Sadly, I've worked with a lot of people who have told me they've tried therapy in the past and it hasn't been helpful. There are many reasons for this. You may have been misdiagnosed or treated for the wrong disorder. You may have received a less effective form of treatment or received treatment from someone who was not very skilled. Perhaps it was an interpersonal issue that prevented you from feeling connected to your therapist. Or maybe it just wasn't the right time for you to fully participate in therapy. Whatever the reason, it's important to talk through this with your next therapist so you can determine what needs to be different moving forward. I’ve found that most people who make an effort to engage in exposure therapy do make progress and see a reduction in their symptoms. In fact, I’ve witnessed many people make life changing progress in therapy.

Exposure therapy is misunderstood by many people, even other therapists. Some people have a misconception that exposure therapy is extremely distressing and that most people are too fragile to be able to tolerate it.. It is known that exposure therapy temporarily increases anxiety, but what many people fail to recognize is that people with OCD, anxiety disorders, and trauma are already experiencing distress. The kindest thing we can do for people living with these issues is to offer a fast, effective treatment that will help decrease distress and anxiety in the long-term.  

Therapy is a big investment, both in terms of the time commitment and financially. There are never any guarantees, but your therapist should be able to lay out a reasonable plan for your treatment so you know what to expect. Once you've established what symptoms you want to work on and what goals you'd like to set (usually in the first few sessions), you should begin working on learning skills and applying them. You should start seeing results within the first few weeks or months. If you aren't seeing results, then it's time to reevaluate treatment with your therapist. It's okay to ask questions if you're feeling like therapy isn't moving as fast as you'd like. Also, you have a responsibility to make therapy effective as well. Good therapy will involve some work in between sessions, and generally the more involved you are with your care the better your results will be.

Of course! I emphasize that I treat pure OCD because I want to create a safe space for people to talk about those concerns, but I very much enjoy working with people with any type of OCD. After all, therapy really isn't about treating someone's symptoms so much as it's about working with another person on a common goal. I have many years of experience working with folks on contamination concerns, doubting/checking, symmetry/"just right", health anxiety, and other subtypes of OCD.

In addition to OCD, I have many years of experience working with people with anxiety disorders and trauma. For anxiety disorders, I utilize exposure therapy along with more common CBT strategies (e.g., thought challenging). When working with people with trauma, I tend to use prolonged exposure therapy along with CBT.

My fee is $200 for a 55 minute session.

I am in network with the following insurance companies: Quartz Dean Health Plan I can also provide therapy to individuals who do not want to utilize their health insurance benefits or those who have out-of-network (OON) benefits. For those wanting to utilize OON benefits, I can provide a Superbill to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please check with your insurance provider to determine if you have OON benefits. Click here for a list of questions to ask your insurance company.

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost. Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. ● You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. ● Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. ● If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. ● Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059. 

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