Here is a brief description of what working with me will look like:
Your free phone consultation (15 minutes): Our first step will be to meet by phone for a consultation. This will give us the opportunity to connect before we meet for our first session. It will give you the chance to ask any questions you might have about working with me and will give me a little bit of information about what brings you to therapy. If after our discussion you feel like I might be able to help you and you want to get started, we will set a date and time for our first session together.
Comprehensive assessment (50 minutes): During the assessment session, I will gather detailed information from you to help me determine the best plan for our work together. I will want to learn more about some of the things in life that you have been struggling with and how this has impacted you. I will also want to learn about your life history because sometimes these things can get in the way of us living our best lives in the present. Last but certainly not least, I will want to learn more about what you are hoping to gain from working with me and how I can help you make the right changes so that you can begin living the life you want to live.
Individual therapy sessions (50 minutes): After the initial assessment, we will begin our individual counseling sessions. This will involve one-hour sessions at a frequency that is most appropriate for you and your goals. Typically, I meet with clients one time per week. However, in some cases it may be more or less often, depending on the circumstances. During these sessions, we will work to help you address the things that have been getting in your way so that you may reach your life goals.
Phasing out of therapy: Therapy is not meant to continue indefinitely but should be time-limited, based on when you meet your goals. Starting with the assessment and throughout our counseling sessions, I will help you set and refine your goals. As you make progress in therapy and reach these goals we will work together to decide when you are ready to "graduate" from therapy. We might start by reducing the frequency of sessions before having our final session. Of course, you will ultimately decide this based on when you feel you are ready.
What is online psychotherapy?
Online psychotherapy is mental health counseling that is provided through video sessions. Online psychotherapy is rapidly growing in popularity, as it has made therapy more accessible to people for a variety of reasons. Online psychotherapy is provided by a licensed psychotherapist. Therapists who provide online psychotherapy must hold an active license by their state licensing board and adhere to all the same rules and regulations of their licensing board that therapists who practice out of an office are required to do. Essentially, the same standard of care applies.
The key difference between online and traditional therapy in an office setting is that instead of traveling to a therapist’s office for sessions, you can participate in sessions from any place that is convenient for you (home, car, office) using your computer, tablet, smart phone or another device.
Who can receive online psychotherapy?
Generally speaking, psychotherapists may only provide therapy to individuals who are living in the state they are licensed in. I am licensed in California and North Carolina and am permitted to provide therapy to all residents across both of those states.
Is online psychotherapy effective?
Yes! Extensive research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as therapy provided in the traditional office setting. In particular, the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) during online psychotherapy sessions has received a lot of empirical support for treating anxiety and PTSD. This has been particularly beneficial for my clients, given that I specialize in the use of CBT to treat anxiety and trauma-related issues.
What are some of the advantages of online therapy?
I initially began offering online therapy sessions to my clients as a convenience on weeks when it was difficult to make it to the office for a variety of reasons (traffic, work schedule, childcare issues, etc.). To my surprise, many of my clients reported (and I agreed) that our video sessions did not feel any less personal than our sessions in my office. Some of them preferred it so much more than the office sessions that they transitioned into having all video sessions. Others who tried it decided to do a combination of both, such as alternating between office and video sessions every other week. Whether or not online psychotherapy is a good fit for you depends on your own unique preferences and treatment needs. The two advantages of online therapy I hear most often from my clients are its convenience and comfort.
Convenience: Most of my clients love the convenience of not having to travel to my office for sessions. Avoiding the roundtrip, particularly when there is traffic, saves them a significant amount of time. Some of my clients like to schedule sessions during their lunchbreak at work, some prefer sessions before they leave the house for work and others have scheduled their sessions while their babies or young children are napping. Entering our virtual “office” for a session simply involves opening your email and clicking on a link I send you.
Safety and comfort: Psychotherapy can be hard, emotional work at times. I have had clients tell me that there is something comforting about digging into the hard work of therapy while in their “safe space” at home. Surrounded by what is familiar to them, sitting in their sweats on their own couch or in their favorite chair are little things that can make difficult topics seem more approachable. Some clients have even told me that this added sense of comfort made it easier to open up to me in sessions.
What are some of the disadvantages of online psychotherapy?
Online psychotherapy is not for everyone. Certain preferences and/or situations may make it a less advantageous option for some.
Discomfort with technology: You do not need to be “tech savvy” to do online therapy, as it merely involves opening your email and clicking a link. However, if technology makes you nervous or uncomfortable, then online therapy might not be a great fit for you. The last thing we want is for therapy to make things more stressful for you!
Difficulty accessing a private space: Online therapy might also not be a great option for you if you do not have a private, quiet space (in your home or elsewhere) that you can access for our sessions. For example, if you have little ones at home and it would be difficult to go to a private room for sessions without being interrupted, it may make the whole process inconvenient for you.
Lack of internet access: It will be necessary to have internet access to login to our video sessions. If you do not have access to the internet or if your internet service is slow, online therapy might not be the best fit. Also, sometimes someone’s internet speed is fine but if multiple people in the home are streaming Netflix or playing video games at the same time it may interrupt our video therapy sessions.
If you are unsure of whether one of these things might be an issue for you, we can test it out together! We can set up a video session for our free initial consultation. This will allow you to get a feel for it and see whether or not this will be a good option for you.
Is online psychotherapy secure/confidential/private?
Yes. I use a HIPPA-compliant and secure platform for all video sessions.
How does online psychotherapy work?
For each scheduled session, I will email you a link. At the time of our session, you will simply click the link in your email and you will be brought directly to our online session.
Does insurance cover online therapy? Yes. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina covers online therapy sessions. For those in California, you may be eligible for out-of-network benefits that will cover some portion of the cost of our online therapy sessions. Please see the rates and insurance tab for more information about how to access out-of-network benefits.
How do I get started? If you haven’t participated in online therapy before and would like to try it out, we can schedule a free initial video consultation. That way you can get a feel for what an online therapy session is like to help you decide whether it is a good fit for you or not. Contact me to schedule your free consultation.
Rates:
Payment: cash, checks, credit cards, HSA/FSA cards accepted
Accepted Insurance Plans
If you are interested in getting started with individual online therapy and would like to know more, please contact me to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. This will give us an opportunity to connect. During this discussion, I can learn more about how life is going for you. And you can ask me any questions you have about the therapy process or how I can help you. It is my hope that through our work together I can help you make lasting changes in your life. I look forward to hearing from you!
Below are some helpful resources organized by topic area. If there is a type of resource you are seeking that you don't see below, please let me know. I would be happy to provide additional resources to assist you.
Anxiety
Depression & Suicidal Ideation
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Trauma
Substance Abuse
Grief & Loss
Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mental Health Associations & Institutes
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