I am a licensed marriage and family therapist.  I earned my masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2000.  I am currently in my sixth year of advanced gestalt studies at the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Las Vegas.  I have been in private practice for several years in Las Vegas, and I also teach at the College of Southern Nevada.  Before earning my masters, I worked for several years with children and adolescents in residential psychiatric hospitals, and with developmentally disabled adults.

 

My work is about building safe, supportive, honest relationships and supporting persons to gain clearer awareness of who they are and what their choices are.  I use various expressive arts in my work, including drawing/painting, sand play, visualizations, and storytelling.  I work to come from a non-judgmental place, allowing persons to grow in ways they see as beneficial while challenging them to choose things that fit who they are.

 

It is my opinion/experience that counseling can only be effective if there is a good working relationship present.  While this kind of relationship takes time to build, most persons would say that they knew very quickly whether there was a good fit in therapy or not.  This can usually be accomplished by meeting for an hour and deciding at the end whether we want to meet again.  I would be happy to set up such a meeting with you if you would like, and I would prefer to do so by phone (I find scheduling by email to be difficult).  You can reach me at 702/810.4159 if you would like to set a time to meet.

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To My Clients:
I have found it helpful to clarify the following topics when beginning counseling.  If you have any questions about any of these matters, I will be available to discuss them at any time.

Counseling is a relationship between persons which works in part because of clearly defined rights and responsibilities held by each person.  This frame helps to create the safety to take risks and the support to become empowered to change.  As a client in counseling, you have certain rights which are important for you know about because this is your counseling, the goal of which is your well-being.  There are also certain legal limitations to those rights of which you should be aware.  As a counselor, I have corresponding responsibilities to you.

You have the right to ask questions about anything that happens in our work together.  I’m always willing to discuss how and why I’ve decided to do what I’m doing and to look at alternatives which might work better.  You can feel free to ask me to try something that you think will be helpful.  You can ask me about my training for working with your concerns and can request that I refer you to someone else if you decide that I’m not the right counselor for you.  You are free to leave counseling at any time.


FEES and TIME
1.    You are responsible for full payment of all services.
2.    Fees are payable at each session, unless other arrangements have been made previously.
3.    The fee for a 50-minute session is $150.  Fees are periodically reviewed and changed.  You will be given 60 days notice of any fee increase.  I am willing to discuss a fee adjustment for persons paying out-of-pocket.
4.    I am not willing to have clients run a bill with me.  If you find that you are having a hard time paying for therapy, please discuss this with me.
5.    Because the time I have for seeing persons is limited and time has been set aside for you, I must charge you for your appointments missed or canceled less than 24 hours in advance.  You are responsible for payment of any missed sessions – even if you are using any third party payer such as Victim Witness or private insurance.
6.    Sometimes sessions of more than 50 minutes are advisable, particularly for couple or family sessions.  These will be arranged in advanced and the fee adjusted accordingly.
7.    Children’s sessions are 45 to 50 minutes, depending on the age and emotional energy level of each child.  Parents need to be in my office and available to the child during session time.

INSURANCE
You are responsible to let me know about your coverage prior to beginning counseling.  Regardless of your insurance coverage, you are responsible for full payment of all charges.

Insurance companies differ as to coverage.  You will need to check with your insurance company to determine if these sessions are covered.  Even though I am a licensed professional, many insurance companies require a referring physician.  Also, your program may require pre-authorization.  You are responsible for knowing any necessary prerequisites prior to beginning counseling.  You will be responsible for any sessions not covered by my insurance at my usual fee.  I will assist you if you bring your insurance information as soon as possible.

TELEPHONE CALLS, EXTENSIVE REPORTS, and LEGAL REPRESENTATION
1.    I prefer to see and talk with you in person at a scheduled office session.  However, there are times when telephone calls are needed.  You will be charged for any telephone calls over 10 minutes at the rate of $2.00 per minute.
2.    If you request that I write extensive reports to be sent to schools, government agencies, etc., you will be charged according to the time it takes me to write these reports.  You will not be charged for brief summaries or letters.
3.    I am not a legal consultant or representative.  I do not do custody evaluations, nor make recommendations regarding custody arrangements.  I provide counseling, consultation, and psychotherapy to persons who are making changes in their lives or dealing with difficulty in a life situation.  I will not testify nor provide summary of sessions for the purpose of custody issues.  If, however, I am subpoenaed to do so or required to do so for other reasons, the fee to the party demanding such services will be $250.00 per hour for all activity related to providing such a service, including travel and other expenses.  A retainer fee of $1500.00 must be prepaid prior to any court appearance.

CONFIDENTIALITY
1.    I abide by and respect the ethical code of confidentiality in my work.  The information and nature of your sessions will not be disclosed to any person or agency without your prior consent to do so.  There are two exceptions, both of which are mandated by law.  I must report any life-threatening situation or any suspected physical or sexual abuse.  In such cases I will take necessary steps to protect the safety and well-being of those concerned.
2.    When working with an individual child, I respect his/her right to confidentiality.  I will consult with you about your child’s progress.  Both parents are entitled to know the nature and progress of the child’s therapeutic care.  It is my policy to include children in the room when you wish to talk with me about the child.  If you would like to see me alone, please make a separate appointment.  I appreciate your telling me at the beginning of the session if there have been any unusual happenings since our last session.
3.    If you are getting reimbursed for my services by your insurance company, it is possible that confidentiality is limited.  I am not responsible for information required by your insurance company.  Your agreement to accept insurance payments is often your permission to provide them with confidential information.
4.    I occasionally participate in case consultation groups with licensed colleagues or special consultants, where I may discuss my work with you.  This is helpful to me and to you in providing you with the best care.  In doing so, your confidentiality remains protected.

TERMINATION
Closure or termination is essential to the counseling process.  Usually, this takes place over several weeks in the process of counseling.  However, should you want to close counseling before we agree that we have come to the closure of your counseling, I ask that you allow yourself and/or your child to have a final “goodbye” session, regardless of the reason for ending.