I mainly work with kids & teens who are motivated to learn new skills to improve their social, emotional, and academic lives.

My focus is on helping students manage their anxiety, depression, relationship issues with peers, grief/loss, & trauma.

I typically see individual clients for an hour, once per week.

Once we feel that progress has been made or your symptoms have greatly improved, we can scale back to biweekly/ monthly sessions--or as needed.

Scheduling & effective time management – including the importance of clarifying assignments, understanding the difference between tasks and projects, blocking in all activities to plan for deadlines

Setting goals & priorities – instead of just ‘winging it’

Building confidence – success IS possible, despite a history of failures or under-performance (our belief systems totally affect our performance and how we perceive our ability to succeed)

Self-advocacy – how to get what you need from others

Accountability – instead of waiting for grades, there is weekly focus on performance, along with support and creation of strategies to overcome challenges, helping to develop structure and reinforce commitment

Taking responsibility – for schoolwork, self-care, self-regulation, learning to delay gratification and work towards longer term goals

Life issues – socializing and making time for fun, but balancing with schoolwork, perfectionism, brain-freeze, lack of clarity, staying focused, avoidance, self-doubt

Study, writing & project management skills – techniques and strategies, both practical and attitude/belief systems

Beyond school – summer employment, Internships, applying to grad school, career direction, job search strategies

Realize that my client is the student, and unless there is imminent danger, I will not discuss the details of our sessions with the parents. However, as you are paying, you have a right to know the generalities of what we discuss, and if your child is benefiting from coaching.

It is important to understand that, while improved grades are a goal, it is not always indicative of the student’s growth – the challenges did not appear overnight, and improvements will take time as well.

During the initial meetings with the student we establish standards for keeping parents in the loop. In some cases I may also have sessions with parents, or consult with the student’s other treatment professionals.

Each session is customized to your goals for therapy. Good therapy is much more than just talking about the issues you're struggling with; it's about finding solutions to the issues, learning better ways to cope, and following through with action. We'll explore the issues, but we'll also engage in activities and exercises that will give you the tools and confidence to make progress outside the therapy room.

I am a self-pay practice meaning I don't directly accept insurance.

Unfortunately, because of changes in the insurance industry over the past several years, I DO NOT accept insurance for any service. You are welcome to claim my services on your out of network insurance. Upon request, I do offer a SuperBill which you can send to your insurance for reimbursement.

Here are a few more reasons why:

1. You are in control of your care, including choosing your therapist and length of treatment.

2. Increased privacy and confidentiality (except for limits of confidentiality) as your information stays with me.

3. Not having a mental health disorder diagnosis on your medical record.

4. Consulting with me on non-psychiatric issues that are important to you that aren’t billable by insurance, such as learning how to cope with life changes, gaining more effective communication techniques for your relationships, increasing personal insight, and developing healthy new skills.