I know the process of finding a psychotherapist is an extremely important one. Research has consistently shown that the connection between a client and a therapist is the single most powerful predictor of positive change. My goal is to provide enough information about myself and my practice to help you make an informed decision.
My approach to therapy is tailored to the needs of each client. I work with adolescents and adults and offer individual, couples, and family therapy. I help individuals identify their goals and make the changes necessary to help them lead more productive and fulfilling lives. I am directive, and I provide a warm, caring and non-judgmental environment to explore the issues and life-events with which you may be struggling.
I received my Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia. While there, my research focused on how traumatic childhood experiences affected individuals' developmental trajectories. I focused on parental divorce and family violence. I also looked at the powerful effects of child custody mediation in helping to enhance post-divorce family functioning. I came to Denver to do my clinical internship at Children's Hospital Colorado in 2000 and fell in love with the people and beauty of Colorado so we stayed and raised our four children there. Importantly, now that my children are all young adults, I have recently moved to Orange County California to be closer to two of my kids and to be near the ocean. I continue to see my Colorado clients virtually and I have also joined Orange County Health Psychologists, Inc.
While I believe that our histories help us understand why we behave the ways we do, I do not believe that we should be trapped by our histories.
I draw primarily from ACT, CBT, Attachment theory, Internal Family Systems, and insight oriented schools of psychotherapy. I am also trained in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and currently offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
My fee is $250 per therapy hour (50 minutes). For couples sessions, I require 75 - 90 minutes and thus are $300 to $400 per session.
If you are interested in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), I offer preparation and integration therapy, as well as both intramuscular (IM) ketamine and sublingual ketamine lozenge guided dosing sessions. Dosing sessions typically last 2-2 1/2 hours so are $500. Preparation and integration sessions are $250.
A typical KAP protocol consists of 2-3 preparation sessions, 4-6 dosing sessions, and 4-6 integrations sessions, scheduled within 48 hours of each dosing session.
Payment is expected at the time of service by check, cash, credit card. or Venmo While I do not accept insurance, I work with many insurance providers as an out-of-network provider and provide monthly super-bills that help many clients get reimbursed a substantial portion of my fee. Psychotherapy services are also reimbursable through both health savings and flexible savings accounts
The prevalences of both depression and anxiety disorders have increased dramatically over the last ten years, especially among adolescents and young adults. Entrenched problematic thinking patterns only exacerbate these feelings. Learning meditation and mindfulness techniques, as well as cognitive-behavioral strategies can greatly help reduce these symptoms. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is yet another potentially useful tool for clients who are stuck in rigid, unproductive thinking patterns, often found in anxiety disorder, depression, and PTSD.
The transition to adulthood can be one of the most difficult, complicated, and lonely stages of life, but it is little talked about or prepared for. Figuring out who you are, what makes you excited, what profession makes sense to you, how to maintain important relationships, and how to navigate uncertainty and disappointment or all necessary parts of this developmental stage. Both identity development and skills building are necessary foci of this treatment. CBT and DBT tools are taught in the areas of frustration tolerance, anxiety/anger management, and stress reduction .
Relationship counseling can be beneficial to couples who are looking to strengthen their emotional connection, in all stages of their relationship. Couples are provided a supportive, non-judgmental place to discuss issues and solutions to better strengthen their relationship. Communication skills and conflict resolution techniques are often an integral part of the therapy. I am a Gottman-inspired therapist.
In addition to ACT, IFS, and insight-oriented talk therapy methods, I am pleased to also offer a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a catalyst to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. Ketamine's effects on the brain are well known. Ketamine (1) Enhances neuroplasticity by significantly increasing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (2) Ketamine quiets the default mode network (DMN), the brain network responsible for obsessive negative thinking in depression, anxiety, and , PTSD, and OCD, creating an opportunity to temporarily experience an obsession-free mind (3) ketamine blocks receptors for glutamate, a neurotransmitter associated with brain excitotoxicity and inflammation. The increased neuroplasticity and decreased DMN activity in the brain last for two to three days post-dosing, which allow for enhanced potential for therapeutic breakthroughs.
Richard Schwarz, PhD, father of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, has called psychedelic medicine "the portal to divine wisdom, " implying that these medicines help us get in touch with our inner healer. The results of numerous studies show dramatic reductions in reported levels of depression and anxiety up to 2 years after a course of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are conducting double-blind studies across prominent research institutes (e.g., Johns Hopkins, Stanford, etc), and the results are extremely promising, especially for individuals struggling with anxiety and depressive disorders, OCD, trauma (PTSD, et al.), and addiction. (See Scott Shannon, 2023, "Ketamine: Catalyst for Paradigm Change in Mental Health.")
Please reach out if you are interested in finding out more about this area of my practice. I offer both sublingual and intramuscular (IM) ketamine dosing options.