Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, because your mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. Looking after YOU is the ultimate gift to yourself. Embrace the opportunity to be your Best Self.

As my specialty has continued evolving, so has my practice. While it is great to be covered, starting July 1, 2023, I will only accept Blue Cross and Blue Shields Insurance of Nebraska with the NEtwork BLUE plan (not plans that are Premier Select Blue Choice or Blueprint Health HB).

My fee for the initial session (60 minutes) for individual and couples counseling is $250; after that, my fee is $225 for a 60-minute session (individual or couples). For individual and couples coaching, my fee is $225 for a 60-minute session. I do not offer a sliding scale fee.

You will know if therapy or coaching is right for you because you will feel a rapport with your therapist. It is about trusting your instincts, and feeling understood and validated. It should feel like your therapist “gets” you and like you are making progress. If you do not experience these things, bring it up with your therapist; if they become defensive, then it is probably not the best fit.

The relationship between you and your therapist/coach is collaborative. By discussing topics that bother you or problems you have kept to yourself, things are put into a social context. From there, you and your therapist can create something new – new meanings, new relationships, a new way of speaking. Therapy helps you learn to view things in a different way so you can take charge of your life. Coaching addresses current issues, opportunities, and fears regarding the present, and identifies a direction for the future.

Look for someone who is experienced working with couples, as couples therapy differs significantly from individual therapy. Find someone with education and training in couples dynamics and interpersonal relationships, and who continues to further their education in this field. Ask the therapist what percentage of their practice consists of couples work. Be sure that you and your partner feel validated and understood by the therapist, and that you both trust the therapist. You can also obtain counselor referrals from your doctor, attorney, or accountant.

This is a very important question! You will know you can work together if you sense some sort of connection with the therapist. Feeling comfortable to talk about anything that is bothering you with someone who cares for you is a vital part of the therapeutic relationship. Be open and honest with your therapist – you should feel understood, heard, and accepted just as you are. Therapy and coaching will not be effective if this foundation is not properly built. A major objective of the therapeutic relationship is to support the client in making changes they desire to make in their own life.

How long does it take to do therapy or coaching? What kind of results should I expect?
There is no set time to do therapy or coaching – it depends on the issues presented and how quickly or slowly you delve into them. You should expect to feel a little better and hopeful as therapy progresses. When you are aware of how something impacts you, it then becomes hard NOT to make the changes because your awareness does not simply disappear. Throughout the course of therapy and coaching, you might feel like you are making improvements and taking two steps forward; and you may fall into your previous patterns, resulting in you taking one step back. This is a perfectly normal process! It takes time for new habits to form because our old ways are easy and familiar. Eventually, progress WILL happen, as your awareness leads you to revisit the situation.

You may need to take medications if you are not able to function effectively at your workplace or in your home life, which might look like missing a lot of days at the office or not completing tasks around your house. You will be provided with psychiatric referrals so that you can get medications to help you function better, which will increase the effectiveness of therapy. It is all about being stable enough to take on what’s bothering you deep down.

I will be able to help by providing a safe, objective, and supportive place for you to let out what is troubling you. I will offer different perspectives, suggestions, and tools on how to make the desired changes. It is up to you to try them out to see what does and does not fit. We will work together to figure out what suits you best.

If you and your partner have been fighting, struggling with financial issues, or do not know how to communicate effectively, then one of you might seek outside help on an individual basis; as therapy progresses, it is ideal to attend sessions together to work on the challenging issues. When talking with your partner about marriage counseling, explain things from your perspective, such as, “I am feeling down about how we are communicating and I would like for us to get some help.” By framing it this way, your partner is more likely to hear what you are saying and be open to the suggestion. If you broach the subject with a phrase like, “You do not know how to communicate and we need help,” your partner will likely become defensive, thereby closing the door on the idea. I encourage you to ask for what you want or need from your partner – they will probably be more open to hearing your request this way.

Have additional questions? Please call 402.881.8125 to see if this is a good fit for you.