Professional & Affordable Counseling

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. I have been working in the field of psychology since 1983. I hold a BA and MA, both in Clincial Psychology. I worked directly with patients on a locked mental health unit at Eastern Washington Hospital for 5 years. No issue is too painful of shameful to be shared and unltimately healed. I am a therapist who can sit with extrememly painful or shameful issues without judgment. You will be professionally heard with care and respect.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. When choosing a therapist the best tool a client has is his or her first impression. This feeling reaction is almost always the best predictor for a successful working relationship.

Many therapists will try to market the client to come in for a first appointment, knowing they will almost always remain. Do no allow yourself to be "sold to."

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. 1. Ask about education and experience
2. Share something that is happening in your life during your first call and see if you feel good about the response you receive.
3. Let the psychotherapist know you are interviewing other therapists. If you feel any pressure or judgment, move on to your next contact.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. A consumer for psychotheapy is usually in some form of significant distress when seeking help. A potential psychotherapist should put you at ease right away and even help by answering questions they know should be asked without your having to remember.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. The biggest concern I hear from clients is that a former therapist has self disclosed too much and not focused on him or her (the client). I work diligently to maintain healthy boundaries and put the needs of the first at all times.

Additionally, I enjoy what I do and live a healthy vital personal life. This is an intangible quality that is felt in the thereaupitic environment. It is discernable to those I work with and transcends the spoken word.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I have a rich and diverse caseload. It keeps me fresh and always looking for ways to deepen my clinical skills by attending trainings and reading.

When a client trusts me enough to share something deep and personal I feel enriched by the trust I have received and treat it with carie and respect.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. The most common question I am asked is: "Do you accept insurance?"

Many insurance plans have a limit to the number of visits allowed, which means after a close professional relationship is formed, the client is then forced to leave due to insurance limitations.

My reponse is that as an out of network provider my clients are almost always able to be reimbursed. With long term therapy clients who are fully engaged, I offer a sliding scale to make sure he or she is not forced to discontinue therapy before he or she wants to.