
Frequently Asked Questions
Therapy FAQ’s
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Effective therapy starts with a comprehensive assessment. The first few sessions will be focused on understanding your concerns in depth, setting clear goals for therapy, and evaluating whether couples therapy is the right fit for you at this time.
Assessment Phase:
Session 1: Initial joint session with both partners.
Session 2: Individual session with Partner 1.
Session 3: Individual session with Partner 2.
Session 4: Feedback session, where we’ll discuss insights and determine next steps.
Once the assessment is complete and we’ve determined that therapy is a good fit, we’ll move forward with treatment.
Treatment Phase:
From here on, all sessions will be couples sessions. Mixing individual and couples therapy is generally not recommended. The length of treatment varies depending on the unique dynamics of your relationship—while the typical course of therapy lasts around 20 sessions, some issues, especially longstanding ones like sexual health concerns or deep-seated relational patterns, may take more time to resolve. It’s important to remember that people are not machines, and healing or growth is a process that can take longer than expected.
Maintenance Phase:
After completing the primary treatment, many couples choose to schedule periodic check-ins every three to six months. These sessions can be helpful for maintaining progress, preventing relapse, and ensuring ongoing accountability as you continue to grow as a couple.
Also, some people appreciate building a long-term relationship with a therapist, and if you find that working together over an extended period supports your progress, we can certainly adjust our approach.
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Working with families means understanding the whole system—how relationships function, where patterns get stuck, and how emotional connection and structure shape family life. In our work together, I combine attachment-based and structural family therapy approaches with targeted parent coaching strategies, including evidence-based models like the Kazdin Method and Parent Management Training. This allows us to address relational dynamics and equip parents with tools to support their children’s behavior and emotional development.
Assessment Phase
A thoughtful assessment is the foundation for good treatment. These first sessions are designed to understand what’s happening in your family, clarify your goals, and make sure the therapeutic fit is right.
Session 1: Full family session to explore concerns and begin mapping relational dynamics.
Session 2: Individual session with one parent or caregiver.
Session 3: Individual session with the other parent or caregiver (or another family member, as needed).
Session 4: Feedback session, where I share impressions, introduce a preliminary map of family structure and attachment patterns, and collaborate with you on a tailored treatment plan.
During assessment, I’m paying close attention to both emotional connection and how the family system is organized—who leads, how boundaries are managed, and where communication breaks down. If there are parenting challenges (e.g., frequent tantrums, defiance, screen time battles, sibling conflict), we’ll also identify whether structured parent coaching should be integrated into treatment.
Treatment Phase
Following assessment, we’ll move into regular family therapy sessions. These are typically joint sessions involving multiple family members, focused on shifting relational patterns, strengthening emotional bonds, and reworking problematic structures. We'll also integrate parent coaching when needed—this may mean:
Meeting with one or both caregivers to focus specifically on parenting strategies,
Using structured behavior plans grounded in the Kazdin Method and Parent Management Training, and
Practicing ways to reinforce positive behavior, manage difficult behavior, and support emotional regulation in children and teens.
The rhythm and mix of family sessions and parent coaching depends on your specific goals and needs. Some families benefit from alternating between family sessions and parent coaching; others may focus more heavily in one area for a period of time.
Therapy is adaptive. While many families see meaningful progress within 16–20 sessions, complex family histories, longstanding behavioral concerns, or relational trauma may require a longer process. Some parents and families find it helpful to continue working together over time, especially when they value having a trusted space to navigate ongoing transitions and growth.
Maintenance Phase
After primary treatment, many families choose to schedule check-in sessions every few months. These can be helpful for reinforcing gains, fine-tuning parenting strategies, or revisiting relationship dynamics as life inevitably shifts.
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Sex therapy is a space to explore, understand, and shift challenges related to sexual health, intimacy, desire, and identity—always within the context of your broader relational and psychological life. I use an integrative sex therapy approach, grounded in the psychobiosocial model, which means we’ll explore the biological, psychological, relational, and sociocultural influences on your sexual experiences. No part of you is left out of the conversation.
Sexual concerns are deeply human and incredibly common—and they are never just about mechanics, mindset, or relationships. They sit at the intersection of biology, mental health, attachment, identity, life experiences, and relational systems. Our work will attend to all of that.
Assessment Phase
We’ll start with a collaborative and respectful assessment process. The goal here is to understand your sexual story, clarify the concerns bringing you in, and map out a direction for our work together.
Depending on whether you're coming in as an individual or a couple, assessment might include:
Session 1: Joint or individual session exploring the presenting concern(s) and identifying goals.
Session 2–3: Individual or relational sessions to explore relevant history—relational, developmental, medical, emotional, and sexual.
Session 4: Feedback and collaborative treatment planning. We’ll name patterns, identify areas of tension or avoidance, and co-create a path forward that feels aligned with your values and goals.
Throughout this process, I’m attuned to both the explicit concerns and the underlying dynamics—this may include attachment history, shame narratives, trauma, relational roles, or systemic messages about sex and identity.
Treatment Phase
Once we’ve established a direction, we’ll begin focused treatment. Depending on your needs, our work might include:
Addressing difficulties with desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain;
Supporting recovery from sexual trauma or religious sexual shame;
Navigating sexual changes in the context of parenthood, aging, illness, or identity shifts;
Expanding erotic connection and communication in long-term partnerships;
Integrating sexual identity, gender identity, or kink/sexual lifestyle preferences into the broader self or relationship.
Treatment might include psychoeducation, mindfulness-based practices, relational work, cognitive-behavioral strategies, values-based exploration, or communication coaching—always adapted to you. I do not use manualized protocols, and I don’t see people as problems to fix. We’ll go at your pace and move with care.
The duration of sex therapy varies widely. Some concerns can be addressed within 10–16 sessions; others, especially longstanding or layered issues, may benefit from more extended work. It’s also very common for people to want an ongoing therapeutic space to explore how their sexuality continues to evolve over time.
Maintenance Phase
For many clients, once primary concerns are addressed, we shift to occasional check-ins as needed—especially during life transitions or when old patterns resurface. Sexuality isn’t static, and having a trusted place to return to can be grounding.
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Therapy is most effective when there’s a strong working relationship—where you feel safe, understood, and also challenged in the right ways. Finding someone whose style and presence feel right to you matters, and I encourage you to trust how you feel in those early conversations.
My approach is warm, attuned, and collaborative. I care deeply about the people I work with and aim to create a space where you can show up honestly—whether things feel messy, uncertain, painful, or stuck. I bring a strong clinical foundation in relational and systemic dynamics, and I approach therapy with a mix of sensitivity, curiosity, and clarity.
While our work will mostly feel supportive and connected, part of what I offer is the ability to name things directly when it’s useful. I don’t give feedback lightly or for the sake of being confrontational. I do it because I respect your goals, and I believe in your capacity to work through hard things with care and intention. I only share what I think will be helpful and manageable in the context of the relationship we’ve built.
And while therapy often deals with heavy or complex material, that doesn’t mean it has to feel heavy all the time. I believe in making space for humor, lightness, and even laughter when it’s natural. Sometimes, that’s what helps us breathe through the harder moments and stay connected to hope and perspective.
Clients who tend to feel at home in my practice are people who want to go deep, value emotional honesty, and appreciate a therapist who’s both kind and willing to offer a different perspective when it’s needed.
If that sounds like the kind of space you’re looking for, we might be a good fit.
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Teletherapy can be an effective and meaningful way to engage in therapy. It offers flexibility, reduces commute time, and makes it easier for many people to consistently prioritize their care. For individual therapy, couples therapy, parent coaching, and sex therapy, I’ve found that virtual sessions can support deep, connected, and productive work.
That said, not all therapy is best suited to a virtual format. I do not offer family therapy with children under 12 via telehealth—those sessions require the nuance and engagement of in-person work. With teens, I find that in-person sessions often allow for a different kind of rapport and presence, and I encourage in-person care when possible.
When clinically appropriate and logistically feasible, I am open to offering in-person sessions. This can be discussed together based on your needs, location, and the kind of work we’re doing.
Whether we meet virtually or in person, what matters most is the quality of the relationship and the consistency of the work. I'm happy to help you think through what format might be the best fit for you.
Payment FAQ’s
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My fees are reflective of my advanced training and expertise, as well as the high-quality services I provide. Rates are comparable to other doctoral-level practitioners with specialized training in the Bay Area. Payment is due at the time of service. While my fees are higher, they align with the value of the tailored, integrative care I offer.
I understand that affordability is an important consideration. I offer a limited number of sliding-scale slots for couples or individuals with particularly low income. Fee adjustments are discussed on a case-by-case basis, and I am happy to have an open conversation about what works for your financial situation.
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I do not currently contract with insurance companies as an "in-network" provider. Therefore, individuals are expected to pay for therapy at the time of appointment.
Many insurance plans offer coverage for psychological services. Please contact your insurance provider and ask about your coverage for “out of network” mental health services, request information regarding coverage and limits, and clarify whether telehealth sessions are eligible for reimbursement.
On a monthly basis, I provide a statement of services (a "superbill") that can be submitted to an insurance company for reimbursement.
Learn more about insurance coverage and superbills here.