Frequently Asked Questions

I work with individual adults and with teens age 14 and up.

My clients tend to be people who want to solve a specific problem and see it actually change, rather than talk about it indefinitely. I don’t work with couples.

The main method I use is Emotional Transformation Therapy, or ETT. I’m a certified ETT trauma therapist, and I’ve trained directly with the founder of the method.

ETT uses color and light, along with your visual field, to reach emotion at a level underneath conscious thought. It works through what your eyes are doing, which puts it in the same broad territory as EMDR, though the mechanics are different.

Your own brain sets the pace during ETT. That’s what keeps the process gentle.

I also use Brainspotting, which uses the position of your gaze to locate and process old emotions your body is still holding onto.

Everyone is different, so there’s no way to know upfront exactly how many sessions anyone needs to accomplish what they came in for.

What I can tell you is that in my clinical experience, this kind of work takes considerably fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy.

We’ll set clear goals at the start, because we need to know when we’re done.

Yes. I’m a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA) in the state of North Carolina and a National Board Certified Counselor.

My Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is from NC Central University, and my undergraduate degree is from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Beyond that, I’ve completed extensive advanced training in Emotional Transformation Therapy and I’m certified as an ETT trauma therapist. Brainspotting and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are part of my training as well.

The first step is a free 15-minute phone consultation. We both get a chance to get to know each other a little, you tell me what you’re hoping to accomplish in therapy, and I’ll tell you honestly whether it sounds like a fit for the sort of work I do.

If we both think it’s a good idea to proceed, I’ll send you an email invitation to my client portal. You’ll create your own password, fill out your forms, and then you’ll see my calendar and book your first appointment yourself.

I let clients schedule themselves, and you can change or cancel an appointment in the portal up to 24 hours ahead.

Call me today at (910) 502-3339, and we’ll set up your consultation.

My office is at 809 Spring Forest Rd., Suite 1000, Raleigh, NC 27609, in the Campus North Office Park.

Go to the second row of brick buildings on the right-hand side. It says “Synergy Center” over the door.

I’ll meet you at the little waiting room by the door at your appointment time.

Yes. Online therapy is a lot like in-person therapy, with a few noticeable differences.

I’ll send you a link ahead of time, and we’ll meet on an encrypted service so our session stays private.

For online sessions, I typically use Brainspotting rather than ETT, since Brainspotting lends itself to that format more readily.

Sessions are 50 minutes, and they begin on the half hour, so 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and so on.

My client hours are 10:30 am to 2:30 pm, Monday through Thursday.

You’ll walk into a warm, light, bright, and comfortable room. There’s a beachy vibe going on, courtesy of my various pieces of beach art.

At the first session, we’ll go over some questions about your history and establish what your goals are for moving forward. We’ll also do an assessment using the ETT Spectral Resonance Chart.

Come with a topic in mind. Something specific in your life that hasn’t budged. We’ll start addressing it right away.

I don’t take insurance directly.

If you have out-of-network benefits available, I use a service called Thrizer that submits a superbill to your insurance company for you. Thrizer then sends you whatever reimbursement your insurance company pays.

If you haven’t met your out-of-network deductible yet, we can still submit a superbill through Thrizer so the session gets applied toward that deductible.

Thrizer is entirely optional. I can also simply charge your credit card directly.

I’m glad you asked! One advantage of private pay is complete privacy for you, since I have no requirement to share treatment notes with your insurance company.

Another strong advantage is that you won’t be saddled with a mental health diagnosis that would live indefinitely on your medical record.

Life happens to all of us. If you wake up sick, or your child is sick, there’s not much you can do about it.

You can change or cancel your appointment in the portal up to 24 hours before your appointment time. I don’t start charging for late cancellations (meaning less than 24 hours notice) unless you’ve had several of them.

Yes! I have a cushy couch to sit on, and I keep a fuzzy blanket on hand in case of occasional overly aggressive air conditioning.

You’re in no way required to lie on the couch. Honestly, I’d much prefer you stay sitting up the whole time.

It’s not unusual for people to have strong emotions when they come for counseling. Waterproof mascara isn’t required, but it’s also not a bad idea.

The finest Kleenex tissues with lotion. Only the best for my clients!

I’m a big believer in the power of reading good books, so I’ll have suggestions for you. Whether you read them is entirely up to you.

Between sessions, I also strongly encourage journaling, using a specific method I’ll teach you.

Yes, several, and they’re different from how I work with adults.

Adults schedule themselves and set their own pace for how often they come in. Teens need to come in weekly until we’ve accomplished some therapy goals and it’s clear we can back off on the frequency a bit.

I’m also selective about which teen clients I take. A teen needs a clear sense that they have a problem to work on, and has to be internally motivated to engage in therapy.

When I see a teen, I require a parent or guardian to come for sessions as well, on a less frequent basis, either in person or by telehealth. The teen also has to be willing to let me communicate with their parents about their treatment.

Engaging in therapy with teenagers is a significant responsibility, and one I don’t take lightly. I know I won’t be an ideal fit for every teenager or every family.

If your teen does come see me, I’ll do everything in my power to help them turn a corner and move in a positive direction.

I’m happy to share a little bit about myself. Our focus in session is really about accomplishing your goals for therapy, though, so we won’t spend much time talking about me.

That’s a great question. I’m a normal human being just like everyone else, with all the same sorts of joys and challenges.

And I’m a constant learner, still in an ongoing process of growing myself. That’s a lifelong process for all of us.

Believe it or not, I am very committed to fun. I take fun very seriously.

I hope you do too!