Frequently Asked Questions

Does therapy actually work?

Yes. I am a firm believer that therapy does and can help people. Decades of research agree with me on that. Not every therapist is right for every person. Timing and fit play a huge role in the outcome. There are so many different types of therapy. They’re not all created equal and even the good ones aren’t right for every issue or every individual. The other piece is that sometimes people come to therapy looking for a magic fix and dip out the moment it doesn’t feel good, fast, fun, and easy. It’s not all doom, gloom, and pain. There’s a lot of joy in the process but good therapy also comes with growing pains, awkwardness, and facing things that are scary. If therapy is always fun, it’s probably also not really helping. If therapy is always just stressful, it’s probably a bad fit. 

 

Can you help my child/teenager/partner/friend?

It can be difficult to be a support for someone who is struggling with their mental health. Your role as their loved one can’t be replaced by a clinician and even though love alone doesn’t solve mental health struggles, it matters deeply what you do for the person you’re thinking of. As far as my ability to help, it depends. If this person is a minor for whom you’re responsible, I would be happy to chat with you and/or them to see if my services would be a good fit and point you in the right direction if not. If your loved one isn’t someone you have a legal responsibility for, my services have to go through them. If you’re struggling with how to support a loved one who is living with or in recovery from an eating disorder, please check out the resources tab and feel free to drop a line if you have questions. No one recovers alone and your care and presence are invaluable.

What's HAES?

Health at Every Size (HAES) is a clinical understanding that weight, shape, and size alone aren’t markers of health. Medical research shows that BMI is not an accurate indicator of wellness nor are categorizations of body types. As a HAES informed provider, your wellbeing genuinely matters to me and won’t be confused with a weight or shape based metric. Health and size aren’t the same thing and yours won’t impact the care you receive. For more info about HAES, visit https://asdah.org/haes/

How is therapy different from just talking to a friend?

Clinicians often get asked what makes a session with us different from a conversation with a friend. Therapy is relational. Therapists really do care. But the therapeutic relationship is absolutely unique. I’m here to offer you mental healthcare. That’s what I’m trained to do. Everything about our relationship and our sessions is in service of your growth. It’s not just about being a good listener or validating your feelings (though I hope to do both). My expertise, evidence based treatments, and a relationship in which your needs are always the driving force create something meaningful and genuine but very different from a friendship.

What if I'm not ready to "do recovery"?

First off, welcome. I’m so glad you’re here. Ambivalence, mixed feelings, defensiveness, cynicism, frustration, uncertainty…all of that is welcome too. You don’t have to be fully ready to dive in and commit to total recovery to deserve help and support or begin meaningful work. We can start where you are. You don’t need to wait to feel totally hopeful, motivated, or prepared to take a first step. If you’re willing to show up for therapy and are medically safe to do so, I can hold the hope piece for you and with you. It’s more than okay to show up as yourself. It’s actually what makes therapy possible. So if you’re coming in scared, the door is open to you exactly as you are. 

If I have an eating disorder and I'm not medically stable, can we still work together?

No matter where you’re at in your process, you deserve support and care. If you’re having symptoms that are of urgent concern, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If your eating disorder is in a place where you don’t need the ER but you’re not medically stable, we can talk about setting up outpatient therapy for when you’re able to safely engage in that. The first step might look like finding an inpatient, residential, PHP, or IOP treatment program. While I would love to support you in your recovery, part of that means never recommending you to do things that wouldn’t be safe. So I do sometimes recommend higher levels of care and always prefer to have ROI (release of information) forms signed for your doctor and dietitian so that your care is collaborative and informed.