FAQs

The biggest difference between coaching and psychotherapy is that psychotherapy is considered “medically necessary" due to the frequency and intensity of mental health-related symptoms.

Coaching, on the other hand, is not considered medically necessary and is best for people who are functioning well day to day but are looking for specialized help around a specific issue or topic.

Additionally, psychotherapy is provided by a licensed mental health provider, whereas, coaching does not require any type of licensure and is not regulated at a state level the way psychotherapy is.

Some clients meet with me weekly while others meet with me only once or twice a month. 

Although I may make a recommendation regarding frequency, we will discuss what makes most sense for you, recognizing that working with me will require a significant investment on your end of time, emotional energy, and finances.

I do require that we meet at least 1x per month while we're working towards specific goals in order for you to maintain momentum.

This will vary from person to person. When our work is laser-focused on one topic, clients may experience the results they are looking for in just a few sessions. 

However, it's more common for folks to see me over a longer period of time due to the complex nature of religious harm recovery work.

As long as you feel you're making progress towards your goals and the sessions are helpful to you, we can continue.

However, you may also choose to discontinue coaching at any time and are not required to provide a reason should you choose to stop.

While attachment theory informs my work, I integrate the following modalities in my coaching sessions, depending on each persons unique needs:

• cognitive processing
• somatic experiencing
• IFS ("parts work")
• Brainspotting
• EMDR

There are two session lengths to choose from:

• 45-Minute Cognitive Processing Session – This is a focused session designed for mental clarity. We’ll work through specific thoughts, memories, or stuck points using cognitive tools.
• 75-Minute Deep Nervous System Recovery – For when your body needs more time to slow down, ground, and regulate. We’ll go deeper into somatic practices that support healing from trauma held in the body.

Usually I start off each session by asking how your day has been. Next, I'll check in about how you were after our last session. And then I'll help set the agenda for the current session by asking if there's anything that's "top of mind" you would like to process.

If nothing feels especially pressing, I can guide us through topics related to your previously identified goals.

An important part of our very first session will be identifying what results you're hoping to achieve by engaging in religious harm recovery coaching, and our goal from the outset will be to help you achieve those results {though I cannot guarantee a specific outcome}.

I've found that clearly identifying goals in the beginning of our work together has enabled many of my clients to experience favorable results.

I'll also periodically check in with you to see how you feel things are going, and whether you think we're "on track" with your goals.

Absolutely! Many of my clients have already worked with a therapist in the past or are currently working with a therapist when they starting coaching with me.

If you're currently working with a therapist, I'll gather additional information from you about what you've been working on with them, so we can make sure we're complimenting this work rather than duplicating efforts.

I welcome my clients to communicate with me via email between sessions.

Although I cannot provide individualized coaching support via email, clients sometimes find it helpful to provide updates about what's been going on in between sessions, so that we can use our time more efficiently when we do meet.

You can also email me to "bookmark" a topic for further discussion during an upcoming session.

Because our work together is classified as coaching and not psychotherapy, it is not covered by insurance.

You also won't be able to use "out-of-network" benefits for coaching because out-of-network claims require a psychotherapy procedure code and that you be assigned a mental health diagnosis by the mental health provider you're currently working with.

75-minute intake sessions - $295

75-minute "deep work" sessions - $295

45-minute cognitive processing sessions - $195

I do not offer sliding scale rates.

While many therapists offer sliding scale rates as a way of making mental health care more accessible to folks who may not be able to otherwise afford it, I have chosen not to make this a part of my practice.

Instead, I have chosen to support folks in their religious harm recovery journey by investing a significant amount of time and energy each week into developing free educational content in the form of blog posts, weekly emails, and social media posts.

I also moderate the Religious Harm Recovery Group over on Facebook which remains a free resource to all.

The payment process is streamlined through my HIPAA-compliant online client portal, which uses Stripe.

When we begin working together, you will place a credit card on file, which will be automatically charged following each session.

Invoices and receipts are always readily accessible in the client-portal.

I use Simple Practice which is a HIPAA compliant electronic health record system. They provide their own video conferencing software.

Yes, for the most part, as long as you're in a private location that's free from distractions.

I cannot meet with you while you're operating a vehicle or if there's significant background noise.

Yes, because this is coaching and not psychotherapy, I can work with clients residing anywhere inside or outside of the U.S. as long as we can make the time difference work! 

I use a HIPAA-compliant electronic health record which has a secure client portal. This particular platform meets the privacy standards that doctors and other health care providers are required to adhere to.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (EST).

Though my religious harm recovery work is considered "coaching," I am a trained and licensed psychotherapist with 13+ years of experience in treating complex trauma and mental health issues.

I have also completed advanced education training related to cult mind control and religious trauma.

You can find out more details HERE.

The biggest difference is the lens through which we approach your experiences.

While general therapy and religious harm recovery coaching may both focus on trauma and mental health concerns, religious harm recovery work is about more accurately identifying the source of the distress.

Simply being able to identify the root cause of the problems provides a clearer path forward to resolution.

No, I do not consider myself to be a Christian or even a "person of faith," and if I had to choose a label, I would probably classify myself as agnostic-atheist.

While I have been spearated from formal religion for many years, I do still consider myself to be spiritual. However, rather than seeking guidence from an external deity as I once did, I now tune in to my own inner wisdom.

I am open to working with someone who wants to retain their faith, but I'm very up front about the fact that I am no longer a person of faith.

I do not challenge people around theology or their deeply held personal beliefs, and I do not have an agenda around what I think someone ought to think or believe.

No, my approach to nervous system recovery is an individual process.

Not at this time. However, you may submit an inquiry using the form below to briefly describe your situation and see if a one time consultation might be a good fit for you.

I offer a 15 minute introductory video call after your application has been completed and accepted.

This intro call is to give us the opportunity to meet and for you to ask any additional questions you might have prior to commiting to coaching.

You can use the form below to get started!

The first step is completing a preliminary application. This will help me determine whether I think my religious harm recovery coaching would be a good fit for the types of issues you're looking for support with.

If your application is approved, my assistant will help set up a 15 minute intro video call, so you can meet me and ask any remaining questions you might have.

Once we meet for the intro call (usually within 1-2 weeks), we can discuss whether my current availbility alligns with your schedule and how quickly we'll be able to begin working together.

My availability changes frequently, but in most cases, I'm able to start working with someone in less than a month if their schedule is fairly flexible.