Frequently Asked Questions

Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions below, or contact me directly with any other questions you may have.

Are you accepting new patients?

Unfortuantely, my practice is full at the moment.

Do you accept insurance?

Yes. I am in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna, and I accept out-of-network benefits from other insurers.

What are your fees?

$200 for the first 60 to 90 minute intake, and $175 for each 55 minute follow-up. However, if you have insurance- these are somewhat reduced. In order for insurance to pay, you must pay your deductible in full. After that, your visits would cost whatever your normal co-pay is for a specialist. You can also call your insurance company to determine how much you might have to pay for services.

How Long Does Psychotherapy Take To Work?

It really depends- What are you looking to change? How long have you been struggling? How complex is the change you are looking at? A typical behavioral psychotherapy course might be 8-20 weekly sessions, although you should have a fairly clear idea whether the treatment seems like it will help within a few weeks. Some models of psychotherapy (i.e. Motivational Interviewing or Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) are oriented to a few sessions at most. Others types of treatment (especially ones that focus on personality change) may take years.

What is Evidence-Based Psychotherapy?

Not all types of psychotherapy are equally helpful in alleviating psychological distress. Whereas almost all therapies focus on developing a warm, empathic relationship, evidence-based therapies strongly emphasize reducing symptoms sustainability. I generally use third-wave behavioral therapies (with training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Functional Analytic Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy). The “third wave” of behavior therapy represents the leading edge of where research in the field is and often can emphasize acceptance of current moment experience, mindfulness, clarifying one’s values, developing self-compassion, and behaving skillfully. For more information about psychological treatment research for various conditions, please check out: http://www.div12.org/psychological-treatments/disorders/

What Can I Expect In Our First Appointment?

The first appointment is really just a getting to know you session. One of the necessary components of good therapy is a good working relation- and so the first session is a really a way to meet each other and see how we get along. I’ll ask plenty of questions about what has been bothering you, what you want from treatment, how other aspects of your life are, and parts of you history, but there is no rush to get to everything in the first session. I tend to be pretty laid back as a therapist, and therefore you can feel free to ask any questions that would be helpful to make you feel comfortable. After that, if it seems I might be able to help, I’ll suggest a treatment plan and we can go from there.

I live outside Asheville North Carolina, can you treat me?

Although my office is located in Asheville, I can provide telehealth services throughout North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.