If you are a little nervous about starting counseling, you are not alone! Many people experience some level of anxiety prior to their first session, and that is very normal! When you arrive in my office, you will find a comfortable living room-like setting. You will find that I have a very warm, down-to-earth personality, and our sessions sometimes have a "sitting and talking over coffee" kind of feel. Many people think that counselors are perfect people with all the answers. I can assure you, this is not true! I’m just a normal person who happens to have extensive training in helping people work through their problems.

Prior to our first session, you will complete your intake paperwork in my HIPAA compliant patient portal, so I can review them prior to our first session. When we meet, we will get to know each other and expand upon information shared in your intake forms. You can ask me questions, too! We will spend most of the session identifying what issues you want to work on and how they are affecting your life. We will then set some goals and discuss how we want to get there.

Some problems might be a little embarrassing to talk about at first, and that's okay. After all, we just met! While the more information I have helps me support you, there is no pressure or obligation to talk about any topic you are uncomfortable discussing. Ever. What we talk about and the issues we work on will always be on your own terms, whenever you are ready. Sometimes that means "testing out the waters" with some smaller issues until you feel safe talking about the bigger issues.

All of our sessions will be confidential, just between you and me. This means that I will not share the content of our conversations with anyone else, including a parent, spouse, family member, friend, school staff, etc. There are only a few very specific reasons why anything we talk about would be revealed to someone else. If you are an immediate threat of harm to yourself or others; if a child, elderly person, or otherwise dependent person is being abused or neglected; by court order; or if you sign a waiver for me to release information to a third party. If you have any concerns about privacy, please let me know so I can answer your questions.

The answer to this varies widely! It really depends on the specific issues we are working on and how actively engaged you are with the counseling process. Some people who are working on a simple, straight-forward concern many only need a handful of sessions. Others, who have experienced many years of complex mental health disorders will likely need significantly more time. While I cannot tell you exactly how long we will work together, I may be able to give you a general idea after a few sessions, when I’ve had a chance to get to know you a little more and have a good assessment on the complexity of your specific situation.

Most people typically come in once per week for 60 minutes. There are reasons this may vary though. Certain types of therapy are structured to be 90 minutes. We will talk about this if we begin to consider a type of therapy that would need longer sessions. Often, when we are reaching the end of treatment, we may taper off to every other week, or maybe even once per month. For some people, time availability or financial constraints may also dictate that we meet at a different frequency. We will talk about the length and frequency of our appointments at our first session, and it will be an ongoing conversation as needed throughout treatment.

You can find current session rates here

While I do not file insurance directly, I am happy to provide monthly statements for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. The amount reimbursed varies and is determined by your specific insurance policy. Contact your insurance company for more information. All service fees are due from the client at the time of service.

My office is conveniently located right next to 485, Rea Rd. exit, in Ballantyne.

You can find the address and directions here.

Yes! I am licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina, and can provide virtual counseling to anyone residing in either of these states.

Coming Soon: I will begin to offer virtual counseling to residents of Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky in mid-late 2025!

You can find my current office hours here.

While I do not see younger children, I love working with teens age 15+. Families are also welcome as long as everyone is over the age of 15.