, without fail, my clients have much to teach me as well, about themselves, but also about myself and the world.
