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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your office located?
3207 Capsicum Cove
Austin, Texas 78748
My office is in my home, which is conveniently located for people in South Austin, Buda, and Kyle. It’s off of Brodie Lane between Slaughter Lane and FM1626.
How long are sessions?
Most sessions are 50 minutes. It is possible to get a lot out of that time.
How do I set up an appointment?
For a free phone consultation, please call me at (512) 656-9877 or complete the contact form at the bottom of this page. This will allow us to see if I am the right person to help you. We can set up our first session at that time.
What is your cancellation policy?
I request 24 hours advanced notice for cancellations so that I have time to see if someone else could benefit from that time. If you don’t provide this notice, I charge a cancellation fee. We can discuss events and situations that resulted in cancellations on a case-by-case basis.
Who do you work with?
I work with adults of varying ethnic backgrounds. I am LGBTQ+ friendly. I primarily help people suffering from the aftermath of trauma (see my Trauma page) and related problems, like anxiety, depression, and codependency. Sometimes people come to counseling with anxiety and we discover that there was trauma that is at the root of the anxiety.
What is your approach in sessions?
One of the most important aspects of therapy is the relationship that we develop together. Through our collaboration, I hope to ensure that you really benefit from our time together.
The first session, or two, is dedicated to learning more about what problems you’re experiencing and what you hope to accomplish through therapy.
While I may use various methods that I think will be most effective for helping you, at the center, I’ll carefully attend to your needs and support you.
What kinds of approaches do you use?
There are a lot of different approaches to counseling and therapy. As I mentioned previously, the relationship between us is the most important element in therapy. I offer you a supportive, compassionate, safe place to explore and guide you through a process that can truly be life changing.
I will always tailor counseling to your needs. With that in mind, I am always learning new, effective ways to help.
There are some approaches that have proven to be highly effective for a many issues, such as EMDR (see my EMDR page). I also find mindfulness-based, attachment and emotion-focused, narrative, and solution-focused approaches to be very helpful.
What is your professional training and experience?
I have been in private practice since 2013. I also have years of experience working in addiction treatment settings and was previously the Family Counselor at Austin Recovery.
I am an EMDR Certified Therapist and have continued to studied various approaches related to Interpersonal Neurobiology. See the About Me for more information.
How do I prepare for our first appointment?
After we talk on the phone and set up your first appoiintment, you will receive an email with a link to a client portal for you to complete all the intake forms online. If for some reason you don’t want to use this system, you can let me know and I can offer you an alternative.
Also, I would like you to really think about what you most want to get out of counseling. If counseling were to help you, what would be happening? How would you know? This is important. There is power in visualizing the change you want so you can intentionally move in that direction.
If I come to see you, does that mean I’m crazy?
It could be that people who don’t come to counseling, who could really benefit from it, are crazy. I don’t like to label people as crazy or reduce people to a diagnosis. I think people have challenges, they may get discouraged, and they persist through painful ordeals. Getting help through counseling is sane and healthy.
What do you like to do for fun?
I really love the outdoors, particularly hiking. I’m from Central Oregon, in the heart of the Cascade Mountains, where I have spent a lot of time in the forests and mountains. My wife and I are always interested in finding new places to explore.
I also really enjoy playing the saxophone. I dabble with a few other instruments, but I’ve been playing sax since I was 12. I love jazz, since that’s the music of the saxophone. There is always more to learn.