Board-Certified Child & Adolescent Clinical Psychologist and Trauma-Focused CBT Therapist
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Responses to Common Questions about Therapy
WHAT IS YOUR THERAPEUTIC APPROACH, TRAINING BACKGROUND, AND EXPERIENCE?
I am a clinical psychologist for children, adolescents, and young adults. I am Board-Certified in Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). I was trained psychodynamically at the George Washington University professional psychology program, completed my internship at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and my postdoctoral fellowship in trauma and dissociative disorders at Sheppard Pratt's Trauma Disorders Unit. I also completed a residence in child and adolescent psychotherapy and assessment at the Center for Cognitive Therapy and Assessment. I'm trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, an evidence-based practice, and am currently a staff psychologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress. I completed an assessment externship working with adolescents at the D.C. Superior Courts, and have extensive experience conducting school admissions assessments for young children under age 8. Research-wise, I am interested in thinking about how psychodynamic therapy can be applied to different contexts, including hospitals, schools, and community mental health settings.
WHAT CAN I GAIN FROM THERAPY?
Therapy is a process that occurs within the context of a helping relationship. I view therapy as a warm collaboration between client and therapist in the service of helping the client to discover which skills, modes of communication, and ideas help to alleviate distress and build resilience to face life's challenges. I aim to work hard on your behalf to help you reach your goals, facilitate ways to gain more awareness into your emotions and their origins, and provide support and validation for tougher moments. I also believe that psychological trauma sustained in the early years of life can be addressed and worked through within the therapeutic relationship for clients of all ages. For more literature and research on how and why therapy is effective, visit the resources page.
HOW LONG ARE THERAPY SESSIONS?
An initial intake is about an hour in length. A therapy session hour is typically 45-50 minutes in length and occurs once or twice weekly. School admissions assessments may take approximately 2 hours to administer. Crisis management sessions may also be arranged, should an urgent concern arise before your regularly scheduled time.
HOW LONG DOES THERAPY TAKE?
Typically, the symptoms that brought you and/or your child into therapy may abate with therapeutic treatment within 3-6 months of regularly attending sessions. TF-CBT is usually completed within 8-24 sessions. Sometimes, people need urgent therapy to work through a challenging time in their lives, feel more equipped to work through difficult feelings, take a pause, and return at another time should the need arise again. It all depends on you, your circumstances, and your unique treatment plan. Along with your treatment plan, upon request you will be provided with a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) which will lay out the estimated length and cost of treatment.
WHAT IS THE INITIAL PROCESS FOR THERAPY?
First, you and I will have a 15 minute complimentary consultation call to see if I might be a good fit for you or your child's needs. Then, you can set up an initial intake (first 30 minutes with parents, next 30 minutes with young patient under age 18) for me to gather more background information, think about what may be helpful, and to begin to develop a treatment plan with my recommendations. Additional referrals to a psychological assessment, psychiatry, speech and language therapy may also be indicated. After about 3-4 initial therapy sessions with you or your child, I will have written and developed a treatment plan which I will share with you and/or your child, if indicated and in an age-appropriate manner. A Good Faith Estimate (GFE) which is available upon request will outline duration of sessions and agreed-up on fee will also be provided to you at this time.
IS THERAPY IN-PERSON OR BY TELEHEALTH?
Both in-person or Telehealth sessions can be arranged. You and I will decide what works best for you and/or your child clinically and logistically. I can work by Telehealth if you are located in a PsyPact-participating state.
"Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves..."