Psychotherapy is often thought of as a long-term method that involves addressing personal challenges through self-exploration and reflection. This work involves identifying deep-rooted, underlying, and set ways of behaving and thinking that may be preventing a life of health and happiness. These set ways are often influenced by our personalities and dispositions, personal experiences growing up, and emotional pain and distress. Generally, psychotherapy can help a person overcome personal challenges by working through lifelong and unresolved issues.

Counseling may be thought of as a shorter-term approach to addressing personal concerns and meeting goals. Unlike psychotherapy, counseling may not involve analyzing the past and instead may focus on arriving at solutions for current problems. When faced with important personal or professional life decisions, counseling can provide clarity and structure.

In my work with clients, I combine psychotherapy and counseling, helping you to explore your options for addressing immediate concerns while also exploring life experiences.

Research has suggested that the average psychotherapy and counseling client is better off than about 80% of people not receiving any form of therapy. In general, it has been found and reported that talking about your thoughts and feelings with a supportive person can be helpful. First, I strongly believe that it can help to talk about things that are bothering you. Just think about every time you have heard someone say, “It felt good to get that off my chest!” Second, it can be very relieving to feel heard and understood by another

If this is true, you may be wondering, “why shouldn’t I just talk to someone I know?” While this can certainly be a good and helpful idea, a trained therapist can offer an unbiased and objective perspective on your situation, which is free of judgment, non-hounding, and unconditional. Additionally, therapists are trained to assist you in developing insight into your life, which can lead to personal growth and positive change.

This is an excellent and important question to ask when considering psychotherapy, for a couple of reasons. First, therapists are not all alike and differ according to age, gender, personality, practice philosophy, areas of expertise, training, and life experience, among many other things. Your level of comfort with your therapist can really affect your overall experience in therapy.

Second, as I assess your concerns and goals, I may determine, based on your therapeutic needs, that you would benefit from receiving a different level of therapeutic care/support. If this were the case, I would provide you with my recommendations and support you in the transition to appropriate mental health care referrals.

During our consultation and initial session, I make it a priority to ensure we discuss your comfort level and decide whether working with me would be the best option for you at this time. Please know that at no point in time would you be obligated to continue working with me, and I would be happy to help you locate alternative therapists or mental health care options.

I offer both in-person and secure teletherapy (video) appointments. 

My office hours are:

Monday: 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.* 
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

*I only offer secure video teletherapy sessions on Wednesdays

I’m closed all major holidays.

The quickest way to schedule an appointment with me is to visit my secure online client portal (click to open). The client portal allows you to view my available and upcoming appointments, request appointments, reschedule/cancel appointments, and adjust your appointment notification/reminder settings.

If you are unable to access the secure online client portal or would prefer not to use this method of scheduling, you are welcome to call me at 904-701-4662 or contact me using the contact form located on the contact page of my website.

Yes, your privacy and confidentiality in counseling are both ethically and legally protected. However, I am legally obligated to break confidentiality in certain situations. Please know that if I feel that we are approaching a situation in which I may need to break confidentiality, I will inform you. Additionally, I would make every effort to include you in this process. Those situations in which I am obligated to break confidentiality, include:

– If I believe you are an immediate and serious danger to yourself or to others

– If abuse of a minor, the elderly, or a vulnerable adult is suspected

– If a judge court orders any information from your records

For more information about my office’s privacy practices, click here to view the privacy practices notice.

I accept Aetna, United Healthcare, Tricare, Oscar Health, and Oxford plans. I’m a certified Tricare non-network provider and am able to accept Tricare as long as you are not currently serving on active duty.

If you are not covered by these plans, I also offer courtesy out-of-network claim filing or can provide you with an invoice after each session, which you may submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement or to request that the session cost is applied to your yearly deductible.

If you have questions about your out-of-network coverage, I encourage you to contact your insurance provider to ask about their reimbursement policies for “out-of-network” behavioral healthcare.

This will vary for each individual and is based on several things, including your familiarity and experience with counseling and psychotherapy, the extent of your concerns(s) and goal(s) and your willingness to think about/work on your concern(s) and goal(s) in between sessions.

Some people may find that the progress, required to meet their goal(s), may occur subtly at first. For others, progress may occur more quickly. The sooner you can commit and open yourself up to therapy, the sooner you will have the personal insights needed to create positive change in your life.

Most clients will start off by meeting with me on weekly basis; however, there are times when I will see a client twice a week or bi-weekly. Once we decide that you have met or have nearly met your personal goal(s), we will reevaluate our plan and decide if it would be appropriate for you to move to a bi-weekly or monthly session schedule.

Following an initial assessment (after approximately 2 sessions) we will create a realistic timeline for achieving your goals.

The standard length for a therapy session at my practice is 50-55 minutes. The majority of my clients find that this session length meets their needs; however, couples and individuals experiencing crises may benefit from longer session lengths, which I am able to offer. 

During your first session, I will go over your paperwork with you and answer any questions you may have. We will also spend some time discussing your reasons for seeking therapy, your expectations regarding therapy, and your current life situation. I view first sessions as a chance for us to get to know each other. At the end of our first session, we will discuss your interest in continuing therapy, and develop a plan for moving forward.

I do not charge for initial 5-10 minute phone consultations.

Rates vary based on the length of the session and types of services received, though range between $100 to $150, on average.

I accept United Healthcare, Oscar Health, and Oxford health insurance plans. Out-of-network health insurance claim submissions are also offered.

Fees are collected at the end of each session and may be paid for by cash, check, debit/credit card, or Health Savings Account (or similar) card. 

Missed and canceled appointments (not due to an emergency or illness) will result in a charge of the full session fee. Missed and canceled appointment fees are due prior to the start of the next scheduled appointment.