My Specialties

I have two areas of expertise. First, I specialize in providing evidence-based treatments in individual therapy for a wide variety of problems, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trauma recovery
• Relationship problems
• Identity development

Second, I am extremely passionate about providing affirming psychological services for LGBTQ+ adults. This includes:

• Individual therapy focused on specific LGBTQ+ issues
• Individual therapy addressing mental health concerns unrelated to identity in an affirming environment
• Individual therapy helping transgender adults through the processes of developing a healthy identity as a trans person and transitioning (should that be the path chosen)
• Gender-affirming assessments (evaluations for hormone therapy and pre-surgical evaluations) and supporting documentation. I use an informed-consent model for these services

How Do I Get Started?

At this point, you have taken a big step to investigate your options. Choosing a therapist is a very important, and largely personal, decision. You are the only one who can choose who is right for you. I will happily provide you a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation to discuss what you are looking for, and I will also ask you some questions about your difficulties. In addition to gathering information, you’ll be able to get a “feel” for what it might be like to work with me in therapy.

If we determine I could be the right therapist for you, I will schedule you to come to the office for an initial intake. An intake appointment is typically about 1 hour and 20 minutes long. The purpose of the intake is for you to tell me more about what is bothering you, your background, and your treatment goals. Sometimes this process takes more than one session.

After the initial intake, if we determine we are a good therapy match and if you decide you would like to engage in therapy with me, we will begin therapy sessions that may occur on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, depending on your needs and schedule. Therapy sessions are 45 minutes long. Research suggests that clients who practice new skills learned in therapy have better therapy outcomes than those who do not. To maximize your therapy outcomes, we will work together to plan “homework” to facilitate making changes. We may also use paper and pencil measures to check on how your symptoms are improving.