Therapy Questions Answered
If you’re almost ready but have a few things you need to know first, you’re in exactly the right place.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Getting Started
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The simplest way to start is to click one of the buttons on this site that says “Book a Consult”. There’s one directly above in the header. Here is where you’ll be able to view my calendar and self schedule a consult during a time that works for you. From there, we’ll determine if my services are a good fit, and if so, we’ll book our first session.
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The first session is an intake appointment, which means it’s dedicated to me getting to know you and your full picture. We’ll talk about what brought you here, what your life looks like right now, a bit of your history, and what you’re hoping to work on or change. I’ll ask questions, and you’re welcome to ask me questions too. Nothing you say will surprise me, and you don’t need to have everything figured out before you arrive. The first session is the beginning of a conversation, not a test.
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Yes. Before your first session, you’ll receive intake paperwork through my client portal. This covers things like your personal information, consent forms, and some background about what you’re coming in for. It’s straightforward and shouldn’t take long. Completing it before your appointment means we can spend the actual session time on you, not on logistics. If you have any trouble with the portal or the forms, just reach out and I’ll walk you through it.
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The first few sessions are about building the foundation. We’re getting to know each other, I’m getting a clear sense of your patterns and what’s underneath them, and you’re getting a feel for how I work and whether this is the right fit. Most people start to feel a sense of direction by the third or fourth session, though that varies depending on what you’re bringing in. I don’t expect you to already be comfortable or to know what you’re doing. That’s what these first sessions are for.
Fees, Insurance & Options
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Individual therapy sessions are [INSERT FEE] per session. Therapy intensives are priced differently based on format (half-day or full-day) — reach out for current intensive pricing. Wellness group programs are [INSERT GROUP FEE] per program. I know that cost is a real factor in the decision to start therapy, and I’d rather you have the number upfront so you can make a clear decision without any surprises.
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Yes. I am in-network with the following insurance plans:
Aetna
Oscar
United Healthcare
Cigna
Oxford Health Plans
Quest Behavioral Health
BlueCross Blue Shield
If your plan is not on this list, I can provide a superbill after each session, which is an itemized receipt you can submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. To find out what your plan covers, call the member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask: "What are my out-of-network mental health benefits, and what is my out-of-network deductible?" If you're not sure how to navigate that process, I'm happy to walk you through it.
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Individual therapy sessions are 53 minutes. If you’re doing a therapy intensive, we’re working in a much longer format — either a half-day (approximately 3–4 hours) or a full-day (approximately 6 hours) with built-in breaks. Wellness group sessions are [INSERT GROUP SESSION LENGTH]. The right format depends on what you’re bringing and what kind of work you’re ready to do.
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Yes. Therapy is a qualified medical expense, which means you can use your FSA (Flexible Spending Account) or HSA (Health Savings Account) card to pay for sessions. Just use your FSA or HSA card the same way you’d use a debit card at the time of payment. If your plan has specific requirements or you’re not sure whether therapy qualifies under your account, it’s worth checking directly with your FSA or HSA provider. Most standard plans include it.
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I ask for at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged the full session fee, except in genuine emergencies. I know that life happens, and I try to be reasonable — but this policy is also about respecting both of our time. If something comes up, reach out as early as you can and we’ll figure it out.
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If my current fee isn’t workable for you, I’d encourage you to look into The Loveland Foundation, which provides therapy support specifically for Black women and girls. You can find out more and apply at thelovelandfoundation.org. Open Path Collective is another directory of therapists who offer reduced-fee sessions. I believe you deserve support regardless of your financial situation, and I’d rather point you toward something real than leave you without options.
Inside the Work
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I’m not a nod-and-reflect therapist. I’m direct, I ask real questions, and I will tell you what I’m noticing. If something you’re saying seems to contradict something else you’ve said, I’ll name it. If I think a pattern you’re describing has a particular root, I’ll offer that. Sessions feel like real conversations, not performances. You bring what’s on your mind; I bring the training and the tools to help you actually understand it and move through it. My job is not to make you feel validated for an hour. My job is to help you change something.
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Most clients start with weekly sessions, which gives us enough consistency to build momentum and do real work. As you progress, we may shift to every other week. There’s no predetermined length for how long you’ll be in therapy — that depends on what you’re working through and what you want to accomplish. Some people work with me for six months; some for longer. What I can tell you is that we’ll check in on progress regularly, and discharge is something we plan together. The goal is never to keep you in therapy indefinitely.
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That happens, and it’s fine. You don’t need an agenda to walk into a session. If you come in and your mind goes blank, we start with that. I’ll ask questions, we’ll find a thread, and the session will go somewhere useful. Most people who come in saying they don’t know what to say end up having some of the most productive sessions, because the blankness itself is often worth exploring. You don’t have to perform readiness. You just have to show up.
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We’ll go to the past when it’s useful — which it often is, because the patterns that are causing problems in your present usually have roots somewhere earlier. But this isn’t archaeology for its own sake. I’m not interested in excavating your history as an end in itself. I’m interested in understanding what formed the patterns that are active in your life right now, and what it takes to shift them. We’ll go as deep as the work requires, and we’ll do it at a pace that doesn’t leave you more destabilized than when you came in.
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Honestly, sometimes yes. When you start looking at things you’ve been managing by not looking at them, there can be a period where things feel more activated before they settle. That’s a normal part of real therapeutic work, and it’s something I actively manage with you — not something you navigate alone in the middle of. I use body-based practices and somatic grounding specifically so that we’re not opening more than your system can handle in a session. If things feel harder than expected between sessions, you reach out. I’ll be here.
Is This Right for Me?
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No. Most of the women I work with are not in crisis when they reach out. They are functioning. They are showing up. They are managing. And they are exhausted in a way that managing has not fixed. If the tiredness has moved into a layer that rest, vacations, and willpower haven’t touched — if you keep ending up in the same patterns no matter how hard you try — that’s enough. You don’t need a breakdown to deserve support. You just need to be ready to do something different.
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That’s a fair question, and I’d rather you ask it than assume the answer. A lot of therapy that doesn’t work falls into one of a few categories: the fit wasn’t right, the approach stayed in the head and never reached the body, or it was mostly talking without tools. What I do is different in some specific ways. I work from an IFS framework, which means we’re working with the actual parts driving your patterns — not just describing them. I bring body-based and somatic practices into sessions because I know that insight alone doesn’t change a nervous system. And I bring personal credibility to this work, not just clinical training. The best way to assess whether this would be different for you is a free consultation. Come with your skepticism. It’s welcome.
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Shutting down is actually one of the things I’m specifically trained to work with. It’s a nervous system response, not a character flaw, and it’s not a barrier to doing this work — it’s part of the work. I won’t push you faster than your system can handle, and I won’t interpret your silence as resistance. I’ll help you understand what’s happening when you go quiet, and over time, we’ll build your capacity to stay present with the hard stuff rather than having to leave it. That capacity is exactly what this kind of therapy is designed to grow.
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You will not have to explain your life to me from the beginning. I work primarily with Black women and understand the specific weight of being the strong one, the first-generation achiever, the one who holds everything together, without needing that translated. I’m also a Black woman and a first-generation college graduate who has navigated many of the same patterns my clients bring in. The cultural context isn’t something you’ll need to justify or soften here. It’s part of how this work is held from the start.
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Then we talk about it directly and without defensiveness on my end. If something about the approach isn’t landing, I want to know. If you’re not sure what’s working and what isn’t, we can look at that together. Therapy is not a passive experience where you sit and hope something shifts. It’s collaborative, which means if it’s not working, that’s information we both use. And if after an honest conversation it becomes clear that a different therapist or approach would serve you better, I will tell you that and help you find it.
The Practical Stuff
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All sessions are virtual, conducted through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. No commute, no waiting room, no rearranging your day. You log in from wherever you have an hour and privacy, whether that's your home, your office, or your car.
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I hold licensure in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, which means I can work with any client currently located in one of those four states. If your life moves between states, I can follow you as long as you're in one of the four states where I'm licensed. If you're ready to start and you're in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, or South Carolina, geography is not a barrier.
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Virtual sessions are conducted through Simple Practice, which is a HIPAA-compliant platform built specifically for healthcare providers. That means your sessions are encrypted, your information is protected, and nothing from our conversations is stored or shared through the platform. In practical terms: you’ll receive a secure link before each session, you click it, and we’re connected. No app download required, no waiting room full of strangers, no technical barrier.
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If something goes wrong with your technology right before a session, send me a text or email immediately and we’ll troubleshoot. If we lose connection during a session, log back in using the same link — I’ll be waiting. If the connection issue is persistent and we can’t resolve it, we’ll either switch to a phone call for that session or reschedule without a cancellation fee. Tech issues happen, and they won’t cost you a session
Still Have Therapy Questions or Not Quite Sure Yet?
The consultation call is exactly for this. Fifteen minutes, no agenda, no commitment required. Bring your list. I’ll answer every question on it.
Support Available Across Four States