Answers to Your Questions
How do I know if counseling is right for me?
You do not have to be in crisis to benefit from counseling. Many people come to therapy because they feel stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, anxious, or simply want to understand themselves more deeply. Therapy can give you space to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and begin moving toward the life and relationships you want.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. We offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can ask questions, share a little about what you are looking for, and determine whether we may be a good fit.
There is no pressure to schedule counseling during the consultation.
What happens in the first counseling session?
The first session is primarily about getting to know you. We will talk about what brought you to counseling, what has been difficult lately, what you hope will change, and anything from your story that feels important.
You do not have to tell your entire life story in the first session. We will move at a pace that feels manageable and begin developing a direction for our work together.
What kinds of concerns do you work with?
We commonly work with people experiencing:
- Anxiety and chronic overthinking
- OCD and intrusive thoughts
- ADHD
- Trauma and difficult past experiences
- Relationship and marriage concerns
- Betrayal and trust issues
- Depression and feeling stuck
- Grief and loss
- Life transitions
- Spiritual or faith-related concerns
- Stress and burnout
- Attachment and relationship patterns
What is your approach to counseling?
Our approach is relational, compassionate, strategic, and focused on helping you understand what is happening underneath your symptoms rather than simply trying to get rid of them.
Depending on your needs, counseling may incorporate Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), cognitive and behavioral approaches, attachment work, mindfulness, and nervous-system-informed therapy.
For OCD, treatment may also include Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
What is Internal Family Systems or IFS therapy?
IFS is an approach that helps you understand the different "parts" of yourself that may carry fear, anxiety, shame, anger, perfectionism, or the need to stay in control.
Instead of fighting these parts, we become curious about what they are trying to protect.
Many people find that this creates a more compassionate way of understanding themselves and allows deeper healing to occur.
Can IFS help with anxiety?
Yes. Anxiety often involves protective parts of us that are constantly scanning for danger, trying to predict the future, or attempting to prevent something painful from happening.
IFS can help you understand these patterns and develop a different relationship with anxiety instead of organizing your life around it.
Do you treat OCD?
Yes. OCD often involves intrusive thoughts followed by compulsions such as checking, reassurance seeking, researching, reviewing conversations, avoiding situations, or mentally trying to achieve certainty.
Treatment for OCD may include ERP, ACT, and carefully integrated IFS-informed work.
The goal is not to prove that your fears will never happen. It is to help you become less controlled by the need for certainty.
Is rumination or overthinking a compulsion?
Sometimes.
With OCD, rumination can become a mental compulsion. You may repeatedly analyze a thought, replay a conversation, search your memory, check your feelings, or try to determine with complete certainty what something means.
Part of treatment involves learning to recognize these cycles and step out of them.
Do you provide couples counseling?
Yes. Couples counseling can help with communication problems, emotional distance, recurring arguments, betrayal, trust, intimacy, parenting stress, and major life transitions.
Our couples work is influenced particularly by IFS, Emotionally Focused Therapy and attachment-based approaches.
Rather than simply teaching you how to argue better, we work to understand the deeper patterns happening between you.
Do we have to be married to attend couples counseling?
No. We work with married, engaged, dating, and long-term couples who want to better understand their relationship or work through difficult patterns together.
What if my partner isn't sure about couples counseling?
That is common.
Both partners do not have to begin therapy feeling equally hopeful or enthusiastic. One person may be more ready than the other.
The goal of the first sessions is often to understand what each person is experiencing and determine whether counseling can provide a helpful space for the relationship.
Do you integrate faith in counseling?
Faith can absolutely be incorporated into counseling when it is meaningful to you.
Some clients want prayer, Scripture, or conversations about their relationship with God to be an important part of therapy. Others prefer counseling to remain primarily psychological.
We will follow your preferences rather than assuming how faith should be incorporated.
What if I've had a bad experience with counseling before?
A previous counseling experience does not necessarily mean therapy cannot help.
Sometimes the therapist was not the right fit, the approach was not helpful, or you did not feel fully understood.
You are welcome to talk openly about what worked or did not work in previous therapy so we can approach things differently.
How often will we meet?
Most clients begin with weekly sessions because consistency can help create momentum.
Depending on your needs and progress, sessions may eventually move to every other week or become less frequent.
We can decide together what makes the most sense for you.
How long does counseling take?
There is no universal timeline.
Some people come for a specific concern and find that several months of counseling is helpful. Others choose to engage in deeper work over a longer period of time.
We will regularly talk about your goals and whether counseling continues to feel beneficial.
Do you offer online counseling?
Yes. Telehealth allows you to meet from a private location through a secure video platform. We support anyone in Seattle, Kirkland, Edmonds, Olympia, Yakima, and across Washington.
Online counseling can be especially helpful for clients who live outside the immediate area, have busy schedules, or simply prefer meeting from home.
Do you offer in-person counseling?
Yes. In-person availability depends on the clinician and current scheduling availability. Contact us and we can help you determine which options are currently available.
How much does counseling cost?
Session fees are $150 per meeting.
We can also discuss any available sliding-scale options during your consultation.
Do you accept insurance?
We recommend contacting your insurance to clarify your options. We provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.
Can I use HSA or FSA funds for counseling?
In many cases, counseling services may be eligible for payment through an HSA or FSA. Because individual plans differ, we recommend confirming eligibility with your plan administrator.
Is counseling confidential?
Yes. What you discuss in counseling is generally confidential.
There are limited legal and ethical exceptions, such as situations involving certain safety concerns, abuse or neglect reporting requirements, or circumstances required by law. We will review confidentiality with you before beginning counseling.
What if I don't know what to talk about?
That is completely okay.
You do not need to arrive with a perfectly organized explanation of what is wrong.
Sometimes therapy begins with something as simple as, "I know something isn't right, but I don't really know how to explain it."
We can start there.
What if I cry during counseling?
You are allowed to cry, laugh, feel angry, feel unsure, sit quietly, or not know exactly what you are feeling.
You do not have to perform or have the "right" emotional response in counseling.
Will you tell me what to do?
Counseling is usually less about someone giving you instructions and more about helping you understand yourself clearly enough to make meaningful decisions.
There may be times when we offer education, exercises, strategies, or direct feedback, but the goal is not to take over your decision-making.
How do I know whether you're the right therapist for me?
Pay attention to whether you feel respected, understood, and comfortable enough to be honest.
You can also ask about experience with the issue you are facing, the therapist's approach, what treatment might look like, and what you can expect during the first several sessions.
The consultation is a good place to begin answering those questions.
How do I get started?
Getting started is simple.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Complete your secure intake paperwork and digital forms.
Meet for your first counseling session and begin developing a plan together.
You do not have to have everything figured out before reaching out.
What does a counseling session look like?
Each session is shaped around what you need that day. We may begin by talking about what has been happening in your life, noticing patterns that keep repeating, or exploring something that feels especially heavy.
My approach is informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), which recognizes that we all have different “parts.” You may have an anxious part that overthinks, a critical part that pushes you, or a protective part that avoids difficult feelings. Instead of judging or trying to eliminate these parts, we slow down and become curious about what they are protecting and what they need you to understand.
You will never be pressured to share more than feels safe. Some sessions may involve deeper emotional work, while others may focus on practical tools, relationships, decisions, or simply having space to be heard. Counseling is collaborative, compassionate, and paced with you—not something done to you.
Who do you work with?
I work with adolescents ages 14 and older, adults, and couples. I support people navigating anxiety, OCD, ADHD, trauma, relationship difficulties, life transitions, grief, spiritual concerns, and the pressure to hold everything together.
You do not need to be in crisis or know exactly what you want to work on before beginning. Some people come with a clear concern, while others simply know that something does not feel right. We can begin wherever you are and work together to understand what you need.
What should I expect?
I’m not here to push you somewhere you’re not ready to go or convince you to believe something that doesn’t feel true. I’m also not going to place a positive spin on pain that deserves to be seen, understood, and cared for.
Instead, I’ll come alongside you with curiosity and compassion, creating space for every part of your experience. Together, we’ll listen to what your mind and body may be trying to communicate and begin finding a way forward, one gentle step at a time, at a pace that feels right for you.