FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Couples finding me through Thumbtack receive a 60-minute consultation session at no cost. If we decide to begin working together, my hourly rate is $150. I work with couples in shorter sessions (75 minutes totaling $187.50) or longer sessions (90 minutes totaling $225). I offer month packages (ususally 2 to 3 sessions per month), which come along with a small discount. *Additional Services* I offer an 'additional services' option, which includes between-session text and email support and detailed session notes, and is billed as an additional $75 per month. I also offer a premium service option of 'on-call support' for clients wanting short phone calls as-needed between sessions. This service is billed as an additional $150 per month. *Making Payments* Payment is made in full for the upcoming month's sessions (like a gym membership) *Financial Hardship* For those in financial hardship, I offer two scholarship positions and one pro-bono position. These offerings are only considered after a consultation and conversation about your financial hardship.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We begin with a 60-minute consultation at no cost to you. In preparation for the consultation, I have each person in the relationship fill out an intake questionnaire, as well as a short personality assessment. For the consultation, I can meet in-person in Berkeley or Marin, or remotely over the video conferencing software Zoom (free and simple program/app). If after our consultation we decide that we are a good fit, we will co-create a program, and begin meeting that week or the following. For couples clients, I recommend meeting every-other week or 3 times a month, depending on available time and finances. I am very outcomes-oriented, and expect that you are receiving value within our very first session. We will work in our first sessions to establish rapport, explore a vision of where you want your relationship and lives to be longer-term, and create short-term goals to begin working towards these outcomes. We will also explore the personal/relationship obstacles that have historically gotten in the way of these outcomes, including habit patterns, beliefs/perspectives, emotions, reactions, history, trauma, etc. We will identify and practice better alternatives to these obstacles, until they are available as behavioral (not just intellectual) options. We will consistently be checking our work against the bigger map of your long-term visions, adjusting our approach as needed. Though there is no standard amount of time I work with a couple, I suggest setting an initial expectation of 2-4 months. Typically I work with my clients for somewhere between 3 months to over a year or more. There is no ongoing contract you must agree to; we work on a month-to-month basis.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I hold a range of trainings and certifications including: > Counseling (InterChange, 200 hours) > Life coaching (CTI, 200 hours) > Leadership training (CTI, 205 hours) > Mindfulness meditation/Buddhist psychology (Theravada/Vajrayana, 500 hours) > Stress management and personal resilience (SMART, 285 hours) > Grief and bereavement training (Josie's Place, 100 hours) > Transformational NLP (NLPMarin, 72 hours) > Authentic Feeling (Adam Gainsburg, 100 hours) > Somatic/process psychology (Process-Oriented Psychology, 200 hours) > Ritual and initiation practices, expressive arts practices (200 hours) > Hatha yoga (Ashtanga/Shivananda/Kriya, 500 hours)