Schedule An Initial Consultation
Mondays are reserved for initial consultations. Once you confirm your availability to meet, I will send out a Secure Video/Zoom link. Plan to meet for 15 to 20 minutes, and there is no charge. If you absolutely cannot meet on a Monday, please let me know the blocks of time when you can be available to meet, and I’ll do my best to reach you. I am generally not available for initial consultations Tuesdays through Fridays, as those are the days I meet with regularly scheduled clients (if Mondays just don’t work for you, give me some blocks of time when you are available). I have been meeting all clients via telehealth since the 2020, but just after Thanksgiving in 2023 transitioned back to offering in-person appointments in my office.
Scheduling Ongoing Appointments
I ask my clients to choose a regular and consistent day and time, as much as possible, and I schedule all new clients on a weekly basis. My schedule is generally full and does not allow for much rescheduling, though if I have cancellations during a given week, it may create some small wiggle room for limited scheduling changes.
It’s okay to ask to reschedule, but please understand that I may not always be able to accommodate your request. Because I work with some college students whose class schedules change from semester to semester, I may on occasion need to juggle your regular standing appointment time. I would ask if you have the flexibility to move only if there’s no other way of resolving a scheduling conflict for the student, and of course, you would always have the right to say no. Fortunately, this scenario only comes up once or twice a year.
If you need to work with a therapist who can cope with a dynamic schedule that changes from week to week, we may not be a good fit.
Please note, from time to time I do attend professional trainings or conferences so may need to clear my schedule, or I may need to adjust appointment times because of vacation or parenting responsibilities. In either case, I strive to keep any disruptions to a minimum and would give you as much notice as I can.
Location
I provide in-person therapy as well as via a Zoom-based telehealth platform called Secure Video. A few of my clients are attending therapy using a hybrid model, coming to the office from time-to-time, and using Telehealth when it is difficult to meet in my office. Either works for me, but some services will require you to come in person. Also, please clarify your intentions by 8:45 the morning of your appointment, on whether you plan to come to the office or to use Telehealth.
Intake Paperwork
Once we have agreed to work together, I send an email with a link for you to access intake documents electronically. Please complete any forms in advance of your first appointment so we can use our first hour more efficiently.
The intake will prompt new clients to enter credit card information, which is held by a credit card processing company called Stripe (I do not store any credit card information myself). Your card is only charged after we meet, or in the event that you have no-showed for an appointment or made a late cancellation (refer to the Policies page to read about my cancellation policy).
Meeting via Telehealth
If you are meeting me via Telehealth, log on a minute or two before our appointment time, and enter “the waiting room.” I will be notified and join you shortly. If you have an unstable WIFI connection, it can make for a difficult to follow conversation. If our connection fails to connect, or drops repeatedly, I may try using FaceTime as a back up measure. It is not my preferred way to connect, but it is an encrypted line, so it can work as a back up.
A new telehealth link will be provided on a weekly basis. If you don’t already have Zoom installed, please check that you have a current version installed well before our appointment.
If there is a problem with WIFI on your end, please text me and I will call or FaceTime as a backup. If I have a WIFI issue, I’ll communicate via text to let you know. For the most part, my WIFI is stable, but I’ve learned that it’s good to have a back up plan!
Note: while Telehealth affords us a way to meet without the formality of an office setting, I do ask that you treat it as a real appointment. You will need a private space and a reliable WIFI connection.
Meeting In Person
Please time your arrival at my door no earlier than the actual appointment time. As I have no waiting room, I will not answer the door if I am in still in session or on the phone. There are many coffee shops within a block or two, and if you are early, you may want to hang out there until it’s time to come up. I often leave the door ajar when I am expecting a client. If the door is closed, do please feel free to knock if it is your appointment time. If you are running late, please text me to let me know!