FAQ

Q: What type of clients do you see?

Answer: I see all types of clients: adults, children, teens, couples, and families. 

Q: What type of therapy do you do?

Answer: I use a variety of therapeutic approaches: I am a certified EMDR  (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) therapist, but also use components from CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) including exposure and response prevention for the treatment of OCD as well as DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy). I work with my clients to find the research-based approach that is most appealing to them. 

Q: What should I expect at the first appointment?

Answer:  After you have gotten access to my client portal (see make an appointment!) you will find forms to fill out. You can do that ahead of time and enter them in the portal or bring them with you. We will go over the legal parts of the counseling relationship and make arrangements for payment for service and then I will ask questions to get to know you and how I can help. You will also have the opportunity to ask me questions. We will work on identifying the goals that you want to achieve in our work together. 

Q: If my minor child comes to see you, how will I be involved?

Answer: I love when parents want to be involved! Legally, parents of kids under twelve have access to the information their child shares in therapy. Legally, kids between the ages of twelve and seventeen have the same confidentiality from their parents as they do from the rest of the world. With both younger children and teens, I always want to involve the parents as much as possible, within the limits of the laws surrounding confidentiality, because parents have both the awesome power and responsibility to be a catalyst in their child's healing journey. 

Q: What hours are you available for therapy?

Answer: In efforts to protect time with my own family, I am available for appointments for therapy during the day during school hours Wednesday through Friday. See also information in my blog about therapy intensives. 

Q: What insurances do you accept?

Answer: I am in-network for most major insurance companies. That completed list currently includes: United Health Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield (PPO only), Caterpillar PPO, Health Alliance, Cigna, and Aetna. It is always best for you to check directly with your insurance company to confirm coverage. 

If your insurance is not listed here, please contact your insurance company about using out-of-network benefits. There are times when I am not in-network with a company but can apply to be when a client requests.

Q: Do you accept the medical card? 

Answer: I do not yet have the paperwork completed for a medicaid number and cannot accept medicaid plans including Aetna Better Health, Blue Cross Community Plans, Molina or Meridian.  

Q: What are your fees?

Answer: I charge $175 for the first appointment (60 minutes) and I charge $125 for follow up appointments at 45 minutes or $175 for 60 minute follow up appointments. Intensives are $700 for a 6-hour day and $1000 for an 8-hour day. 

Q: What is a therapy intensive?

Answer: See my blog for a more detailed explanation, but therapy intensives are day-long sessions- either 6 or 8 hours- where therapist and client work intensively on therapy goals, allowing more progress to be made more quickly. They are available for anxiety, EMDR and trauma, and OCD conditions specifically and generally other conditions. Feel free to contact me for more information on setting these up!

Q: What is EMDR?

Answer: Great question! EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy- a mouthful! It is a therapy initially developed in the late 1980s by Francine Shapiro that has great potential for alleviation of trauma symptoms, and other mental health symptoms that can be traced back to specific life experiences. The mechanism is believed to mimic what happens in the brain during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and helps the brain and body process difficult or traumatic memories in such a way that the self can learn from the experiences and lay them to rest. Check out the resources page for more on EMDR on my blog. You can learn more about EMDR here: www.emdria.org

Q: How do I know that you can understand what I'm going through?

Answer: Many clients wonder whether or not I will judge what they are talking about, whether I will be shocked, or think less of them when they explain what they are experiencing and their behaviors. I consider my role not as judge, but as a coach who believes in the good inside yourself that you cannot yet see. I cannot understand exactly what you are going through, as you are the only person who has lived your exact experience. But I always tell my clients that I consider them the expert on what they think, feel, and experience and that as they share what is happening for them, we often find a lot of common ground. Joy and pain are universal human experiences- I am not exempt from pain or trauma. 

Q: What are your religious beliefs and how do they affect the way you counsel?

Answer: I am a Christian and was trained at a seminary to do therapy. The major belief that I take into each therapy session is the belief that humans are created in the image of God and thus have inherent worth and dignity. However, it is unethical for any therapist to attempt to convince her clients to believe anything other than what they believe; thus, I never expect my clients to believe the same as me or to change any of their beliefs. I ask my clients what their religious beliefs are at the beginning of therapy, and if they have some we explore how they are life-giving or how they may have been used for hurt. I let my clients lead and determine how much spirituality is discussed, or not discussed, as part of their therapy. 

Q:  How do I find your office? 

Answer: The address is 7501 N University Street, Suite 131, Peoria, IL 61614. The building is Pioneer Square and you will see a directory next to LePeep restaurant. Drive around the back of the building and find the lower level parking lot. See picture below. Then go in the East Corridor Entrance (see picture) and you can find Suite 131.