Frequently Asked Questions

I do not accept insurance. However, if you have out-of-network (OON) benefits covered by your insurance policy, I can provide you with a “Superbill” with all the information needed by your insurance to file for reimbursement.

By taking on fewer clients, I have found that I can provide higher-quality treatment and enjoy a better work-life balance. (I have to practice what I preach!)

Call me at (315) 520-8234, email me, or complete the contact form on this site.

I ask for 24 hours’ notice if you cannot attend your appointment.

If you do not show and do not contact me to cancel or reschedule your appointment, you will be charged the full session fee.

I do a lot of active listening. Sessions typically begin with a recap of the week’s events, followed by a discussion of homework from the previous session. If the homework isn’t done, I explore why that may be. Sometimes, I learn more about you when you don’t follow through with the homework.

We also might spend some time learning or practicing a new skill in session. It could be a body scan for tension in certain areas, deep breathing, mindful meditation, or problem-solving, to name a few.

It could be a more formal written “assignment” (like keeping a log of certain behaviors you want to change).

Other homework assignments focus on a particular skill you’ve developed in therapy and how you practiced it during the week.

We’ll work together to create assignments that work well for you!

I’ve trained and practiced extensively with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which focuses on decreasing less effective behaviors (i.e., drinking, lying, storming out of an argument etc.), and teaching you more effective skills to apply in your environment.

I also use somatic and sensorimotor techniques to help you become more mindful of your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and urges. These techniques help you observe, describe, and better understand your emotions as you experience them.

Finally, we’ll use interpersonal techniques aimed at improving your relationships.

I am a licensed psychologist in the state of New York. I hold a doctorate (Ph.D.) in counseling psychology from the University of Akron (Ohio).

After two years working at a counseling center at Oklahoma State, I was hired as an associate psychologist at the Madison County Community Mental Health Center in Wampsville, New York. As a full-time psychologist, I performed crisis interventions, evaluations, and assessments while maintaining a caseload of adult therapy clients. I created the DBT program there to train other mental health professionals in this treatment model.

After nine years in that position, I started my private practice. I’ve been doing that for nearly 14 years, the last five of which have been in my current location.

Well… that I love it!

It’s a privilege to help people reach their goals and go beyond what they imagined possible when we started working together.

That’s typically what people ask when they find out I’m originally from Lincoln, Nebraska.

I came to Central New York after finishing my Ph.D. for a job at the Madison County Community Mental Health Center. In addition to gaining a lot of experience and working with some great people, I was fortunate enough to have my student loans repaid by the Health Service Providers loan repayment program. I then met my husband and settled down here in Oneida County.

Both (although the real answer is dogs).

For clients I’ve worked with through telehealth, I’ve met every one of their cats. Therapy seems to attract them like a magnet, as they’re always hopping up on desks and tables, demanding attention.

But I’m a proud dog mom (even though my two pups have passed away).

In the first few sessions, I typically take notes about what we talk about. Writing things down helps cement it in my memory in a way that listening does not.

If you saw what I write, it likely wouldn’t make much sense, as it is in my unique shorthand and very messy. Most people think I’m writing down critical judgments about them, which is definitely not the case.