If you’ve read through some of my website and you like what you see and think we would be a good fit and you see that I have space available (for new clients or on my waitlist), you can go ahead and fill out a contact form here. After that I will reply to you based on if I have spots available and then I will send you an intake eligibility form. This form has a couple of questions that will help me get to know you and also clarifies for me if I would be a good clinical fit for your needs. Once you fill that out, if I have space available for a new client, we can schedule a free 15-minute consult where I answer your questions and ask you a little bit more about what you are looking for. After that, depending on what we both decide, we will schedule a first assessment session. The consult is less an assessment and more of a getting to know you type meeting and the assessment is where I formally ask you a bunch of questions about symptoms and what you would like to work on to determine next best steps in the process. Sometimes we will both think it’s a good fit and get started scheduling sessions and other times one of us may find that there are reasons not to move forward, in which case I will provide you a referral. Occasionally after an assessment I might tell you that I don’t have the clinical training in something you want to work on or find that you need a higher level of care and will refer you to the right clinician and/or level of care.

This question has many answers and the main one is it depends! Everybody comes into therapy with different needs and goals. Therapy can last a few months to several years depending on what you are hoping to get out if it, what you want the process to be and of course, what your pace is. Everyone changes and processes at different paces. Often more short-term work looks like trying to learn specific skills and is more solution focused. Longer term work is more process based and often looks like using therapy to keep growing as time passes. Of course, this also depends on your resources, time, schedule, state of residence and on other less practical aspects like if we both feel the therapeutic relationship is continuing to serve you, if you feel like you’d like to focus on a different type of service that I don’t offer, what your priorities are. Generally, I like to check in every six months to discuss our treatment plan and what you would like to move forward to give us both some time to think intentionally about your changing needs. Also, those who are receiving sliding scale services need to know that their therapy at that fee is capped at a year to offer space to others who need that access to care.

Again, this looks different for everyone, but generally follows the arc of assessment, treatment planning, deep self-inquiry and emotion work and skills learning, learning how to apply this knowledge outside of the therapy room, and maintenance/relapse prevention work to keep working on your goals outside of therapy, then ending when we decide is appropriate. Some people really like having concrete structure that helps them know where they are at in the process and others prefer to keep it looser and let the process flow. Neither is “right”, it just depends on what you want.

For those of you who like concrete skills work, I am able to give you something to take from the insular world of therapy and apply it to your real life. I also balance that with body awareness work, mindfulness and emotion focused acceptance practices in and out of session. We tailor the therapy to your needs, goals and values. When something isn’t working, we talk about it and change it.

My practice is to listen to your feedback and incorporate it. Like I said, I’m human—I don’t have all the answers and I’m not perfect. I own when my privilege gets in the way of seeing clearly— when I may be missing something. I believe first and foremost in my client’s inner wisdom. I won’t tell you what to do (unless we are deliberately working on skills coaching and practice), but instead will be a guide. I am someone with a bit knowledge, a lot of compassion and a committed nonjudgmental outside perspective who can guide you to get where you want to go. Often, that looks like helping you stay with the process instead of striving towards some enlightened “healed” state that wellness culture sells you. What they’re often really selling you is shame and a lifetime of empty striving. I’m here to help you push back against the culture of never enough. So maybe instead of saying I can get you where you want to go, it would be better to say I can guide you to see and stick with the process that will help you live your life in full vibrant color, with all of the grief and the joy that comes with being human.

If you want to know more about what it’s like to work with me and how I work, head over to my About Me.

Right now I am not available to see clients outside of Oregon. I am available to do consults out of state for other clinicians and one off informational sessions that would not be considered “therapy”. The way it works right now is the therapist can see clients anywhere they are licensed, regardless of where they live. I currently hold a license in the state of Oregon and in the state of Massachusetts, where I currently live. It is possible the law will change and allow therapists clients nationally, but currently we are under state jurisdiction. COVID has changed a lot about how we practice and what populations we can reach, which is great! In a lot of ways therapy is much more accessible now! If you prefer in-person therapy or want full coverage for your therapy, contact your insurance company for options.

Also please note that if you are out of state for vacation or other travel, we will need to reschedule our sessions together until you are back physically in state.

Absolutely! I just have those categories listed on my website because they are specializations of practice. I work with all kinds of different people and do not discriminate! I may not always be the best fit for everyone and so it is important that we work together to determine if we will be a good fit since the therapeutic relationship is so important. If you’re a straight cisgender man and you think we would work well together, please don’t be scared to reach out! I love working with men on all kinds of different levels and think you especially need access to care because toxic masculinity culture often has young boys and men move away from their emotions and desires rather than towards them.

My rate is $185 per 50-minute individual sessions. For more information about my fees, please head over to my Fees and Services page here. I have a limited availability of sliding scale options and cap my sliding scale work to 1 year to make space for others who have a similar need.

Other than Lyra, I currently do not take insurance. I can provide you with a superbill for reimbursement if you have out of network coverage.

Here are some questions to ask your insurance company to see if you have out of network coverage and what coverage looks like for your plan:

• Does my plan provide reimbursement for out-of-network mental health care with a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Oregon?

• Do you cover CPT codes such as 90837 or 90834?

• If so, is there a separate deductible?

• What percentage of out-of-network costs does my plan cover?

• Do I need pre-authorization for out-of-network services?

• Is there a limit to the number of sessions that will be reimbursed per year?

• How do I submit for out-of-network reimbursement?

Head over to fees and services for more info.

Please note that I take privacy in the therapeutic relationship very seriously and it is important for the therapeutic relationship and the teen’s progress in therapy to have confidential sessions. Unless there is any threat of life-threatening behavior (harm to self or others) or other significant safety concerns, I will keep what is said between the teen and myself. I am very transparent with the teen if I feel I need to tell you something and tend to avoid having many collateral conversations outside of the individual sessions. If the parent has concerns, they can schedule a 15–30-minute phone call or session with me to discuss it, but please know that the teen will be aware of this. I prefer to meet all together whenever possible, and I am not able to do much outside case management over email or portal. If that is needed, I will charge for my time in 15-minute increments. If it is needed very often, I might refer to a family therapist or case manager, or occasionally, a higher level of care.

Usually, for younger teens, I will have an initial meeting with the teen and parent, with the parent coming in for the first 20 minutes to go over policies and agree upon what role the parent has in our therapy sessions ahead of time. Often, we will agree on check ins every 6 weeks or so to discuss what is going on at home and parse through any concerns the teen or parent might have. Note that parent coaching/therapy is separate and if I am working with your teen and you are interested in that kind of more intensive work, I will refer you to someone else to avoid dual relationships. Different families have different needs, and some teens prefer their parents to be totally hands off, while some want to do work within the family system. If, however, you are wanting the type of therapy where parents are actively hearing what is going on in every session between the teen and therapist, I am not the provider to work with.

If you are the parent of a young adult, the level to which you will be involved in our therapy is completely at the discretion of the young adult. I do have a guarantor form that I have all young adults whose parents are paying for therapy sign. This ensures that if your young adult is regularly accruing cancellation fees due to late cancelling or no showing, you will know. Outside of finances, the rest will be up to the young adult to decide what they want shared with you.

I am a bicoastal therapist both based out of Portland, OR and Amherst, MA. Currently I am working on obtaining my licensure in Massachusetts but living in Massachusetts. As a result, all of my services are teletherapy only. Not only is virtual therapy safer for the pandemic, but it offers a variety of benefits such as being more accessible if you have a reliable Internet connection, it decreases the amount of traveling you have to do and therefore is easier to fit into your schedule, and it allows you to do therapy in the privacy and familiarity of your own space. Currently I use Zoom as my virtual platform, which is HIPAA complaint and password protected. You can join from a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone, though I encourage you to set up an area that is comfortable, private, and allows you to be alert enough to do some therapeutic work. I recommend you have headphones handy if you are worried about privacy. If we do family or couples therapy, you can either stay together in the same room or join from separate devices. Occasionally there are technical issues, and we will have a back-up plan for continuing our session.

Right now I don’t see clients in person. This may change eventually, but currently I am in school for a second Master’s degree in MA. I won’t be able to see clients who reside in Oregon. I am working on my Massachusetts license and may eventually open up a brick and mortar practice in Western MA.

Please check out this page about my values to see if we might be a good match working together.

If you want to check out my mission statement or if you ever wondered why my practice is called Keeping Things Whole, check out this page.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Oregon, L8465. I received my bachelor’s in psychology from Bard College, where I completed my undergraduate thesis in understanding empathy in Autism Spectrum Disorder. I received my Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Columbia University in New York. While there, I completed intensive training in Dr. Andre Ivanoff’s DBT Lab and worked in high schools and in the counseling program at NYU. After that, I moved to Portland, OR, to work at Portland DBT Institute where I worked on the path to mindful eating team and in the nascent eating disorder IOP program. I also taught parent DBT skills groups. Then, I worked in a boutique DBT practice called NW DBT, running young adult, family, and parent DBT groups. I spent much of my time there working with adolescents, young adults and family. I also completed trainings in Health at Every Size, CBT for eating disorders, DBT-PE for trauma, and Internal Family Systems, as well as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

You can check out my LinkedIn page here for more information.

This is a really important question to ask if you are someone who has been recommended to a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) program. While I used to provide adherent DBT, I am taking a step back from that to provide other modalities and work with people in a different capacity. If you are DBT familiar, this means I am only working with Stage II and above clients.

It is very important to know what adherent DBT is and how to differentiate it if you are looking for a DBT therapist. Many people believe they are getting full DBT when they are not because these days, many therapists can advertise themselves as DBT trained when they only practice a component or are somewhat familiar with the DBT skills. This leads to people not getting the therapy they need, and sometimes thinking DBT didn’t work for them. Full fidelity, adherent DBT needs to offer all of these components: Individual Therapy (with diary cards and using chain analysis for target behaviors), DBT Skills Group (specifically taught using Linehan’s workbook), Phone Coaching (this means the clinician is available 24/7 for DBT skills coaching), and Consult Team (this is an important component of DBT that does not directly affect clients. It means your clinician is on a DBT trained consult team where they problem solve and process issues that come up in session using DBT skills). I also would recommend looking for someone who has baseline been intensively trained by BTECH or someone who is LBC certified in DBT. Here is a link to help you find a DBT adherent program.

You may need adherent DBT if

-you are actively engaging in self-harming or suicidal behavior

-you have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and have never had a treatment episode of DBT before

-you are struggling with a severe substance misuse issue (specifically life-threatening such as meth, heroin, or alcohol use)

-you are struggling with severe eating disordered behavior

-you have just gotten out of an inpatient program for the above

A DBT informed therapist is helpful if

-you have already been through DBT skills group and are now considered “Stage II”, that is you don’t have any life threatening behaviors and are wanting to work on emotional experiencing and/or are ready to work on recovery from trauma

-you are not suicidal or self harming or engaging in other life threatening behaviors and you are in a DBT skills group and are looking for a DBT savvy individual therapist but are aware you will not receive the whole “kit and caboodle” such as phone coaching and are okay with that

-you want to learn some concrete DBT skills in a non-group, non-formalized setting

Again, here is a link if you are looking for a DBT adherent therapist.