Starting therapy brings up plenty of questions. What will it be like? How do I know if therapy is right for me? What happens in the first session?
Here are answers to some of the questions I hear most often. If you don’t see your question here, reach out and ask.
The first step is simply reaching out. We can schedule a free consultation to talk about what you're looking for, answer any questions you have, and determine whether working together feels like a good fit.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. We can start exactly where you are.
You don't need to be in crisis or have a specific diagnosis to benefit from therapy. You might be struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or relationship patterns. Or nothing has gone wrong that you could point to, and you still feel disconnected and ready to make a meaningful change in your life.
Therapy can be a space to better understand yourself, work through challenges, develop new tools, and create a life that feels more purposeful and fulfilling.
The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. We'll talk about what's been happening in your life, what you'd like to change, and what you're hoping to get out of it.
It's also a chance for you to get a sense of what it feels like to work with me. Finding a therapist who's the right fit matters, and I want you to feel comfortable asking questions and telling me what you need.
No. I believe therapy should be an active and collaborative process.
Listening and understanding are an important foundation, but you shouldn't have to figure everything out on your own. I'll actively engage with you, ask thoughtful questions, offer perspective, identify patterns, and bring therapeutic tools and approaches that move you toward your goals.
We'll work together to find what's most useful for you.
There isn't one answer. The length of therapy depends on your goals, what you're working through, your circumstances, and the kind of change you're hoping to make.
Some people come to therapy for support through a specific transition or challenge, while others choose longer-term work to explore deeper patterns and create lasting change. We'll regularly evaluate how therapy is supporting you and make decisions together.
Many clients begin with weekly sessions because consistency helps establish momentum and create a strong foundation for the work. Depending on your needs and goals, we can adjust the frequency over time.
We'll find a rhythm that makes sense for you and the work we're doing together.
Yes. I offer individual therapy and couples therapy.
Individual therapy addresses concerns including anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma recovery, attachment and relationship patterns, life transitions, and personal growth.
Couples therapy focuses on strengthening connection, improving communication, understanding recurring patterns, working through conflict, rebuilding trust, and creating a more intentional relationship.
Yes. Trauma-informed therapy is an important part of my practice. I work with clients who are experiencing the ongoing effects of difficult or overwhelming experiences and want to develop greater safety, self-understanding, and freedom in their lives.
Trauma work is individualized and paced thoughtfully. We won't rush into processing experiences before you're ready.
Yes. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is available as part of trauma-focused therapy when it's clinically appropriate.
EMDR can help process distressing experiences and memories that continue to affect how you feel and respond in the present. It isn't simply about revisiting painful experiences.
Therapy begins with establishing safety and resources, and it moves at a pace that supports your individual needs.
Yes. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California. I see clients in person in Lake Tahoe and online anywhere in the state.
Absolutely. Your relationships are deeply influenced by attachment patterns, past experiences, beliefs about yourself, and the ways you've learned to protect yourself.
Individual therapy can help you understand these patterns, recognize what happens for you in relationships, and develop more intentional ways of communicating, setting boundaries, managing emotions, and creating connection.
Not at all. A vague sense that something needs to change is enough to start with.
We can start with what you're experiencing right now and work together to understand what you need. Sometimes clarity about your goals develops naturally through the therapy process.
A previous experience with therapy doesn't predict what therapy will be like with a different therapist or approach. The relationship with your therapist, the therapeutic approach, timing, and your specific goals all make a difference.
If you've had an experience that wasn't helpful, I'm open to talking about it. Understanding what didn't work is valuable in determining what you need this time.
Privacy and confidentiality are important parts of the therapeutic relationship. There are legal and ethical limits to confidentiality in certain circumstances. I'll explain those during the intake process so you understand your rights and what to expect.
Finding the right therapist matters. If something doesn't feel right, I encourage you to talk with me about it. Sometimes discussing what's not working opens up an important part of the therapeutic process.
And if I'm not the right person to support you, I'll do my best to help you identify an appropriate next step.
My favorite day in your therapy is the day you tell me you don’t need me anymore. I’m aiming at it from the first session.
You’ll get a therapist who says the hard thing instead of waiting for you to find it yourself. What I ask back is short, and none of it is easy.
Do that, and you get to find out which parts of this life you’d pick.
