That’s quite the personal question and something I can’t answer for you.  Some people come see me when they feel stuck or at a crossroads, and some see me when they want support in slowing things down and making sense of everything.  Some people (older teens and adults) seek me out and some younger clients have their parents or teachers reach out. Regardless of how you find me, I do my best to sit and hear and hold space for you.

It is an awful lot like alphabet soup – LCSW stands for a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, MFT stands for a Marriage Family Therapist, Psy D stands for a Doctor of Psychology (they just had to be different).  You might have also seen ASW (Associate Social Worker) or MFTI (Marriage Family Therapist Intern); this means they are not yet licensed and working under the supervision of a licensed health professional.  One other acronym is MD and that is for someone who is a Medical Doctor; these people are able to prescribe medications.  Everyone else, myself included, is unable to provide medications.

No matter the setting, I always start with a temperature check (like clockwork, “Hi, how are you doing, what’s going on today?”).  The reasoning is that if something BIG and HUGE has happened or is on your mind, it is front and center and the larger work may need to sit in the back seat for a moment.  I then will usually check in on how things have been since last session, if what you worked through has gone the way you wanted or not and if it has, great! and if not, we may explore why and where to head now.  That being said, every session and every person is different, and that is the huge reason why I love my job!

I strive to meet with people once a week, ideally the same day and time since routine and structure can calm our nervous systems as we know what to expect.  Yet, I also know life, work and school happen and can accommodate schedules as you need.

I see clients at the OffixEdge in the Outer Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco located at 2309 Noriega St and 30th Avenue.

I do – over Zoom or telephone.

I have a 48 hour policy; clients are responsible for the full fee unless I can find another client to fill the appointment slot or we can reschedule for the same week.  If we have an office session scheduled and you’d like to swap to Zoom, there is a 24 hour cancellation policy – unless you are ill, then let’s please switch to virtual.

My fee is $200.

I no longer am paneled with health insurance companies and may still be appearing on directories (despite efforts over the years to reach an actual human who will take my name off!); for my folks wishing to use their insurance for therapy sessions, I provide an invoice letter (a “superbill”) which you then send on to your insurance who will then provide reimbursement to clients.  Check in with your insurance company to see their policies.

I accept payment after each session by Square, Venmo, the Cash app, Zelle and check.

I’m available to meet with parents to touch base, answer questions and perhaps get a different perspective from what kiddo may present to me during sessions.  I’m also happy to meet with teachers and outside providers with a signed Consent to Exchange Information form.

People were not designed to sit stationary for 8 hours a day.  When we move, we are able to connect and feel free, and fluid in our bodies.  In this way, some people are better able to connect and “do something” with their inner workings (e.g. emotions and feelings) through action and movement.  I am thrilled to offer “walk and talks” and rock climbing as options in the San Francisco Bay Area.

No more dangerous than potentially tripping over the dog in the middle of the night, getting out of the bath tub or carrying laundry down the stairs.  I would argue that climbing (whether in the gym or outside) is actually much safer!

Send me a message through any of the orange buttons and we’ll get set up with a 15 minute free “meet and greet.” Reading someone’s website versus hearing their voice and connecting with them is much different.  In these consultations, I aim to see if you can feel heard and supported and at ease before we kick off together.