FAQ
Where is your office?
Shenandoah Family Therapy is a teletherapy practice, so I do not see clients in person at a physical office location. I conduct sessions using a secure video platform, giving you an effective and convenient way of doing therapy.
I admit… I was skeptical at first, too. I didn’t think I could build deep, personal connections with my clients in the same way. But after several months of working only online, I found that was simply not true. The same powerful therapeutic relationship and change is possible even if we don’t see each other in person.
If you’re nervous about teletherapy or think that it might not be for you, I’d encourage you to schedule a free consultation by phone or video. If you choose the video, you’ll have the opportunity to test-drive teletherapy to see if it’s right for you.
With whom do you work?
I work with individuals, couples, families, teens, and children with various issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship problems, separation/divorce, parenting, post-partum depression, and many more.
I work especially well with teen girls and young women. I believe in helping girls and women with stress reduction, assertiveness, self-care, and self-esteem. I feel strongly about empowering girls and women to become independent leaders in the world.
Many of my adult and teen clients are members of the LGBTQ community. I am heterosexual and prefer she/her pronouns. It’s been my honor and privilege to support and work with LGBTQ teens, especially. I’ve learned so much from them and try my best to be an adult in their world who listens, cares, and shows acceptance.
I also believe in the power of strong marriages and couple relationships. Few counselors are willing to work with couples. In Virginia, there aren’t a lot of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Count me in for couples work!
Are you taking new clients?
When do you see clients?
I see clients by appointment on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
Office days and hours are subject to change.
I started this private practice for scheduling flexibility, allowing me to move my working hours around in a way that works with my family life. For example, Mondays in my house is the day of the week that I dedicate to spending with the kids when they have virtual school. I will ALWAYS notify you in advance of any availability changes.
Do you see clients on weekends?
How long is a therapy session?
How often are therapy sessions?
It depends on the individual, couple, family, or child’s needs, preferences, and goals. Most of my clients start with appointments once per week. This gives us a chance to cover a lot of ground quickly at the beginning.
Even when things are going well, you might choose to continue weekly because the routine can help you maintain self-care and progress. Others might decide to step back to every other week… or even once a month.
What are your rates?
All initial individual assessment sessions are 50 minutes and cost $140.
The rate for individuals, including children/teens are $140 for a 50-minute session and $75 for a 30-minute session.
The rate for couples and family sessions are $175 for a 50-minute session.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Will you take my insurance?
I have chosen to be an out-of-network provider to cut back time spent filing claims, making phone calls, and dealing with administrative busy-work. Instead, I spend time outside of sessions working on becoming a better therapist for my clients. I read professional books, take continuing education courses, and research new ideas to be the best therapist I can be!
But call your insurance provider to learn more about your plan’s out-of-network benefits.
I will provide you with receipts and monthly statements so that you can file claims for reimbursement directly with your insurance provider.
What does LMFT mean?
LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I am licensed by the Board of Counseling in Virginia and specialize in Marriage and Family Therapy.
I have specialized education, training, and experience with family systems, couples therapy, and therapy with children.
I work with individuals, too! Just don’t be surprised when I ask questions about your family and relationships. I still tend to see through a systems lens, even when working with an individual.
We’re all connected to and affected by others in the world. That can have a big impact on even an individual’s mental health and wellness.
If you work with my child or teen, do I have to be there for every session?
Parents play an important role in therapy for children and teens. For the very first session, I will ask that you and your child be present. If two parents or guardians are involved in the child or teen’s life, both are welcome and encouraged to participate in the first session. This establishes us as a team in the eyes of your child. I want their individual trust and participation, but I also want them to know and understand that I will be communicating with their adults along the way.
After the first session, child and teen individual sessions should and can be private and do not require the parent to participate. Some younger children may need to have the adult available for help connecting to the teletherapy session.
What can you tell me about what my son or daughter says in sessions?
Throughout therapy services with children and teens, I will maintain contact with the parent through phone or email updates at regular intervals. I will give you progress updates, help you understand goals or strategies that I’m working on with your child, and share any serious concerns I might have.
I want to protect your child’s confidentiality and privacy, so I will not share everything he or she says in detail. But, rest assured, you will be the first to know in the event that your child or teen shares information that indicates a safety concern, such as suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and other dangerous situations. I always explain the limits of confidentiality to your child and teen and let them know when something they have said will be discussed with a parent in order to keep them safe.
In couples therapy, will you tell us if we should stay together or break up?
In couples therapy, I do not advise couples whether they should be together. It is not my place to make that decision or push you in one direction or the other.
My job is to open the lines of communication, help the couple better identify and understand the problems where they are stuck, help them to heal from traumatic situations, and find a path forward. Whether that path keeps the couple together or helps them go their separate ways is not up to me. That decision is always up to the couple.
Will you give me a diagnosis?
There are pros and cons to diagnosis. The brief answer is, like all things, I don’t believe there’s a one-size-fits-all answer for this. It depends.
Some individuals will benefit from a formal diagnosis. It may be necessary for using out-of-network insurance benefits. A diagnosis may be useful to communicate to other professionals such as primary care doctors or (for children) school staff. It can help open doors for additional supports and treatments in other areas of life.
If you or your child have been previously diagnosed with a mental health disorder by another professional, it is helpful for me to know more about that, and I may ask you to sign a release of information authorizing me to gain access to previous records. Understanding your history is very helpful in providing you with excellent support and services now.
For many, a diagnosis may not be necessary, and I do not have to assess and assign one. We will work together to decide if a diagnosis is needed or useful for you or your child/teen.
What can I expect to happen in a typical session with you?
I always start by asking you, your child, your family, or the couple if there’s anything pressing concern or issue that you’d like to focus on for the session. Many people come to sessions with a hot button issue or event that happened recently that keeps replaying over and over in their minds. I always want to prioritize those and make sure they are part of the session’s agenda.
Don’t worry, though, if you don’t know what to talk about each session. I am great at asking a lot of questions to help guide you to the topics that will be useful and productive to explore. After I get to know about your background, your world, and the daily challenges you face, I will regularly ask about those areas that are IMPORTANT TO YOU.
We will also establish client-centered goals. What do YOU want to get out of this service in the end? If therapy goes very well for you, what would your results look like? Once we have that clear picture of where you want to go, we will spend each session focusing on those goals. So even when you don’t know what you want to talk about, the end-goal will help move each session in the right direction.
I will monitor the time for you. You don’t need to worry about checking the clock. I will let you know when we are nearing the end of the session and make sure that I follow up again at the end to see if there was anything we left out. I will summarize the session for you at the end – what we talked about, what strategies might help cope with the problems, and what we might talk about in the next session. I’ll ask you for feedback and reflection as well. What were your big take-aways?
Sometimes (not ALL the time), I will make some recommendations for “homework.” Tasks to complete outside of the therapy session, a question to think about and reflect on, or a skill to practice. Don’t worry, this homework isn’t graded. But, I promise if you get it done, I’ll be there to celebrate you in the next session! If you don’t get it done, I’ll coach you and help you figure out what stood in the way and how to adjust.
I saw you “People You May Know” in my social media feed. Can I send you a friend request?
To protect your privacy and provide you with the best ethical counseling service, I do not accept friend requests from clients.
If you have any concerns about whether we can work together because of community connections, let’s talk about them! If you’re a local in the Shenandoah Valley, you know that it’s a “small town” sort of place. There are a lot of social connections and ways you might know of me or my family outside of the therapy session.
If conflicts arise and it’s not a good idea for us to work together, I can provide you with several wonderful referrals to other professionals in the area providing teletherapy.
Do you get tired of hearing people’s problems all day?
Just like anyone, YES, my job can tire me out. I take breaks, practice self-care, and work hard to have boundaries between my working hours and family time.
But I am not tired of helping people going through difficult times. Maybe it’s my personality, maybe it’s got to do with my family of origin experiences. Whatever it is that got me to this point, I don’t feel like it’s a burden. It’s hard work. It can be emotional and difficult. I believe it’s what I’m called to do, and I am capable of doing it. So, I do!
Someone named Joel Walkley responded to an email I sent you. Who is that?
Joel is my husband and Shenandoah Family Therapy’s part-time practice manager. He lends a hand with accounting and administrative tasks, and he occasionally answers a phone call or email.
Joel’s full-time job is in the tech field as a developer. But he’s a man of many talents and a lengthy and diverse resume! Joel holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and master’s degrees in social work and divinity.
He’s a part-time pastor of a couple of small, rural churches. He’s worked in social services, foster care, juvenile probation, and consulting. He’s a veteran of the Army National Guard and a former volunteer firefighter. He’s also an amazing husband and wonderful father to our three kids. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in business and life!
Where did you get the paintings in your office?
I made them! My undergrad degree is actually a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I love drawing, painting, and making art whenever I get a chance.
Ask me more about Art Therapy in our first session.
If it weren’t for my experiences and background in the arts, I probably would never have become a therapist. Communication is more than just written and verbal. Visual communication and artmaking are powerful tools for change, healing, and growth.