I have availability Monday-Friday. The exact hours vary but sessions start typically between 10am-4pm. I do not have later evening or weekend hours available.

My practice is fully Telehealth (phone/video sessions). Clients appreciate the convenience and flexibility that Telehealth provides while retaining the effectiveness of traditional in-office sessions. I am licensed to offer counseling for clients located anywhere in North Carolina.

I am an out of network practice, which means that the client pays the full fee up front at each session and then I provide you an invoice to file with your insurance company should you choose. Depending on your out of network coverage, your insurance company will reimburse you based on your out of network benefits. To determine your out of network benefits, call your insurance company (the phone number on the back of your insurance card) and ask about your "out of network mental health benefits". Your insurance company can also tell you the process you'd need to follow to file for out of network reimbursement.

In accordance with the No Surprises Act you have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You will receive this Estimate at Intake. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059.

Counseling is helpful for people experiencing situational struggles. Therapy is great for those who want to grow in self-awareness. It is also helpful for people experiencing anxiety, grief, loss, life transitions, relational difficulties or for those who experience persistent difficulties with their mood. Counseling assists individuals and couples in understanding their problems and relational patterns. Therapy can be helpful in moving clients from the place of struggle towards a place of healing and stability.

Counseling is a unique experience for everyone. Each person presents their own histories, struggles and pain. I think of counseling as a client driving the car (setting the pace, deciding whether to turn left or right), while the counselor is the passenger with the GPS. I can share directions or road hazards ahead. I may offer suggestions or assist in sharing new directions; I will help to guide but clients ultimately set the direction of their counseling.

Counseling helps us to handle and process things around us such as transitions, losses and adjustments. Therapy can also help in dealing with things such as anxiety, relational conflict, grief, and self-worth. Clients grow in understanding of who they are mentally, emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Counseling helps to generate and increase self-awareness while working towards the changes one desires in their life. It can also be helpful to look at the past in therapy. Exploring the effects of the past (childhood hurts, wounds, losses) gives insight into current situations or relational patterns. This helps clients to grow and heal. Not all of my counseling is past-focused. I spend quite a bit of time in therapy in the present, teaching practical ways to manage current struggles.

Counseling offers a safe, warm and compassionate space where clients can discuss their hurts, struggles and pain. Therapy helps clients gain stability, healing, growth and reconciliation with others. Counseling can help increase insight about feelings and circumstances, can help discover solutions to problems, and improve skills such as assertiveness, communication, and healthy ways to handle emotions. Therapy can help clients discover irrational beliefs and learn how to change them. It can help people understand how to evaluate and change negative self-talk, understand relationship dynamics and how to respond differently. Counseling also helps clients to examine their choices and choose healthy ones going forward. It can help people learn to set goals and how to reframe negative perspectives into more healthy, rational ones.

Counseling can help improve and deepen relationships, alter family dynamics, and ease the stresses of daily life. It is also healing and beneficial to truly feel heard and understood. Counseling can increase understanding of personal patterns of behavior and relating and assist in changing those patterns. Counseling can improve how clients manage their emotions and express their feelings to others. Therapy has been shown to have many benefits: decreased anxiety, resolved losses, better managed grief, increased self worth, etc. Counseling often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems, and significant reductions in feelings of distress, stress or anxiety.

Trust is very important in the counseling process. Therapy is a confidential and safe environment. Confidentiality exists between the counselor and the client. This means that what you say in the counseling room stays between you and your counselor. Only if given written permission in a release of information form will any information be shared with an identified third party.

There are a few exceptions to confidentiality. If any of these situations arise, I do my very best to notify clients first before releasing any information disclosed in counseling.

• If there is threat or intent to harm self or others, the counselor must ensure that the client or the intended victim are safe. This may mean notifying the police.
• If there is suspicion of child abuse, dependant adult or elder abuse, the counselor is mandated by law to report the suspected abuse to the proper authorities.
• If there is a subpoena for a client's records, certain records must be sent to court.

During an initial counseling session clients are able to get to know more about me as a counselor and more about the counseling process. Clients can ask questions and will also have time to tell me some of their story and about what is bringing them to counseling. The goals and benefits desired from counseling are also discussed. Expectations of therapy will be explored and there’s time to set some initial counseling goals.

The first session is an opportunity to determine whether we are a good fit. The fit with the counselor is an important piece of the counseling process. It is important for clients to sense trust with their counselor and the ability to be honest, open and vulnerable with them. If it’s not a good fit, I will offer trusted referrals.

From my standpoint, no there is not! I use the two terms interchangeably. If you have further questions or comments about this, please let me know!

Marriage counseling (couples therapy) is a setting where two committed partners come together to talk with a therapist about their relationship. It helps couples understand and resolve conflicts as well as strengthen their relationship. It gives couples tools to communicate better, negotiate differences, problem solve and disagree appropriately. Counseling can also bring you to a place of deeper understanding of yourselves and each other. You can learn tools to deal with emotions in better ways and how to communicate about your feelings openly and positively. Licensed therapists generally provide Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy. Counseling can be short term or you may need counseling for a longer term, particularly if your relationship has greatly weakened due to years of poor communication or betrayal. You typically see a marriage counselor once a week or twice a month. Once you meet with a counselor you can determine how often is best based on the presenting problems and your desire for counseling.

Premarital therapy is counseling that occurs before marriage. This type of therapy can help couples who are planning to get married learn about their relationship, their communication, strengths and weaknesses. Premarital counseling can help couples strengthen the foundation of their relationship so that their marriage is fortified against future strain and stress. Premarital Therapy can help couples that plan to get married achieve a deeper relationship and iron out differences before the marriage.

Counseling is a valuable opportunity for those desiring a deep, healthy and life long relationship. With divorce rates on the rise and with many couples living dissatisfied, time with a counselor can be a great step for improving the relationship, forming a deeper connection, and resolving issues that are causing conflict. Difficulty in relationships often leads individuals to experience feelings of dissatisfaction in their lives, stress, anxiety and even depression. Counseling can help to identify not only surface issues but also deeper roots of problems. In counseling you can take steps to resolve those very difficulties! Your relationship has the opportunity to experience change and positive progress through counseling.

Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy can help couples whose relationships are strained, in conflict or on the brink of separation. No matter the cause, stress in a relationship can create strong tension, sadness, worry, fear and other problems for individuals. If you are experiencing feelings of worry, stress, sadness, guilt, depression or fear due to issues in your relationship, counseling can benefit you! If you are concerned about your relationship and know it has been at a better place than it is right now, counseling can be of help. If you desire a deeper connection and healthier communication in your marriage or relationship, counseling can assist with that! Also, your relationship doesn’t have to be in trouble to seek therapy; it can help couples who desire to strengthen their connection and gain a better understanding of each other. Think of your car; do you just take it to the mechanic when it's broken down or making awful noises? Hopefully most of us take our cars regularly for oil changes whether they need it or not. What is wrong with treating our relationships the same way? We all could stand for a tune-up every now and then.

Many relationships simply need tools for better communication and skills for managing stress in healthy ways. Counseling can teach couples these needed tools and skills. Counseling can also help to resolve crises that have occurred and impacted the relationship, help couples deal with adjustments or transitions that have occurred, and resolve habitual arguing or dysfunctional dynamics that exist within the relationship. Counseling can help heal painful wounds in the relationship. Oftentimes couples have become disconnected whether due to increased work demands, children, or just years together and need help finding their way back to connectedness and closeness. Counseling can assist in the process of reconnection. Counseling can also benefit each individual as well in many positive ways: decreased stress, tension, anxiety, worry and depression. When difficulties in the relationship decrease, often the individuals experience significant relief as well! Counseling can also help to uncover negative, destructive patterns in your relationship and point you in a more positive direction. This helps the relational foundation become stronger and more able to weather the storms of life.

This type of counseling usually consists of couples in a joint therapy setting; both partners are present during the counseling sessions. Counseling helps spouses communicate their thoughts, feelings and perspectives in a neutral setting with a therapist who helps guide, teach and redirect. Counselors can help individuals learn to communicate deeply and effectively with their spouse and identify and address the root cause(s) of the problem(s). Counseling helps couples pinpoint and understand the sources of their conflicts and learn ways to resolve them. The counselor will help couples identify reasons for being in therapy and goals they have for their relationship. Counseling will then help the couple navigate through skill building, conflict resolution and healthy communication.

Marriage counseling can be a number of experiences to different people: powerful, stressful, enlightening, emotional, insightful, connecting, upsetting, etc. It’s what you do with the experience that can be very powerful for you as an individual and as part of the relationship; you can choose to grow, change, and heal the hurts. It’s not always easy to talk about the difficult issues in your relationship with a counselor. Some sessions may evoke strong negative feelings, some may involve silence; there may even be a fight during a session. However, counseling will help to mediate the situations and also help you to cope with what you are feeling during the session. Counselors often share with clients that things may get worse before they get better in counseling. Counseling will bring up hurt, pain and problems in relationships and dealing with those emotions and issues can be difficult and painful. Yet on the other side of that pain is healing and reconciliation. Once you have walked through those difficult emotions and issues in counseling, you will find that you experience positive connection and decreased stress! Many individuals end up quitting counseling when it feels bad. Counseling will not always be difficult and painful. There is great hope on the other end; it just involves a journey to get there.

• Admit that a problem exists. How do you each define the problem? Take time to understand what the problem is and how it impacts you and the relationship. What are examples? How does it feel? If each person comes to counseling acknowledging, not denying the problem, then counseling will likely progress quicker.

• Recognize that you might be contributing to the problem. A relationship is a system; both parts (each individual) of the system impact and relate to each other. Rarely is one person completely responsible for all of the problems that exist in the relationship. Owning your part in the problem will put your relationship in a better place as you start into the counseling process!

• Be willing to consider making some behavioral changes, or taking some action steps. Having willingness to make changes in the way you act will take your relationship towards further progress during counseling.

• Be careful of expectations you have of your therapist. If you are looking to your counselor to “fix” the problem, know that they cannot perform magic in your marriage! A counselor will guide, explore and help to increase awareness of the issues and triggers in the marriage but they have no magic wand. The counselor will teach you new skills and tools to use in your relationship, but you are responsible for implementing them.

• Be patient! Counseling will take time to assess the problem and begin working towards your goals. How long counseling lasts depends on how long the problem has existed, individuals’ willingness to change, and the nature of the problems. The time in counseling is well worth it though; it's a lifelong investment!

Yes, you can go to counseling by yourself! Sometimes taking that first step to get help in counseling can be the catalyst for your spouse to acknowledge the problem and desire change themselves. When you begin to change your behaviors, attitudes, and reactions in the relationship, it impacts your partner! You can work to make the necessary changes within yourself and learn how to cope within your relationship through the counseling process. You can benefit by learning in counseling more about yourself, your reactions and your behavior in the relationship. You may also find that through counseling you feel less stress, sadness, anxiety and tension and are able to respond in more positive, healthy ways to the actions of your partner.

These terms refer to counseling or therapy that takes place over a phone or video rather than face to face, or in person. Telemental Health is a term describing several platforms that link counselor and client electronically over the internet. It is real time video-counseling using computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Telebehavioral health is a reasonable, effective and beneficial alternative or addition to in person counseling services.

Virtual counseling has many benefits. You now have many more options for counselors as most counselors are licensed by State. So rather than being limited by travel time, you're now able to look for a therapist anywhere in North Carolina (provided they offer Telehealth services). Distance counseling saves time; you are no longer having to commute to and from your therapist's office. Many clients find online therapy to be more comfortable; they can join their session from the comfort of their home where they feel safe. For some clients, finding a new place and being emotional in a new office feels overwhelming. Telebehavioral Health allows them privacy and an extra layer of emotional safety being in an environment they know and trust.

Telemental health allows for access to treatment when unforeseen circumstances are occurring. Counseling services can continue when travel to my office is impractical due to injury, surgery, mild sickness, weather or other conditions. Participants can remain safe, practice social distancing and not compromise the health of themselves or others. Telebehavioral health provides comfort and privacy during sessions in the location of your choice. Virtual therapy allows for the ability to have sessions from anywhere in North Carolina and to stay connected with therapy when traveling throughout North Carolina. I am licensed in the State of NC and only allowed to counsel clients who are physically located in North Carolina; if you travel outside of the state, I am not able to schedule a distance counseling session. Virtual therapy sessions can occur at a convenient time or place without clients having to commute.

Use of the internet poses a potential risk of session interruption due to technology failures on both the part of the counselor and the client. While I take careful steps to protect data, the security of your electronic information cannot be absolutely guaranteed; I do use a HIPAA-compliant platform. Insurance may not reimburse for video or phone sessions. Some information I would ordinarily get from an in-person session may not be experienced in a Telemental Health session (some non-verbals, etc). This form of therapy is relatively new so there may be some risks we are not aware of yet.

This depends as so many factors are at play. If you are someone who is comfortable with technology and are accustomed to video chatting with friends or family, it's likely that you'll feel comfortable with the technology of virtual counseling. A few key components of effective therapy (whether in person or virtual) are the client's willingness and readiness for therapy. If you're ready and willing to engage vulnerably in therapy and are comfortable with video calls, Telemental health will likely be very effective for you. Another crucial component of any effective counseling is the "fit" between client and therapist. It's important that you sense a "click" or connection with your therapist. While it's very different from a friendship. counseling does involve a therapeutic relationship and thus the fit is important to moving forward effectively towards meeting your counseling goals. If you feel a good fit with your therapist, are ready and willing to engage in counseling and are comfortable on video calls, then it's highly likely that online therapy will be equally as effective for you as in person counseling. Some clients are able to share in more vulnerable ways given the comfort of their homes so for those, distance counseling will likely be more effective. Other clients spend all day on video meetings and have little social interactions; they prefer face to face contact and for those clients, in person therapy will likely be more effective. Give Telebehavioral Health a try and see how it works for you!

I'll send you an invite prior to our session as well as information on how to log on. When it's time for the session, you'll click the link and can either join with your video or call in with your phone. You'll want to make sure you're somewhere private where other people cannot hear what you are saying or what I'm saying to you. It's also a good idea to turn off notifications on your phone or close other tabs on your computer in order to limit distractions. You'll want to have my email address handy in case you have any difficulty joining the session; I can also call you and walk you through the joining process if you prefer. Counseling sessions (in person or virtual) are not recorded.