(626) 408-0129

FAQ

General Questions

Where is the office located?

2550 Honolulu Avenue
Suite 201
Glendale, CA 91020

Where do I park?
There is free street parking on both Honolulu and Rosemont, the cross street.
How long is a typical session?
Sessions are 45 minutes in most cases. I want clients to get what’s right in weekly dose and duration, so adjusting session time or frequency is sometimes appropriate.
What do I do to get started?

Call me at (626) 408-0129 or text me at that number to arrange a time to talk.

How do I pay?
I accept credit cards, cash, checks, and Zelle payments.
Do you accept insurance?
I bill clients directly, and upon request, I can provide a monthly superbill for client submission to insurance.
How do I make an appointment?

Call me at (626) 408-0129 or text me at that number to arrange a time to speak and book.

Can I cancel an appointment? Do you have a cancellation policy?

Yes, you can. With at least 24 hours’ notice, you will incur no fee.

What is the best way to get in touch with you?

Phone! I want to talk to you, so call me at (626) 408-0129.

How long have you been in practice?

I began seeing clients in 2018 as a trainee. I am now fully licensed as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Therapy Questions

What are your strengths as a therapist?
My strengths are empathy, curiosity, and attunement. We don’t get as much focused attention in this life as I’d wish. With me, you’ll have my dedicated attention.
What do you enjoy about being a therapist?
I enjoy witnessing vulnerability, growth, and healing. Seeing this is an earth-shakingly and beautiful sight to behold. 
What is a free initial phone consultation?
This consultation lets us get to know each other – whether I can help and you feel safe enough to trust diving into this work with me.
Who is your perfect client?
I love to work with artists, those recovering from trauma, and those working to grow out of shame and self-criticism, especially those categories handed to them by their family of origin or religion of origin.
With what age range do you work?
I work with adolescents through end-of-life care. I love every part of this journey.
Do you work with men? Women? Couples? Adolescents?

Yes! I love hearing I am a safe person from women who have sadly experienced the opposite with males. 

I also love addressing men’s issues in a time where male privilege is widely and correctly acknowledged but which can leave us feeling undeserving of compassion in our pain. 

Working with couples represents the ultimate chance to bring different people out of the courtroom of who’s right and into empathy, where we can understand our own and our partner’s emotional experience.

Working with adolescents and teens is a beautiful opportunity to extend to others what I wish I’d had in those tumultuous years.

Do couples fight in front of you?
Well, they argue in front of me. I must see how you do conflict.
Do you take sides?
I hold each partner in compassion and empathy so you can hold yourselves and one another as much. And I say so when one partner can’t or won’t hold the other in empathy or take responsibility for causing harm. Saying so is not taking sides; it is a form of care. 
Are you LGBTQIA-friendly?

AF. The queer voices in my life have been powerful instruments of change for me. I sit in curiosity and empathy. I have had multiple LGBTQIA clients tell me I am safe and trusted with their sexual identity. Thinking of those moments now, I am grateful for those relationships.

Do you work with people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions?
I work with everyone – as diverse as possible. I actively cultivate a diverse client portfolio. 
What can I expect in the first session?

You will feel seen, and you will encounter my curiosity about where you’ve been and what you’re feeling and techniques to feel those feelings fully. 

During that first meeting, you can also expect to receive practicable and repeatable tools, such as anxiety-reducing techniques.

What is therapy like when working with you?

Therapy with me is different for every person, as it should be. But whoever you are and whatever you’ve been through, I will encounter you with compassion and empathy. 

Expect a safe space where you will never feel judged and always encounter unconditional positive regard.

How long will I be in therapy?

Some people who want to reprocess one trauma with the powerful – and fast – modalities I practice can complete that work within a few sessions. Others wish to continue therapy to strive for ever higher levels of flourishing. 

Whatever your goals, you are in control. I am here to help you get what you want.

Does anyone cry in front of you?
Almost everyone cries. And I’ll probably cry along with you.
Do I have to tell you everything?
No! You are in control, and sharing before it feels safe is counterproductive. And with modalities like EMDR and Brainspotting, you can reprocess trauma without telling me what happened. 
Who benefits from therapy?
Because I believe therapy can help us heal pain as well as help us grow into ever greater levels of human flourishing, I believe therapy can help any human who invests in the process. I should hope your therapist thinks that!
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a method of reprocessing trauma using bilateral stimulation and body sensation awareness. It is a means of getting “unstuck” from past trauma, so those memories cease viscerally invading your present tense and can become reincorporated as “a sad story that happened to me a long time ago.”
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting grew out of EMDR. It also uses bilateral stimulation and eye position to reprocess painful memories, thoughts, and feelings.
What are the risks and benefits of doing therapy?
The risk is that things may feel worse before they get better, as one thing we are doing cultivates your ability to feel rather than numb or avoid. The benefits are healing the past pain that gets in the way of your present, compassionately knowing yourself, mindful experience of emotions, and growth into ever more adaptive ways of living in relationships, work, performance, creativity, and play. 
Do you offer video or phone sessions?
Yes, I do. I understand that a commute for therapy can be taxing. And I know Zoom fatigue can sometimes mean a simple voice call instead. 
What else can I try to help myself?
I take a holistic mind, body, and spirit perspective. We will talk about sleep hygiene, exercise, phone use, substance use, nutrition, and self-education so that you can do this holistic work with me and yourself. 
Are you a Christian counselor?

I am a counselor who often works with Christians from a place of empathy and understanding. I have a long history within the church, including years as a minister. I love working with church, ex-church, and spiritual people, as I relate to all of them. 

I am recovering from religious trauma, and part of my recovery has been an exit from the church as I continue to cultivate my spiritual practice, especially in connecting to awe every day.

Is our work (for couples) confidential?
Yes. The only exception is in those limited areas where I, like all therapists, am a mandated reporter of abuse. 
Have you been in therapy yourself?
Yes! My healing in therapy is what led me to this work.
What is your educational background?
I was Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude at Northwestern University, where I studied fiction writing and religion. My master’s in psychology is from California Southern, Summa Cum Laude. I have specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT).
Do you prescribe medications?
No, but I want to work with your medical team and any prescribing physicians you have.