Frequently Asked Questions
What do you charge?
I charge $170 for individual, 50-minute sessions. For couples and more, I charge $250 for 75-minute sessions or $300 for 90 minutes.
Do you have a cancellation policy?
Yes, a 48-hour notice is required for all cancellations and reschedulings. Because the session time is reserved solely for you, appointments missed or canceled with less than 48 hours' notice will be charged the full session fee. I recognize that true emergencies happen, and I am always open to discussing fee exceptions in the event of an extraordinary life circumstance.
Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not accept insurance. While payment is due at the time of service, I can provide you with a detailed written invoice, often called a "superbill," that you can submit directly to your insurance company for potential reimbursement. This model allows me to prioritize your care by avoiding the constraints insurance companies often place on treatment, such as limiting the number of sessions, dictating treatment methods, or requiring a formal diagnosis that may not be clinically necessary.
What if I can’t afford it?
Affordability is an enormous crisis in our country, and therapy is obviously no exception! For those who can’t afford my fee, please drop me a line in my “let’s connect” section and inquire about group therapy rates. Group therapy is significantly cheaper and offers relational skills that are vital for healing trauma and/or intimacy disorders.
What makes you a good therapist?
One of the pleasures of working in the field of intimacy disorders is the complexity of each individual case. From my early days as therapist at Begin Again Institute, I got to work with a variety of modalities in an intensive inpatient environment, from Motivational Interviewing to address change, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address cognitive distortions, Polyvegal Theory to address the nervous system — all the way to deep trauma work, empathy building, IFS, and partner healing. Having worked with over 800 individuals, I gained a deep understanding of case conceptualization and a collaborative approach to working as a team to help individuals and couples through their darkest days. I have been challenged in countless ways, and I absolutely love the work!
Do you do full therapeutic disclosures?
Yes, I am trained and offer full therapeutic disclosures (FTD) with both partners and addicts. While I consider this a helpful and healing experience, I recognize that this is an enormous emotional undertaking and not always suitable or relevant to a couple’s needs. I take great care in ensuring that the experience is appropriately screened, and customized to a couple’s particular strengths and goals. I reserve the right to deny, delay, and end the process if I feel that either member of the couple is not fully committed to the process.
What does “relationship queering” mean?
Relationship queering is the intentional practice of challenging and dismantling heteronormative and amatonormative assumptions about how relationships should be structured, function, and progress. It involves actively rejecting fixed gender roles, prescribed timelines (like marriage or kids), and the compulsory prioritization of monogamous, romantic love. Instead of conforming to societal scripts, queering emphasizes open communication and explicitly negotiated boundaries to allow partners to design a relationship that is authentic, fluid, and self-defined based purely on their individual needs and desires.
Can you treat intimacy disorders while remaining sex positive?
Absolutely! Contrary to some of the misinformation out there, treating intimacy disorders has little to do with pathologizing, and everything to do with working with distress, crisis, and/or negative consequences through openness, vulnerability, and honesty. I offer kink-affirming, poly-affirming, LGBTQIA+-affirming services for individuals and couples. Whether you are in a monogamous relationship or exploring other avenues, I can help.
I’ve heard that “sex addiction” isn’t real, and that it isn’t classified in the DSM-V. Why do you treat this?
The term “sex addiction” has been a source of controversy, debate, and semantic squabblings for a number of years. Terms like “problematic sexual behavior” & “out of control sexual behavior” have attempted to reframe or circumvent the perceived “sex negativity” of an addiction framework, much like “substance use disorder” has replaced the “alcoholism” or “drug addict” labels. But in the end, it’s all about treating distress. Even the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), which has disavowed the “addiction” term, “recognizes that people may experience significant physical, psychological, spiritual and sexual health consequences related to their sexual urges, thoughts or behaviors.”
While terminology is an important consideration in the world of clinical psychology, the real-world consequences of these arguments can be dire. A lack of consensus has led to the denial of insurance coverage, rendering effective treatments unaffordable for tens of thousands of individuals seeking help. Fortunately, the rest of the world has moved forward on addressing the issue. The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 (published in 2018) is very clear that Compulsive Sexual Behavioral Disorder (CSBD) is real, characterized by:
“Repetitive sexual activities becoming a central focus of the person’s life to the point of neglecting health and personal care or other interests, activities and responsibilities; numerous unsuccessful efforts to significantly reduce repetitive sexual behaviour; and continued repetitive sexual behaviour despite adverse consequences or deriving little or no satisfaction from it. The pattern of failure to control intense, sexual impulses or urges and resulting repetitive sexual behaviour is manifested over an extended period of time (e.g., 6 months or more), and causes marked distress or significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Distress that is entirely related to moral judgments and disapproval about sexual impulses, urges, or behaviours is not sufficient to meet this requirement.”
In contrast to the creators of DSM-5, the ICD-11 creators erred on the side of decision rather than indecision and included the different “label” of CSBD under the category of “impulse disorders.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26774279/
Are you a sex therapist?
No, while much of my work overlaps with sex therapy (cultivating intimacy, communication, healthy sexuality) sex therapy is generally concerned with addressing a specialized set of sexual function and intimacy issues, such as low libido, performance anxiety, difficulty achieving orgasm, pain during sex, etc. In contrast, compulsive sexual behavioral therapy (sometimes called “sex addiction”) is a highly specialized treatment focused on stopping compulsive sexual behaviors that have become unmanageable and cause significant distress, relationship damage, or negative life consequences. While healthy, fulfilling sexuality is a long-term goal, CBSD therapy typically involves an addiction model, focusing on identifying triggers, relapse prevention, and exploring underlying trauma or other co-occurring psychological issues that fuel the compulsive behavior. Either way, I am happy to refer you to a sex therapist, if needed.
Do you work with sex offenders?
Yes, I am happy to work with individuals with past or current sexual offenses. Please keep in mind that any undisclosed information is subject to mandatory reporting laws and could put you at legal risk. That said, I feel that every individual seeking help deserves dignity and respect, and healing is absolutely possible.