Frequently Asked Questions

Health psychology is a specialized field of psychology that focuses on how biological, social and psychological factors (the “biopsychosocial model”) affect health and illness. Health psychologists work with clients to help them develop strategies focused on emotional and physical well-being.

There is a strong connection between stress and immune response, and a growing body of evidence in the field of psychoneuroimmunology that chronic stress can impact autoimmune disorders.  In conjunction with medical treatment, psychological approaches can help you manage stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, all of which may also affect your body’s ability to function in the context of disease. 

There are modalities of psychological treatment that are evidence-based with a clear and consistent body of research demonstrating effectiveness in the treatment of chronic pain. Psychological treatment can be an important part of pain management. Understanding and managing the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that accompany pain can help you cope more effectively with and reduce the intensity of your chronic pain. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield is, at the moment, the least worst insurance company to work with. Our health care system is, unfortunately, a broken system, and if you are in my FAQ you likely already know this quite well.

Hopefully, the information on this Web site will help give you some idea of who I am and how I work. I'm rather straight forward. There is no pseudoscience or “woo” in my approach, if that helps you decide whether to contact me. Booking a 20-minute consultation call will help determine if you want to start work with me, but often we don’t know if we are a good “fit” until 3-4 sessions in. As we work together, consider if you feel comfortable talking to me, if you can be open and honest with me, if you think I am responsive to your questions, and if you feel confident that I can help you.

The first session is a get-to-know-you visit and can be intimidating if you haven’t been in therapy. I will ask questions to get to know you and your goals for therapy (or set them if you don’t have any), tell you about how I work, give you an idea of what kind of work we could do together, and address any questions that you have about me and my approach to therapy.

Every session is unique, and what we discuss is tailored to your unique needs.  I've found that sometimes the most productive sessions start with, “I don’t have much to talk about this session”!

This, of course, depends on a lot of things. Generally, I like to start working with clients on a weekly basis and then taper off sessions as skills build and goals are met. There are some folks who are best served with occasional sessions to reinforce skills and some who benefit from a more intense focus with frequent visits for complex issues.

A superbill is an itemized invoice that I can provide to you. It includes the information most insurance companies need to reimburse you for out-of-network costs, but does not guarantee reimbursement. If you have out of network coverage and would like to submit a superbill for reimbursement, please request them and I will be happy to provide the documentation you need.

You will need to contact your insurance company to find out if you have out-of-network coverage.  Most insurance company websites have AI assistants you can “chat” with to find out more about your coverage if you are phone-avoidant, but make sure you document this information in case you get push back when submitting a superbill.  The out-of-network coverage is typically a percentage of an amount that the insurance company has set as the maximum fee allowed, and it varies a lot by insurance company and plan.